Join the Independents Movement

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the biggies, Barnes and Noble and Borders, are selling an awful lot of "other stuff." It seems to me the floor space devoted to greeting cards, blank books and gift items is getting bigger. Or maybe it's just my imagination. I have to admit, I avoid the biggies; I can dismiss the "other stuff" but I am overwhelmed by the quantity of books. Browsing in a store with over 100,000 titles on the shelves makes my heart pound and my palms sweat. I get light headed, dizzy and a little nauseated. I think it's the opposite of claustrophobia--a form of agoraphobia maybe. Too much of a good thing is too much.

I like small bookstores. I like the nod I get from the proprietor when I walk in the door. I like knowing that even though I can't scan every title and fondle every book in a twenty minute visit, I can, over the course of a number of visits, become thoroughly familiar with the offerings. And if I don't find a title I'm looking for, they will be happy to order it for me and have it shipped to my home if I prefer, usually within a few days.

I like that the guy in my writer's group who got his book published last year by a small press found his book featured on the new release tables and faced on the shelves at a number of local independent bookstores(1, 2, 3), he had readings and book signings and when he stopped in afterward they knew his name. The biggies weren't interested in carrying the book let alone hosting readings and signings even after he got terrific reviews in the local papers and a county library reserve list in the triple digits. I like the idea of local bookstores owned and operated by someone with ties to my community and an interest in fostering local talent and local celebrity.

Last month Khalid Houseini, recipient of Book Sense's Book of the Year award in fiction for A Thousand Splendid Suns, thanked independent booksellers for supporting him over the past five years. It's word of mouth that makes obscure books into best sellers and its independent booksellers who get the word out. I, for one, would like to thank independent booksellers for enriching my life.

So, join me and join the Independents Movement .