So Many Books... (Patreon)

I know what you're thinking--Lish, why are we looking at a picture of beat up bookshelves? 1) Because books are neat and 2) I'll explain.

This is the employee lounge at my local indie bookstore (and my current day job) Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA. And those books are all ARCs (Or Galleys or AREs as they are now sometimes called.) which stands for Advance Reader Copy. Basically, these are early editions of books--most of them one copy edit away from finished--that are sent to bookstores, reviewers, librarians, bloggers, etc. so that they can read the book before it officially comes out. That way they can start recommending it before it even hits the shelves.

You might have noticed that our shelves are very, very full. These are only the ARCs for about 3 month period. This pile does not include: books sent directly to specific booksellers, books sent specifically to the buyers, books already taken or digital ARCs. I know the buyer for our kids department gets boxes and boxes just for her. And honestly, the pile is usually worse than this. 

That's a lot of books, and publishers don't do ARCs for every book. This is both a wonderful problem to have (so many books!) and a terrible one, because we can't read everything. When I first started working in the bookstore, the buyer in the kid's department told me she didn't read sequels. Ever. Even if she loved the first one. As a big series reader, I was horrified, but she just simply doesn't have the time. And though I still make time for sequels...I get it. There's just so much to read and as a bookseller there's a lot of pressure to read as  much and as widely as you can. That's why we sometimes make a face when you say, "I can't believe you haven't read that yet!" We're trying, trust me. 

Working at the bookstore has changed the way I read. I often read 5-6 books at a time now, skipping around like a grasshopper on caffeine. I'm also way more likely to quit reading a book if it's not working for me. I used to at least skim to the end. Now I just set it down.

So why am I telling you all of this? First, because I'm uniquely situated in the book industry to tell you things from both sides. As a reader this pile should tell you how important it is to be vocal about the books you love. If we don't carry something you want to read, ORDER IT. Tell your bookseller how totally choice and boss it is. (I miss 80's slang.) Booksellers pay attention. If enough people do this, bookstores often start to carry the book if they can. Preorder things you're excited about. Write reviews. Short on cash? Check it out from the library and write reviews there. In the US we actually do make some money off of library copies and libraries order more of the titles that get checked out frequently. Plus, people that read books from the library then recommend them to others or buy them as gifts or for themselves later. And like us, librarians can only read so many books in a year, so those reviews really help them out.

What does this pile mean for writers? You have a lot of competition. This is why it's a good idea to introduce yourself to local librarians or booksellers when you're around. You don't need to schmooze, just chat and be friendly. It's a community. It's part of the reason why we have book events. I know it's painful to have a no-show where it's just you, the staff, and a bunch of lonely books. But that doesn't mean that event was a waste of your time. Chat with the booksellers. Ask what they're reading that they love--tell them about a book you just read and enjoyed. Offer to sign stock. 

Be gracious. Because even if the booksellers don't have time to read the book, we remember the authors that come in. We talk about the authors and we are more likely to remember the book because of that human connection. You have no idea how many Maisie Dobbs book I've sold just by telling people how nice and interesting and smart Jacqueline Winspear is. I haven't got around to actually reading that series yet, but I've hosted her several times (I'm an event host at the bookstore) so I can talk up the books and her. The flip side? We remember authors with bad behavior, too. And booksellers talk to one another. We share. I had an event where an author freaked out on me--which I understand because it was her first book and she was nervous. But then her husband started to yell at me, even after I explained that A) I had no idea what he was talking about and B) I would find someway to fix it. I had to get a manager, so he could yell at her, too. And while I will never disparage the book or the author in the store or refuse to help someone find that book, I won't go out of my way to recommend it, either.

So that's why I made you look at a picture of a pile of books--so readers can understand why word of mouth is so key, and writers can get a glimpse behind the curtain, so to speak.

PS I decided to make this post public for all because, well, I feel like it's important. I'll do another blog post shortly to make up for it.