During this crazy shopping time, we all need convenience, and it's hard to be much more convenient than a Barnes & Noble this time of year. So, I've put together a list of mine, and other small press books, that you can currently walk into pretty much any Barnes & Noble and buy right off the shelf. It doesn't get much more convenient than that.
And if you plan on making a special trip, click on the books title to see if the book is in the Barnes & Noble nearest you.
From CBAY Books:
- The Book of Maps by David Michael Slater -- Although this is the third book in the series, you don't have to have read the first two. The twins start on a whole new adventure in this one as one of the oldest demons comes after them. There's a lot of action in this one, and you might just find yourself biting your nails as everyone in the world seems to be against the kids in this one.
- The Necropolis by PJ Hoover -- This is the final book in The Forgotten Worlds Trilogy, and I have to say, it's the best one yet. From an editorial perspective it's great to see how the author's writing has grown, but from a kid perspective, the book is just cool. Lots of exciting stuff happens, there's some more time travel, and we finally get to see what's happening in Atlantis. Like I said, cool.
From Tanglewood Press:
- The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn -- The New York Times #1 Bestseller (pretty good for a small press book) is always a great gift. Dealing with separation anxiety, this picture book is good whether a kid is starting school or daycare or even going to stay at Grandma's for a few days.
From Barefoot Books:
- Yoga Pretzels by Tara Guber -- A fabulous collection of yoga poses suitable for even the youngest yogi. These come on large flashcard sized cards so that you can always see exactly what it is you are working on.
(My list isn't longer because I had trouble finding small press books in Barnes & Noble stores. Nearly every presses full catalog is carried online, but it was hard to find them physically in the store. Show your support for small presses in big chains. Next time you're in a Barnes & Noble, purchase one of these books.)
What Store Hours Say about You
Shane Gottwals
www.gottwalsbooks.com
There is nothing more frustrating than that locally-owned business who chooses to close right before or right after you arrive, correct? It’s almost like the indie shops should do everything like the larger chain stores, including hold early and late hours.
Why should customers expect this out of privately-owned business? Well, when you think about it, we often tout that we deserve their business in order to “keep it local.” Don’t the customers deserve extended hours? Don’t they deserve everything that the chain stores can give?
This is just the thing. Indie bookshops are not corporate giants. Oftentimes, even these giants will keep late hours while not making large profits during those hours simply so that they are known as an all-hour joint. Confusing? I call it the “Wal-Mart Effect.” Anyone will shop at Wal-Mart because of their lack of exclusivity. In other words, they have, literally, an open door policy. They never shut! Psychologically, this gives the consumer confidence, knowing that this particular business does not and will not shut down.
Should the indie booksellers stay open late and arrive early? Interestingly enough, the “Wal-Mart Effect” has an antonym. All are accepted into Wal-Mart’s doors. This has hurt them in some regards, driving away elitists. It is not exclusive enough. Why do the liquidation outlets keep 3-4 day work schedules, opening only for a few hours on each of those days? They are giving off the appearance of exclusivity. The local bookshop succeeds in the same way.
My wife and I began our first store with hours that topped out at 9:30-9:00. This wore us out and we weren’t seeing great results. Customers were coming through the doors, however, so we kept the hours for quite a while. When we did finally change to closing at 6:00, our sales were honestly unaffected. Not only do people expect their friendly bookseller to go home to their family, they seem to understand that their used bookshop is worth stopping in earlier. Gottwals Books is an exclusive shop to its customers, in many ways, because of our store hours.
We are closed on Sundays not because it is a “day for family” but because it is God’s day. If we own one thousand stores, we will never be open on Sundays, even though Sunday sales are expectedly good. Worshiping Jesus Christ is far too important for us to be open. We also close early on Wednesdays so that any of our employees, including ourselves, can make it to their respective Wednesday night church services and prayer meetings. So, in our case, we hope that our hours don’t scream “Exclusive!” as much as they do “Christian!”
What are your hours?
Have you changed them as time has passed?
Do you think my analysis is hogwash?
Do you still get angry whenever you drive past the big chain stores at 10 o’clock at night? (Why can’t I have that many cars after 6:00, right?)
image is courtesy of Sally M at Flickr.com
