Myth: Bookstores Are Dying

Fact:  No, they are not.  For four years running, there are more brick-and-mortar bookstores than the previous year (which does not include online bookstores).

I read an article this morning that said that New York Times Bestselling Author James Patterson is speaking out with a major ad campaign asking governments to bail out bookstores because they are dying.  Unfortunately for Patterson and many other authors who have gained top honors and a pedestal in the publishing world are seeing a decline in book sales and monetary advances.  This is not due to dying bookstores but to a change in the publishing industry as a whole.

The large publishing houses are struggling to compete with indie and online publishing companies.  No longer are books printed in bulk, ordered by bookstores and other outlets in bulk, and returned (sometimes 50% of the orders) to the publisher as unsold product.  While the store retained credit for the returned purchases, it was a wasteful way of doing business.

Today, most brick-and-mortar stores have a computer controlled inventory system that allows for them to stock only a few books of a given author at any one time.  This allows for more shelf space to house a variety of books from many authors, as well as the ability to quickly replace those sold through a print-on-demand delivery system.  There is no need to stock hundreds of copies of a book title because they can get more copies of that book in just a few days.

This is great news for me, an indie writer.  I no longer have to send out hundreds of query letters to agents and publishers, only to be rejected, sometimes quite rudely, or ignored completely.  The small publishing houses which offer the print-on-demand option works perfectly for me.  I have to beat the pavement to sell myself and my abilities as a storyteller, but I can do that.  It takes time and effort, but this is my dream we’re talking about and I will fight to keep it alive.

I am very happy that writers like me are cutting into the profits of the big traditional publishers and the New York Times bestselling authors.  There are many big names in the business and I enjoy reading their work, most of the time.  However, there are author’s out there that can write every bit as well as the big names, who are struggling to find an audience and to build a fan base.  These voices have every right to be heard.  I thank print-on-demand publishers for giving us that opportunity.