Dem
47
GOP
53
There was a time, not too long ago, when the future of books seemed to be: (1) e-readers and (2) mega-booksellers like Amazon, who constantly try to jam their e-readers down your throat. These days, it's looking like those predictions were at least a little bit premature.
In fact, since the tail end of the pandemic, independent bookstores have been popping up at a rapid rate. The total number of indie stores has jumped 70% in the last 4 years, and 31% in the last year alone. That brings the national total to something like 3,500 distinct independent bookstore owners (some of whom have more than one location). Needless to say, these folks are not pushing e-readers or e-commerce.
Exactly what is going on here is an interesting question. The linked article actually uses the indie bookstores as an entrypoint for discussing the appeal of small business in American society. The author argues that many customers are gravitating toward small businesses as an act of rebellion against maga-corporations and capitalism gone amok. Meanwhile, small business owners prefer to be their own bosses, and to dictate their own "to do" lists, even if it means making less money.
We don't doubt that these things are part of the apparent indie bookstore renaissance, but it's clearly not the whole story. Fortunately, (Z) happens to know indie bookstores pretty well, particularly some of the jewels of Los Angeles, like Book Soup, The Last Bookstore and Skylight Books. So, maybe we can fill in the gap. (As a sidebar, if anyone saw the re-imagined video for George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," the first half was very clearly filmed at The Last Bookstore, which is instantly recognizable to anyone who's been there.)
To start with, beyond the fact that Amazon and the other biggies are kind of odious in terms of their business practices, it is also the case that they're not particularly useful for certain kinds of book (and other) purchases. If you're buying a gift for someone, for example, you probably want to examine it first and make sure it's copacetic. Yes, with Amazon, you can send it back if you don't like it. But if that's how you "browse," you could end up going through several days or weeks' cycles of buying and returning. And maybe John Q. Friend's birthday is in 2 days, and you just don't have time for that.
The biggies are also hit and miss in terms of used books. Sure, if you just want a cheapo copy of The Art of the Deal, say because Polly's cage needs re-lining, there's little downside to buying it for $3 (the current low price on Amazon). However, if you're a collector, you want to inspect the specimen before you buy it. Meanwhile, if you're just someone who wants a book that is rare, well, there are definitely vendors on Amazon who jack the prices of their books up to obscene levels if they know they have the only copy available for sale on the site. To give an example, (Z) wanted a copy of Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse. This book is really only of interest to fans of John D. Fitzgerald's "Great Brain" series, and even then only to fans who want to read the adult-targeted books that eventually inspired the children's series. The one copy for sale on Amazon right now carries a price tag of $249.99. (Z) got his copy from The Last Bookstore for $20, and it's in considerably better condition than the one being sold on Amazon.
Perhaps most importantly, the big booksellers, both online and retail, really heavily push the "big" books of the moment. Undoubtedly, this week, Amazon will move 10,000 copies of the weird new romance novel written by former George W. Bush press secretary and current Fox host Dana Perino, where the message is "The best way for young liberal women to become happy is to marry a Republican man." However, Amazon is not great if you want to lay hands on things that are more esoteric or offbeat. Indie bookstores, by contrast, tend to put a lot of books like that front and center. Further, (Z) has never been to an indie bookstore that DID NOT have a "staff recommendations" section. So if, for example, you find that your tastes and those of Assistant Manager Erin C. overlap a lot, you have an easy source of ideas for new books to pick up.
Finally, indie bookstores often offer—at least for those who want it—some amount of community. They host book readings and poetry slams and other events. The staff knows the regular customers by name. There are places to sit and read. There are book discussions with other patrons. There is often coffee or tea to be had. There are mailing lists and book-release events and activities for children. Many indie bookstores give back to their community, either by donating books to schools or other institutions who can use them, or holding fundraising events.
What it amounts to, on some level, is that the big booksellers and the indies are actually in different businesses. Yes, they both sell books, but Amazon and BN.com and Walmart are 100% retail (or nearly so). Indie bookstores are retail, too, but they are also very much service businesses. Given that the U.S. economy has been moving more and more in the direction of service-based economic concerns for at least the last 50 years, it does not surprise us that the indie bookstore niche exists, and that those who predicted the death of this particular institution were wrong.
Anyhow, we ran with this story because it seems to be something of a spiritual counterpart to the item about the smaller-scale journalism that's happening today. And if lots of people are rebelling against Big Information (and, for that matter, e-Information), that likely presages good things for the future of the republic. Though maybe not for the future of the Republicans.
Have a good weekend, all, and see you on Monday! (Z)