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More on Bolano’s Journalist
Over at The Constant Conversation, Matt Jakubowski posts about an, errrr, ignorant experience across the Atlantic:
I wanted to point out the following argument, found at the top of the comments section for the article, which makes a comparison on this topic that I’d never heard before, and frankly don’t know what to make of:
I don’t understand the concern about the survival of independent booksellers. I shop for food at independent retailers (or direct from the producers) because I am interested in the quality, distinctiveness and provenance of meat, fish, cheese, bread, etc. But if I want a particular book, it is the same whether it comes from an independent, Waterstones or Amazon…
Matt goes on to ask for some rebuttals. Here’s one from the comments:
For me–a former bookseller and current publishing person–it comes down to community and distinctiveness. Can I promise that commenter that he’ll have a different experience buying a book from an independent than from a chain? No, but I think it’s likely that if he shops there regularly, and if he’s personable, he will. He’ll become familiar with the staff. He’ll start to take notice of their staff picks and recommended titles, and, if he’s adventurous, he’ll start to get an idea of who on staff has tastes that align with his. He may even find some books that way that he would never have encountered. He’ll likely see fewer tchotchkes and more books, and he’ll likely see more uncommon books. . .
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Matt’s point is well-taken, but it might be that while Amazon or what have you can’t replace the community and personality of independent bookstores, book blogs, review sites, goodreads, and the like probably can. That’s a hard one-two combo for bookstores, and this is someone who goes out of his way to patronize them. (perhaps even my phrasing is telling, that I “go out of my way” whereas I suppose the internet is already “in my way.”)