To sell books, brew some coffee
It has not been a good month for independent bookstores. Just take a look at today鈥檚 鈥淧ublisher鈥檚 Lunch.鈥�
It reports that Dutton鈥檚 Brentwood Books, an LA favorite, has announced that they will close in April. Meanwhile, in Hastings, NY, the Good Yarns bookstore says it is likely to close after 25 years of business.
In Vail, Colorado, Verbatim Booksellers is up for sale and likely to close, while in Boulder, High Crimes Mystery Bookshop is moving to a mail-only-business.
And yet, 鈥淧ublisher鈥檚 Lunch鈥� goes on to report, Starbucks will be featuring David Sheff鈥檚 memoir 鈥淏eautiful Boy.鈥� The Seattle chain says it has sold more than 100,000 copies of Mitch Albom鈥檚 鈥淔or One More Day鈥� and 118,000 copies of Ishmael Beah鈥檚 鈥淎 Long Way Gone.鈥� 鈥�
Even their less successful pick, the oral history project 鈥淟istening Is An Act of Love,鈥� sold over 54,000 copies at Starbucks,鈥� 鈥淧ublisher鈥檚 Lunch鈥� reports.
So the readers are out there. But authors will have to continue to find ways to reach them 鈥� and not the other way around.
