What the Indies Are Up To
Check out this compilation of quotes from our groundbreaking indie booksellers and publishers, and rest assured that the future of the book is in good hands:
“Our joy is finding those little tucked away gems and a lot of those come from independent publishers. Those are the books that we want to get behind. Those are the books that set us apart. I think independent publishers are the strength of publishing.” — Becky Anderson, Anderson’s Bookshops
“When we founded Dzanc, we were always progressive in our thinking and we knew that using the Web was important because most of the world had changed. Most of the conversation about literature was happening online, so we were really well-connected with getting our books reviewed online so that we had an intimate relationship with the Web.” — Steve Gillis, Dzanc Books
“It is important that people support their local bookstores and independent publishers because if they don’t, the choices we have all enjoyed are not going to be there in the future. A digital book isn’t something that is easily passed on to other people. If you buy one now you don’t know if you will be able to read it later because in four or five years the device may change. We don’t know; we don’t have the experience. We have hundreds and hundreds of years of experience with real books.” — Tom Lowenburg, Octavia Books
“People that go to independent bookstores don’t want to have at look at things they are not interested in. It has to do with knowing what your community of readers is interested in.” — John Evans, DIESEL
“Like all publishers, we are active participants in the new era of publishing that is unfolding before us. Digital initiatives, unprecedented collaborations, and open eyes and minds are needed to ensure our place in the future world of book publishing. We are constantly striving to understand new possibilities and to embrace change, to learn from fellow publishers, and to overcome challenges by continuing to release the best books we can while adapting our business practices to the changing environment. We look forward to the next fifty years!” — Holly Schaffer, University of Arizona Press
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Feature
The Barnes & Noble Retreat
What This Means for Indie Booksellers (and Publishers)
In January of 2013, Barnes & Noble announced their plans to close up to a third of their current bookstores over the next ten years (that’s about 20 stores per year). While this move certainly isn’t as drastic as a Borders-style liquidation, one has to wonder what the loss of several hundred brick-and-mortar stores will mean for both the publishing industry and booksellers as a whole.
Barnes & Noble was founded as a printing business in 1873, and is now the nations largest book chain retailer with nearly 700 stores and a monopoly on the college bookstore business. They are the creators of the Nook, the publishers of million-copy sellers like The Columbia History of the World, and the proud owners of SparkNotes. B&N has clearly experienced the rags-to-riches American dream—so why start closing up shop?
According to Mitchell Klipper, CEO of Barnes & Noble’s Retail Group, the reason for scaling back is all thanks to the digital revolution. With website and Nook sales growing (and a whole lot of competition from Amazon, Apple, and the like), B&N retail stores are no longer drawing in the sales they once did. Instead of facing a crisis down the road, the company has decided to cut its loses and start shrinking its physical presence.
So here we are, just two years after Borders announced bankruptcy, facing another shake up of the system. Who will step in to fill the gap that B&N will leave behind? Amazon? Books-A-Million? Indie stores? It may be too soon to tell now, but I am hoping for the latter.
With the growing popularity of the small business and local-first movements across the country, independent booksellers have been regaining a foothold in their local economies. Who wants to shop at a one-size-fits-all chain when you can get handpicked suggestions and face time with book lovers from your own community? The selection may be smaller, but indies have a heart and spirit that customers can’t find anywhere else—especially not on the Internet. Borders is gone, Barnes & Noble is consolidating, and there are still millions of people who love and need bookstores.
Indies are also getting more creative with their services. If you take a look at our Indie Groundbreaking Bookseller column, you’ll see that stores are hosting writers’ conferences, book fairs, and reading camps, starting literacy programs, offering tech advice and support for eReaders, and providing educational opportunities that you can’t find anywhere else. Some stores are adding cafés to give customers a caffeine treat; others are creating new business models that allow them to open more stores each year, despite a tough economy and an even tougher book business climate. Booksellers are going above and beyond to show that they have—and deserve—a place in even the most digital of worlds.
And what about independent publishers? Getting shelf space in a Barnes & Noble store is a difficult but necessary evil, and is one of the best ways to get physical books in front of new readers. Will fewer bookstores mean fewer book sales?
Not necessarily, though publishers will (as usual) have their work cut out for them. Indie publishers and booksellers will need to work hand-in-hand to keep the print book a viable commodity, and the publishers might want to explore a few new options. The world of online sales, eBooks, apps, and other digital products can be daunting, but as the outlets for physical books dwindle, we in the publishing biz need to step up our game. Although these times may seem challenging, the opportunity for creativity and taking chances has never been greater.
Let’s bid farewell to one third of the Barnes & Noble empire with respect, a bit of relief, and a determination to do something even better for books.
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Jillian Bergsma Manning is a contributing editor for Independent Publisher. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English. She welcomes any questions or comments on her articles at jbergsma (at) bookpublishing.com. Follow her at @LillianJaine.