Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers

Goodbye Borders: Another casualty in the decline in paperback and hardback sales!

Recently, I was driving and passed the empty Borders bookstore building at the corner of Ronald Regan Parkway and 124 in Snellville, Georgia.

I slowed down, turned into the parking lot. I opened the car door and walked up to the front door.

I stared inside at the empty space. There weren't any bookshelves...just empty space.

It's been two years since the announcement came that the Borders bookstore chain seeked liquidation and closed its remaining stores. This was another attack on the brick and mortar stores where you could purchase the printed book.

They closed 399 stores which meant that over three-hundred outlets for author’s books was unavailable for authors at the end of the fourth week of July

2011.

This was very, very sad news!

This was another casualty in the long drawn-out decline of the paperback and hard cover book formats.

I remember when I was marketing my first novel, A Brownstone in Brooklyn and Philly Style and Philly Profile, the venues for new authors was nil. Today, it is even harder for authors to get book event at major venues.

For years I tried vainly to get book signings in bookstores to prove to the reading public that I was a legitimate author.

I walked into many bookstores and got a resounding “No”!

I went to the Stonecrest Mall Borders in Lithonia, Georgia without much confidence in getting a chance at a book signing.

I met the store manager and told him I was a local author and teacher at a Dekalb County High School. He was very gracious and receptive and loved the

idea of a local teacher getting a chance at a book signing.

He introduced me to the community relations manager and I had my first major bookstore event!

I sold over fifteen copies of A Brownstone in Brooklyn on that Saturday afternoon and gave out tons of marketing material, but mainly this was my first major exposure at a major book event venue.

That was a signature moment, in my career as an author, and lead to me getting speaking opportunities at other major chain outlets and eventually a stint as a presenter at the AJC-Decatur Book Festival, The Virginia Festival of the Book, Buffalo Book Fair, New York City Book Festival and other major book festivals.

Now, I wonder where the road would have taken me if it wasn’t for a manager at a Borders store that gave a new author a chance to showcase his work.

After staring into the empty space, I decided it was time leave. I walked back to my car and closed the door. I continued my journey down 124 and thinking would there be any other Brick and Mortar stores opening soon.

In the meantime, Good Bye Borders you will be missed!!!!

1 member likes this

Comment by Nolah Reed on June 5, 2013 at 5:47am: Julius..what a poignant moment for you...and so eloquently put. The Borders near my home in North Carolina closed as well, a huge loss to aspiring writers, since they held so many writer's events there...book signings, classes..critique groups, etc.

Even though I e-published, I still love the feel of a book in my hands, a place to go to read and good coffee to go along with it all. I will miss them too.

Comment by JE Thompson on June 6, 2013 at 7:43am: Nolah, thank you for the wonderful comment. It means a lot to me. God Bless, Julius.

Comment by JE Thompson on June 6, 2013 at 7:45am: Hi Nolah, I have a newsletter I published every two weeks with guest blogs and information for writers. If you would like to receive this email newsletter, please leave your email...Julius

Comment by Nolah Reed on June 8, 2013 at 11:44pm: Thanks Julius, would appreciate you sending it.

NolahReed@gmail.com.

Best,

Nolah

Comment by Gavion E Chandler on June 10, 2013 at 5:33pm: Your story rings true with most things in this world Julius. I am a writer and an artist and little by little the technological wonders of the world and the convenience of having it at a touch of button or computer tab is slowly chipping away at traditional stock of artists, writing and drawing.

The efficiency of machines and product of idea and how fast we can get it out there and sell has diminished and dulled art of writing and drawing and painting where human innovation explores 'natural mediums' pen, ink, painting and the creation of a book where the art of word and thought are stamped and marked and has it's own particular flavor of spirit.

To actually hold a book, dog ear it, and even jot down a note or two and underline some prophetic thought ensnared in ink that bleeds like blood. It is what we writers bleed. This too may become some distant memory of a thing.

I remember reading a short story about a book that was well read. The first of the books was behind glass and alone, never opened. Never read. The second was a book carefully paged through with a few scars of tearing here and there and the cover with slight blemishes, the third book, the cover was worn with wear, the pages dogeared, tattered and chipped and lines of words underlined and scored with notes. It was as if it was devoured in thought. In the end the story asked a profound question... "Which book was truly read?"

The answer is obvious but with all our little gadgets, we are becoming more and more dependent upon them, rather than our own mental and physical abilities to achieve the same goal, but in the end we as a 'Human Being' achieve something in our own sense of self and I believe it makes a better person in the end.

Gavion E. Chandler~

'Man is his own devil.'