Let's think.
Recently on an author forum, somebody asked a question about bookshops. A friend of hers is considering opening one, and wanted to know exactly what will bring customers in to a bookshop. The first one to shout 'books' gets a razzberry from Hamilton for being a Smart Alec.
I don't know what the US is like, but in the UK independent bookshops can't compete on price. The chains and supermarkets have money, so they can afford to make big orders and keep prices down. And they have lots of space, so they can stock whole boatloads of books. A little bookshop has to be a wonderful place to go. The one nearest to me is tucked away in a little alley and painted green, and it's a bit like going into a magic shop in a story, especially on a cold afternoon. A lot of bookshops do coffee and cake too. A great idea, but unless you hang a table and chairs from the ceiling like a Mary Poppins tea party you might not be able to fit that in.
I think a bookshop needs
Keen, friendly staff who know and love the books
Events, whether it's author visits, a book group, quizzes, whatever, so long as it brings together a bookshop community. Things for adults and for children
Great window displays that change frequently
Somewhere to curl up and read
Two or three shelves for the books of whatserface that writes about squirrels and stuff.
A coffee machine, a plate of shortbread and a log fire would be good, but that might be pushing my luck. Any more thoughts, anyone?
And please, please, do a little search and find www.barterbooks.co.uk . Another good reason for living in Northumberland.
4 comments:
"whatserface that writes about squirrels and stuff"--oh, that made me laugh, Mrs. McAllister! You certainly have real estate at our most venerated bookcase here in Texas!
Oh, your bookshops in England sound more like Hobbit holes than the chains we have in America! But your ideas are lovely...a thriving little area to gather in the community...if you ever open your own bookshop, of course, there'd not only be author appearances, but probably a squirrel or too. And apple cordial. Those sound like excellent incentives to me!
Hobbit hole - yes, Cogito is a bit like a hobbit hole. Barter Books was originally a railway station, but it's rather like one of those sprawling hobbit holes with a lot of rooms going off in different directions. Good to know that there are Mistmantle lined hobbit holes in Texas!
There is a bookshop I know that has a darling pair of cats living in it! They're a bit snobbish sometimes, but you can usually tempt them up for petting while looking through the shelves.
Oh, yes, bookshop cats! Except that, whichever book you wanted, one of them would be sitting on it.
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