Even though Amazon sells 80 percent of all books sold in the US today, there’s something cozy about bookstores that Amazon can’t match.
When you walk into an independent bookstore, you’re presented with tight aisles and shelves packed with books of all sizes, colors and topics. You can smell of the paper and (sometimes) leather covers. And you can rely on the knowledge of the shopkeepers to find just the book you’re looking for.
I’ve always loved bookshops, but now as an author I love them even more. I’ve been “planting” my book in area independent bookstores for several months, hoping to “grow” my readership. It’s akin to gardening. (You’ll find a list of local stores that carry “Proving Her Claim” on my website.) Recently I added my book to Ingram Spark’s inventory which, I’m told, is the distributor for independent bookstores and libraries across the country.
I’ve been invited to sign books and make presentations at several local bookstores. It’s fun to meet people who share a love of books. And sometimes there’s more than one author at the book signing events. That’s a great time for me, as a newbie author, to ask more experienced authors about “author life.”
I’ll save my comments about book banning and attacks on libraries for another time. But I do believe that banning books anytime or anywhere is counter to a free and open society. Books help open our minds to other cultures, other times and other ideologies. It’s up to the reader to decide if it’s right for her or for him.
For now, please join me in supporting independent bookstores. Readers of all ages will thank you.