Larry Portzline

This wasn't a great book, but I still enjoyed it. The title alone was enough to start me happily imagining bookstore-focused road trips with my family and friends, and by the end of the book I was still excited about the possibilities. My attitude toward the whole concept was different from the author's, though--to me, going to bookstores with a group of booklovers is about pure fun; to the author, it's all about a lofty vision of saving the independent bookstores and promoting literacy. That's fine in itself, except that the book had an annoying tendency to focus more on that lofty vision (and praise thereof) than on the concept of bookstore tourism itself. There are three entire pages in the middle of the book devoted to comments the author received about his idea: a Pennsylvania bookseller says, "I admire what you are doing"; a Maine bookseller says, "Love the idea!"; an Upstate New York publisher says, "Congratulations on coming up with such a wonderful idea"; another Pennsylvania publisher says, "Congratulations on all the wonderful publicity you're getting on your fabulous idea", and so on ad nauseam. Immediately after this, a third of the book is devoted to a general discussion of the bookselling industry. The discussion was interesting enough, but there wasn't really anything new there. It seemed like the author just didn't have enough to say about the concept of Bookstore Tourism to fill an entire book; the final product is barely 100 pages long and contains some repetition (we're told twice that when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released, more than half of the copies sold on the first day were sold by non-bookstores). Still, the book was worthwhile for the concept alone, and I'm sure I'm not the only booklover who would snatch it up with no regrets solely on the basis of the title.… (mais)

Bookstore Tourism is a new way to help independent bookstores by marketing them as tourist destinations and encouraging booklovers to plan bus trips to towns with unique bookstores. Instead of, for instance, taking a bus trip to the Statue of Liberty, why not take a trip to the bookstores in Greenwich Village?

The book looks at the present situation for the independent bookstore. The news is not very good. While some store are able to survive, even thrive, more stores are closing every day. There are a number of reasons, including the coming of the chains, the economy, skyrocketing rents and the internet. Another problem is the sheer number of new books published, reaching 175,000 in 2003 from over 78,000 publishers.

What can indie bookstores do to survive? First and foremost, customer service is everything. Selling used books creates more profit than new books. Get creative with entertainment and special events. Consider a makeover of the decor to find that balance between fun and functional. Including a cafe encourages customers to linger and buy more books. Get involved in the community. Perhaps shrinking the store is the way to go. Cross promote with neighboring businesses.

The book also explores the mechanics of setting up a bookstore tour. Included are things like making sure that the destination stores are still there, anyone can plan a bookstore trip, handling reservations, the best day to go, the best kind of transportation, seeing if the destination stores will hold special events during your trip, where to eat, things to do while in transit, publicizing the trip and dealing with the bus company, among many others.

Bookstore tourism is a wonderful idea (anything that helps independent bookstores is a wonderful idea) and this is an excellent book that ended much too soon. I really enjoying reading it. The author mentions that more books on independent bookstores are planned in the future. I can't wait.… (mais)