Interesting article in the Daily Telegraph (once I could get in again after the hack!) which discusses the closure of 2,000 bookshops in the UK. The key paragraph is: "There were 2,178 high street bookshops left in Britain in July, according to research carried out by Experian, the data company, compared with 4,000 in 2005. A total of 580 towns do not have a single bookshop." That's a closure of about 300 a year. I personally think '1 bookshop a day closes' would have been the more powerful headline, but then, I'm not a copy editor.
The demise is blamed on the Internet and supermarkets. Well, perhaps. I still go into Forbidden Planet to buy science fiction books whenever I can, even though my preference is to read them on my Kindle. However, it's a buying choice because I like the range, and the ability to browse around stock. However, I also see a lot of people making a note of what they want to buy, or checking prices on Amazon, and I guess a fair few people use bookshops as the shop window. I'm not going to be hypocritical and say that I don't do it as well, because I do. However I also try and make sure that I DO buy something. However - when there's a book costing £10.99 that you can get for £6.99 via Amazon, it's difficult. Not quite so bad if it's a one off, but if you're buying a series of graphic novels for example, that £4 quickly turns into £40 if you're buying a lot.
But you know, I do have to wonder what I actually get from a bookshop? If it's a specialist bookshop, no problem - a depth of knowledge, good advice and so on. Though to be honest, if I ask the average employee 'I've just read a book by x, who would you recommend now?' I'm not entirely sure that I'll get a helpful answer. And yes, Waterstones do have little handwritten slips from their staff recommending titles on the shelves, but that's about all I'll get. The bookshops that I remember are the few (and it is only a few) who go an extra mile, with really comfy seating, fires in winter and so on. However, Borders did that - and I loved Borders and would spend a lot of money there, and they failed.
Is 'the internet' to blame? Well, I'm not sure what that means. Any bookshop can get themselves a website AND start offering books for sale - it's not the province of Amazon y'know. And supermarkets only sell the blockbusters and beach books. I'm sorry that bookshops are going, really I am, but I'm struggling here to see why I should feel sorry for them. My main concern lies elsewhere. If I can get access to the texts (and let's move away from the emotive term 'books') I need online, AND they're reasonably priced AND I can get them quickly - I really don't care. If they're on a Kindle, which allows me to do much more than I can with a physical item, so much the better. If I can get them from the LIBRARY, better again. However, if I can't do that, then I'm losing out, and I'm going to get mightily miffed about it.
However, there's nothing to stop people self publishing - although of course there is the problem that the authors are not getting an advance to enable them to write, but on the other hand, unless you're a really well known author who doesn't need the money you aren't going to be getting much of an advance. This is why - in my opinion - we need more libraries. Libraries and librarians are excellently placed to offer advice, the specialist help, the friendly environment, the room to sit and read and so on. CILIP's Mark Taylor has spoken about the 'book desertification' going on the UK and he's absolutely right. While this is all bad news for the bookshop, it does give libraries another shot of ammo to use against the people who are moaning on about 'close the libraries because I can get what I want from a bookshop'. And I'm sorry, but it's true. If I had a choice of a bookshop in a town or a library, it's a no brainer.What's important is that anyone who wants to read should be able to do so - quickly, easily and at as little cost as possible. Libraries tick all of those boxes, bookshops less so.
Specialist bookshops will survive if they are sensibly located, easy to reach and are able to offer much more than shelves of books. Booksellers need to look at what libraries do, and do well, and attempt to adapt their service as much as they can. But the death of bookshops runs much deeper than the kneejerk reaction of blaming the net and supermarkets - it goes right to the heart of a changing economy, a changing society and a change to the means of writing and production. The book industry has to look to itself - just because it's been around for 400 years plus doesn't give it any God given right to continue to exist, and I'm reminded of Swiss watchmakers who completely ignored the digital watch since they didn't think people would want them. Some people don't, and won't wear one, most of us will cheerfully accept second best because it's easier and cheaper. Much the same can be said of the book publishing industry, and it's going to go the way of the cuckoo clock unless it adapts, and adapts quickly and stops looking around for people to blame.
And before you go, here's a poll. I'm interested to know how many physical books you have bought this year from a physical bookshop which isn't a second hand or remaindered shop. Since the majority of people who read this will read a lot I would expect high numbers, but I am wondering..
You have said right that if a shop is sensibly located then only there is use of it otherwise sell book online.
Posted by: Sell Book | September 05, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Great article leaving me with two observations. four small independant bookshops that I have used in the last 6 years have closed due solely to the hike in the rents and insurances imposed by the local councils. Included in this number were two that were also selling 'on line'. If Libraries were (no generalisation meant)more user friendly and councils were encouraged to drop rents for the small independant business perhaps an answer could be found.
Posted by: bee mcneill | September 05, 2011 at 01:30 PM
This was interesting to add up. As well as my 6-10 physical new from a bookshop, I've bought 5 physical books from Amazon, and a few more for my Kindle (I haven't had it long) but all of these pale into insignificance compared with how many I borrow from my excellent public library, whose only failing is that it doesn't lend e books yet. I'm also addicted to second hand bookshops. I wonder if they are closing at the same rate. I guess not. Here we're down to one Waterstones for new books but there are several second hand bookshops
Posted by: Diana Nutting | September 05, 2011 at 04:34 PM
My concern is that you could equally substitute the phrase Public Library for Bookshop in your third paragraph and it would be equally valid.
Even worse, the bigger bookshops are open longer, are better staffed and, most worrying of all, often better informed than some of the staff in my local library. And they are still struggling.
Posted by: Mark Lardner | September 05, 2011 at 06:44 PM
Ebooks are another format but one where flexibility, portability and choice are an intrinsic part of the attraction for readers. Personally I regret the closure of local violating as I see it as a contraction of range and choice. I prefer books because I have a passion for the object as well as the content but am beginning to see ebooks bestsellers are different to paperback bestsellers. Does this mean readers are choosing what they really want to read and not what the airport/supermarket/stock selection committee put in front of them? Or are they a new audience? If so, is that a new market for libraries? The Internet hasn't killed off bookshops anymore than it's killed off high streets. It's about business, marketing abd customer choice.
Posted by: Rhona Arthur | September 05, 2011 at 06:48 PM
Hhhmmm I answered 21+, but that's only because I read far too fast, and so end up buying large amounts in whsmith's in victoria to read on the train (I'm counting whsmith's as a bookshop, but you may beg to differ) and because of the excellent comic shop in Brighton (I've easily bought 20 books from them this year). Strangely I'm happy to pay extra and buy my graphic novels from an independent shop and not amazon, because i tend to collect a series slowly over a year or so, not all at once. Plus being a specialist shop they are a major source of impulse buys and recommended books which I wouldn't get from amazon. Becuase they're a very good shop I don't mind supporting them and am happy to pay extra for the quality of service. Which is not something I'd have said for about the local independent shop whcih closed it's doors last year.
I'm also incredibly impatient so waiting a week for an amazon delivery is only something I'm willing to do if I save a substantial amount.
Posted by: Emma McDonald | September 05, 2011 at 08:46 PM
I've bought about 5 from second-hand bookshops - an even rarer breed. I love the Net for 2nd hand books as it's more likely to expose me to what I want. However my gripe is that illustrators / artists in books are not considered important metadata and Internet bookshops often miss out on my business as a result! Browsing a secondhand bookshop is heaven to me as I can see the artists I want straight away!
Posted by: Norman | September 07, 2011 at 09:57 AM
I've just finished going through the results of our Reading Survey which was open to all students - year 7 to year 13 ( aged 11-18), and when asked...
Apart from the MRC (our library) where do you get your books from for reading for fun?
The highest percentage said Shops (35%). In second place with 25% came Public Libraries, and family and friends scored just 15% each. So perhaps the death of the bookshop is further away than we might think...
Posted by: Sarah Masters | September 08, 2011 at 10:21 AM
I don't remember the last time I bought a book at a book store it's self. I tend to browse online or hit the second hand stores. Thank you for sharing your article.
Posted by: dvlokken | September 20, 2011 at 02:57 AM