MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

Looking For a Bookstore

In my quest to find markets to sell my new book, The Walker on the Cape, I found less than I imagined, much less. Or fewer, really. Bookstores that is. Oh yes I did find Chapters, Indigo, Coles and several minor variations thereof, but independent booksellers and their bookstores are disappearing far more quickly from the landscape of Canadian towns and cities than I imagined. In fact in many places they are non-existent. In my home town of St. John's for example there are absolutely zero independent book stores left.

To me that's shocking news. That a culturally vibrant city of about 150,000 people has no book store but Chapters/Indigo to buy their books. But actually that's not true. They have many more outlets to buy books including drug stores, Canadian Tire and several big box chains. And of course on line. It's hard to get exact numbers on where Canadians are buying their books but a lot of them are not bothering to line up anymore, they just go online and get their books from Chapters.ca or Amazon.

The art of buying and selling books has changed dramatically in the past ten or fifteen years in Canada and around the world and according to the Canadian Booksellers Association about 400 independent bookstores have ceased operation in this period. Many people blame Chapters for this phenomenon and while they are part of the change process they are not necessarily the root cause of the problems.

I actually like most of what Chapters does, especially the re-creation of a library type atmosphere and the ability to browse through thousands of books. Some people even enjoy reading the magazines for free, just don't tell Heather. I don't like a lot of things they do such as only dealing with big publishing companies, charging for anything extra they do to promote the books and some really regressive return policies that will kill even more publishing houses in the short and long term. On balance having a nation-wide distribution system is good for everyone involved.

But I what I really love is the intimacy and warmth of independent and local bookstores. In Ottawa where I live we are fortunate to have a couple of still standing and successful independent bookstore models. Books on Beechwood has been around for over a decade and Jean Barton has achieved her goal of a "good neighbourhood bookstore." It is located on a busy corner and has a coffee shop conveniently located next store. A great place to spend an hour or two browsing and buying and then enjoying your books.

The other model is of course Collected Works on Wellington Street and as anyone who has been there knows it feels more like your living room than a bookstore. It has its own coffee and treats which is always inviting and it is strongly supportive or and supported by the local community. Alas we no longer have the great Prime Crime mystery bookstore but we have enough to show that there is still hope for book buyers and sellers in the Ottawa area.

When it comes right down to it Canada needs big and small bookstores and readers who will support both. Even readers who will only read electronic books or only buy books on-line. Diversity is good as long as we can continue to generate new readers for the products that are being created.

The bottom line is all of this is that it is still (thankfully) possible to write, buy and sell a book in Canada with or without the assistance of major Canadian or international corporations. And the fact that some of us still have a thriving independent book scene is a good and healthy sign for our community. I just wish every community in Canada was so fortunate.

Mike Martin was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of "Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine. The Walker on the Cape is his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Winston Windflower mystery series. It is available in Ottawa at Books on Beechwood and Collected Works, and at Sleuth of Baker Street in Toronto.

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

A story to tell...



Once upon a time the world was a perfect place for authors. Okay, I admit, this is a fairy tale. But a moment of ‘Camelot’ did exist way back in the late-1990’s, pre-big box stores and e-books. When the Independents abounded and book lovers knew they could trust the advice given them by knowledge staff.

It was about this time that the Canadian Booksellers’ Association was in its prime and each year hosted the CBA event in Toronto. This later became known as BookExpo and even later, or rather more recently, ran out of steam. That’s sad and just another example of how the publishing industry has been turned on its head lately.

But in the fairy tale days, when publishers set up booths and gave away advance reading copies and free books, hoping that booksellers would place their orders on the spot, it was an exciting weekend frenzy in June. Well-known authors would be brought into town and booksellers were often invited to wine and dine with them. Authors just getting their publicity feet wet would sit at signing booths with publisher reps hovering around. Authors were feted and made to feel really special. Wow…must be a fairy tale.

And one year (or perhaps it was two), Random House of Canada extended an amazing invitation to booksellers to stay over one more day for a complete day of presentations of their upcoming seasonal line. This gets even better! They also included one session where the booksellers were asked to give their advice!! Imagine that, asking the people who are in direct contact with the customers and therefore have a pretty good feel for the marketplace, to tell the publisher what would work. A heady feeling and unfortunately, a rarity.

These days the reality is not quite so heady for authors; gloomy for independent booksellers and even less thrilling for publishers.

But the constant has been the reader. Mystery lovers still read in a variety of formats, choosing from a wide variety of types, and then go on to spread the word to others. Because it’s the readers that make up the numbers when it’s time to tally sales. And that makes everyone smile. So, there is a happy ending to this story.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

CRIME ON MY MIND

A Farewell to Borders.

Borders is no more. It has gone through the bankruptcy/receivership/close-down progression and as of today, will have closed the doors of the entire fleet.

This is regrettable for two reasons. Firstly, because of the 10,000 employees who are now out of jobs and as we know, this is not a great time to be on a job hunt. Secondly, it's yet another blow to the publishing industry, one that's taken too many hits over the past few years.

I can't believe it was 40 years ago that Borders started this big box bookstore phenomena. We watched as it grew, Barnes & Noble became its main competitors, and all too many independents were forced to close their doors. Then came Chapters, now Chapters/Indigo and the gift store/bookstore it's morphed into.

In fact, any indies that are still around, on either side of the border, must now re-visit how they sell books. The bottom line is, retail is no place for wimps.

I remember when I owned an indie, a very savvy sales rep predicted as big box bookstores seemed to be taking over the world, that they would peak and then the long slide downhill would begin. And it has. But it's not because the customers began flocking back to the smaller guys. It's because business is business. Either you sell your product and make a profit or your fold.

The thought is that Borders didn't get on the e-book bandwagon quickly or efficiently enough. Who knew? E-books and readers got off to a very slow start although they'd been predicted to be instant best-sellers. Now, they've sparked and are revolutionizing the industry. And leaving many publishers and distributors hurting. And, Borders. Although, Borders.com remains open for business.

But nothing can beat a bookstore with honest-to-goodness paperback and hardbacks on masses of bookshelves. Nothing!

The hope is that the remaining independents will be able to dig in and find creative ways in which to sell books -- I mean the paper kind. I know, I'll always be a customer.

I owned a Kobo Touch for 2 days. The 'touch' factor was driving me nuts, being a person of little patience. So, back it went. Nor did I enjoy reading from the screen which should not have been a surprise, because I truly dislike reading stories on even a computer screen. But I know there are many of you who have embraced this new technology and it's here to stay.

I think it's great we have so many choices, at present anyway. Paper books, e-books. Brick & mortar stores, on-line selling. Take your pick.

The casualties, like Borders, should make us all rush out and buy a book today.

Because even though it was big box, it sold books...and where would we be without books? And bookstores?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

I have always been a glass-half-full kind of person – especially if the glass is a wine glass. Those who see the glass half-empty have been sounding the death knell of books and bookselling for almost as long as I can remember now.

Bookselling is not the same as it used to be, that’s for sure, but it’s also nowhere near dead and gone. It’s just different. That March wind outside your frosted window this morning is also a wind of change. And, as a book lover or as an author, if you tap into that difference or change, well, really, the sky’s the limit.

Independents have closed down, chains have grown, on-line businesses have emerged, and books have appeared at the drugstore and grocery store. Some of these changes have been very painful to watch and some surprising. But as in many kinds of changes, it can also mean more opportunities – or at least some different ones.

More years ago than I can comfortably count using all of my fingers and toes, I started in the book business, working as a bookseller and manager for one of the big chains, which wasn’t so big then or seen as so evil, and then much later switched to another chain as a manager and buyer.

Even when there were sales reports and payroll to do in the office, the highlight of every day was being on the sales floor chatting to customers and being asked for a book or author suggestion. And I remember stealing one great idea to put out bookmarks that said, “If you like Sue Grafton, then you’ll like these 3 authors too.”

My favourite job was a busy airport location, where customers had limited pre-flight time to grab an interesting book before inching through security. So many of these frequent flyers were huge readers and of discriminating taste. (I thought they were discriminating, as they took my suggestions!) There is nothing more satisfying to a real bookseller than a return customer begging for more, “Loved the L.R. Wright, what else can you suggest?”


So what does a budding author do, with so many of the small, friendly neighbourhood bookstores rapidly disappearing, and with them those traditional experts at handselling one by one, their new favourite mystery? And what does a booklover do who counted on those same experts to connect them to their next author discovery?

Handselling is still around, it is just dressed differently. Instead of having so many bricks and mortar destination choices to discover the next Cold Mountain or Angela’s Ashes in, we just need to see things differently.

Years ago, several of us book types attended a Parliament Hill literacy fundraiser. While the rest of us were sipping the free champagne and ogling the array of political and literary celebs, our budding mystery author friend was charming and working her way around the room while collecting MPs and Heritage Ministers. As Randy Jackson would say, “And that’s how it’s done!” There are opportunities everywhere; the key is to see them and to recognize them, even to create your own buzz.

Women are astonishingly good at doing this, as we love to get together, to form groups, to sip wine and share the scoop, and really to find any excuse to get out and to get together. We form book clubs, work groups, sports groups and social groups (I belong to The Pink Bra Society, a great example, as it is a glorified reason to eat all the food groups, sip wine together & laugh. Also to exchange books).

And readers find each other on-line as well, on places like Good Reads, the Word-of-Mouth page on Book Reporter, Facebook, and even Oprah’s Book Club. Through all of these groups, readers share a new found author or book discovery, and it then spreads like wildfire. That is how The Secret Daughter became a Canadian bestseller. Word of mouth is a powerful thing.

I recently invited a diverse group of friends from my book club, from work, and from my neighbourhood, to my second annual Author Evening. I invited my mystery author friend, who now has many published books under her belt, to come and speak and read to my friends while we all sipped wine and nibbled dessert (we fed my friend too!). She struck a chord, signed her books and made connections with each of the women present, and some went home to read late into the night in the excitement of discovering a new author.

It is the savvy author who can network their books through the use of all of these new and perhaps not-so-new ways of connecting those who write with those who love to read. So sit back, put your reading glasses on and fill up that half-full glass of wine. That March wind of change is bringing spring with it and all of the newness of life and new books that it always brings.


Catherine Lee (Cathy) is a college textbook buyer in Ottawa, has been a bookseller and book buyer by trade for most of her life, and is a member of 2 book clubs. She became a book lover on her parents’ knees at story time & by flashlight under the bed sheets. One of her greatest pleasures is sharing great books with friends, of course while sipping wine.