Daddy's Christmas Angel

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The Return of the Great American Indie Bookstore

Is the "great American indie bookstore" on its way back? According to a lead story in the February issue of American Way magazine, it is. I couldn't be happier.

The headline on the cover of the magazine reads, "The Return of Small Bookstores." Inside there is a very long article by David Hale Smith describing the return of bookstores that are "thriving in many parts of the country."

Smith points out that people still love to read "real books". He notes an early year 2014 survey that found "hardcover and paperback print books significantly" outselling e-books. He also tells about a 2013 American Booksellers Association report saying that indie bookstore sales were rising. That is really good news. After all, what could be nicer than browsing through the shelves filled with real books, pulling out a volume dressed in a pretty cover, and enjoying the scent of ink and paper?

You can curl up with a real book. You can ask questions of the bookstore owners. You can meet local authors there.

It is still nice to get to know authors, isn't it? You can ask them lots of questions and enjoy chatting with an expert on some topic or learn more about the heroine or hero of a series.

The return of indie bookstores! What great news for authors! Do you have a new bookstore in your community?

4 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

As fast as the chain stores are going belly up, something has to take their place. Ironic book stores started small and are now coming full circle.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Montie .. we do have book stores here, but a lot of mass publications are in the supermarkets ... we've also got a library ...

Interesting the way things are turning out - but authors are inventive and creative .. as your Tour de France artist showed ...

Cheers Hilary

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Yes, Alex, things change. I welcome the return of bookstores where perhaps everyone knows your name!

So good to hear from you, Hilary. Writers are inventive. I suppose that's the nature of the beast!

Robyn Proctor said...

I personally enjoy reading a real book much more than an e-book. I'll read an e-book if it's faster than getting the book in print though.