Some excellent news: Phil Noto will be contributing his considerable talent to JTB, and while my tone may seem sedate, it’s only because I usually avoid exclamation points. I am, in a word, thrilled. I’ve been a long-time fan of Phil’s work–from his covers to his comics–and I can’t wait to see what he cooks up.
The uproar over Amazon’s sponsor-a-retail-spy is understandable; yes, they made a big no-no in targeting indie bookstores, and yes, whatever sort of backlash they receive will provide a nice (if very small) boost for the small business set. But what’s the real issue? Is it that Amazon is trying to corner the market in books, by cutting out booksellers, agents, publishing houses, etc?
I don’t know. And I’m not sure I care all that much. Well, a part of me cares–the idealistic bibliophile, who thinks all books should be purchased from Dickensian shoppes–but another part of me (we’ll call him the shrugger) thinks that whatever gets folks buying books is ultimately good for the entire industry. Why? Because it’s an open marketplace. Because challenge often spurs change, and we can already see how Amazon’s muscle has forced traditional publishers into revealing sales figures to their authors (something that should’ve been done long ago).
The doomsday scenario, imagined by several hysterical-types, is that Amazon will smite indie bookstores into ruin, leaving the masses clueless as to what books to buy. Or that this over-centralization of the industry will degrade literature. I shrug at all of it, including the recent Slate article that lobbed some (misguided) grenades at the so-called “cult of indie bookstores.” Art–including books–is a type of product. That doesn’t make it bad art. It just means it’s not as fragile as the screamers would have us believe. As long as bookstores are well-run, and offer services that online shopping cannot, I’m optimistic about their survival. Hell–I guarantee it.
(Besides, if price and convenience were the ultimate factors in Where A Person Shops, outlet malls would obliterate all else, and record stores would…okay, bad example.)
The end of the status quo is always bemoaned; blame it on our collective terror of death. Book lovers are, by nature, conscientious and romantic–we’re willing to spend a few more bucks if it makes us feel good. Shopping at local booksellers feels good. Browsing the shelves feels good. Getting recommendations from the staff feels good. And sometimes, when it’s 2 a.m. and you’re internetting and you stumble upon a particularly compelling title, there’s Amazon. Thank god for them. Thank god for all of them.
Comments on this entry are closed.