I read an interesting article in this morning's Publisher's Lunch about some book stores applying for a liquor license. Interesting. Boozing and browsing. Seriously though, you figure many book stores these days feature a coffee shop, some include a cafe, so why not alcohol?
I think the main goal is to boost evening and weekend store traffic. Not a bad idea. Plus with all the big chain stores bogarting the majority of book business, the indies have to do something different to set themselves apart. Would you rather go to Barnes and Noble to browse and sip lattés? Or to the corner bookshop where you can sip a brewski as you browse. Hmmm...
There are already retail stores that may not have a book section, but they'll feature books to go with other products, like cook books in cookware, and fashion books in the clothing section (especially if the book jackets color coordinate with what the maniken is wearing), and sports books in sporting goods. So why can't book stores be a cut above the mundane? Books would always be the focus, but there'd be add-on pleasures to your book buying experience.
I remember when there used to be story time at the local book store for the kiddies on the weekends. Do stores still do that? I'm glad the library does. My kids used to love that.
There's live music in some book store cafés. In fact, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, the writers organization in Colorado that I belong to, just started an "open mic night" at different independant bookstores throughout the city. Members sign up to perform and read from their unpublished or published work. Sounds like great fun. I remember when I lived there we'd sometimes have open mic readings at local coffee shops, and that was a lot of fun, too. But I think bringing the entertainment to the book store is even better.
There's a great need to be creative in retail during these tough economic times. Book stores offer inexpensive entertainment through reading, and family night might have mom, dad and the kids spending a couple of hours at the local book store sharing a meal in the cafe, listening to live music or a reading, buying some books, then spending the rest of the evening at home curled up by the fire, reading to each other. I see the cocooning trend coming back, and it's about time, too.
What would be your fantasy book store? What would you like to see offered at your local book store that would make it special and more inviting?
7 comments:
Love this question. Now this is a real fantasy, as in never going to happen. And I think it might be more of a writer's retreat fantasy than a bookstore, but here goes.
It would be nearby, with perfect seating for laptops. It would have a dining area and serve sub sandwiches and good iced tea. It would have a large meeting room for writers groups. Once a month it would get someone like Nora Roberts or Alice Sharpe (all expenses paid for them) to speak for inspiration. It would have all the latest novels at a discount, and someone on hand who knows exactly how to find research that I want. And it would employ me part time.
Seriously, since I live 50 miles from a large bookstore (like Books A Million and B&N), I'd settle for one nearby as my fantasy. Just that simple. (grin).
Flo
My fantasy has come true with the two bookstores that opened in Redmond this past year. Shelf Life is a wonderful store, full of character and nice people. They have a coffee bar and places where small groups can gather. They just need a larger area for western historical reference books! LOL You know each writer has their own stuff they want.
I love Flo's idea of once a month having an author come speak- especially Alice!
Fun post- Karen!
LOL, thanks Flo and Paty, you made my day. And Nora's, too, I'm sure...
Fantasy bookstores. All the things you mentioned, Karen, sound wonderful. I think having a glass of wine while I look through a book sounds delightful. Flo's fantasy bookstore sounds like a place we'd all like to hang out and Paty is lucky enough to be living the dream!
No bookstore in Brownsville and I have to admit to rarely finding comfort in the big mega stores. I'm a library gal, haunting the stacks, always so overcome with joy, I guess, that there are all these books available to borrow to anyone who lives within the city limits or buys a non-resident card. Honestly, it boggles my imagination that libraries exist, that we have this luxury of choosing, of reading what we want without thought of can we afford it. It dazzles me. Libraries and self regulating newspaper machines (take just the copy you paid for!) are true hallmarks of democracy!
Oh, my, I'm getting misty eyed and just a tad off subject. But there's something about walking into a library -- almost any library -- that just makes me smile inside. It's like being a kid in a candy store holding an endless bag of pennies.
The other kind of bookstore I love is a used bookstore. I think that's why I appreciate Powells in Portland. The emphasis there is on books. New, used, it doesn't matter, they're all there together. I love that. They have the cafe, maybe they should get themselves a liquor license.
Oh, yeah.
Fun blog!
Another great topic. I've been building my fantasy bookstore in my mind since I was a kid. And like Alice, I love the idea of sipping a glass of wine while I browse. :-)
Okay, let me see if I can describe my bookstore, with the emphasis on fantasy. It's two stories, but it's open in the center to both floors. The second floor is really an excuse to have more books lining the walls and more places to sit and to meet, with the ability to hang over a railing and watch what's happening on the main floor.
There's a small cafe off to one side on the main floor that serves coffee drinks, sodas and a variety of sandwiches and desserts with a separate wine/beer bar next to it. Rather than having all of the tables in the cafe (hogged by laptop users), there'd be a few tables there, but also lots of funky little tables/desks and chairs scattered throughout the store on both floors so that laptop users and people who want to work (writers, college/high school kids, business people, etc) have plenty of places to choose from. There would be plenty of comfortable sofas and chairs for reading and for quiet conversations.
My favorite part is the books. Shelves and shelves of every category/title you can imagine, including out-of-print and used books. In my fantasy you'd be able to find *any* book you're looking for, because there'd be a magical filing system -- if it's been printed and you want it, it'll show up on the shelves.
As for the decore, it's changed over the years. I'm currently partial to dark cherry wood shelving and trim, dark green walls and cream colored accents. The carpet would be a complementary green/cream mix of some sort.
There'd be plenty of activity - from live accoustic music to reading groups and writing groups to author events and promotional activity.
*sigh* If only.
For me, it would have comfy sofas, enough for everyone, all around the store, with snuggly blankies to throw over yourself while you lay on them and read for as many hours as you want. Robots would silently bring you whatever you desire to eat and drink and they would go pee for you so you don't have to get up off that comfy sofa.
You would have to leave your cell phone at the check-in desk and no one, unless he was Gerard Butler, would be able to interrupt your reading.
Yep, sounds good to me.
Hey, I want to visit everyone's fantasy book store! Are you sure none of you want to open one of these stores yourself? You could revolutionize the book selling industry. 8^)
I think Piper's store wins. I want one of those robots that will pee for me so I don't have to get up off my cozy couch. In fact, I'll take one of those home, kay? There's nothing worse than settling in, warm and snug with the laptop, when the urge to pee suddenly hits.
LOVE all these fantasy bookstores! But I don't want to get up off my own comfy couch. Can they bring the books to me? LOL!
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