The Demise of Books? Don’t Bet on It.

Publishing

There has been a flurry of stories about the demise of the book and book selling the last few weeks.  First electronic readers and digitized books, then the lay offs and salary freezes by the publishing houses, followed by the re-organization of Random House, all the events have people wondering if the recession will devastate the industry. 

A recent story on NPR listed the doom and gloom of publishing and hinted at ways it may change.  Books are the only products that can be returned for a full credit if they don’t sell. Remember the notices on books that you should never buy a book without a cover?  That’s because instead of shipping the entire book back to the publisher, only covers would be shipped with the understanding that the book would be thrown away.  The bookstore received a credit for the unsold books that were returned via the cover, to then sell such a book would be ‘double dipping.’  The return practice may die in the recession. 

On the other hand, small presses are surviving.  No one is making a fortune and the blockbusters aren’t usually coming from these houses, but quality literature is being published.  I’ve talked to several authors who have enjoyed working with smaller publishers because of the care and attention given to their books.

Book

Is the book as we know it becoming extinct?

Well, some may be.  Who owns a set of encyclopedias?  When my children look up a word, they head to the computer, not the gigantic dictionary I have beautifully laid out for their easy use.  An essay in the  NYT Book Review and then an Op-Ed in the NYT on the same day talked about how reference books are being replaced by easily obtained and heft-free electronic sources.  But it is difficult to envision cuddling up with an electronic reader; I’ve tried and failed.  After working with a screen all day, I want my novels on real paper. 

Bookstores

While bookstores are certainly closing, note Duttons in LA and Olsson’s in DC, and it is a precarious business, locally two new bookstores have opened and a third expanded.  Stories, a new bookstore in Echo Park, opened last month.  Diesel, which already has two bookstores, one in Malibu and another Oakland, opened a third store in Brentwood this fall.  Skylight Books in Los Angeles took over the store next door and expanded. 

Moreover, booksellers nationwide are certainly not going down without a fight.  The American Booksellers Association (ABA) recently started IndieBound, a community oriented movement to buy from independent retailers, notably booksellers. 

When money is tight there is a pull to spend less and to create a community sense that we are all in this together.  Those feelings can be in conflict when trying to decide whether or not to buy books from a discounter or an independent bookstore that can’t offer the same low price (although ask, you never know).  In my opinion, the difference in price is more than made up for by supporting the nurturing of authors and customers that occurs in our local stores.  I hope the rest of the country agrees with me.