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Make a Pilgrimage to a Bookstore

blogger: Cynthia Ruchti

Why should a writer routinely make a pilgrimage to a bookstore?

I chose the word pilgrimage on purpose for two reasons.

  • It’s true that far fewer bookstores exist than even ten years ago. So it may be far more of an involved trip than a simple ten-minute jaunt. It may be a day trip. Or a weekend getaway.
  • Pilgrimage insinuates a higher or weightier intent than a simple visit or shopping trip. And in this case, the word fits well.

What can an author or aspiring author learn at a well-stocked bookstore?

What else has been written in your genre?

Several times a month, if not a week, an agent might receive a query about a book on a topic the author believes “no one is addressing.” Like the subject of suffering and a faith-perspective on suffering. But agents do take pilgrimages to bookstores, and they do see things like this:

pilgrimage to bookstore

 

A whole section devoted to suffering and comfort. And that’s just the nonfiction section. How many titles would be added if we included fiction’s contribution to the reader’s needs on the topic?

An online search might seem quicker and more efficient than a trip to a bookstore. But just as there’s something about the multi-senses involvement of a physical book in a reader’s hands, it’s also a multi-sensory experience to see books side by side, to note the cover similarities and differences, the author names, even the sizes of the books that address an issue.

Does an entire section of a bookstore devoted to your chosen subject matter or genre a sign to stop writing? No. But it is a reminder that “there’s nothing new under the sun” (Solomon), your book HAS to contribute to the conversation rather than duplicate what’s been done, there ARE comparable titles for your proposal, and if your specific angle on the topic or within the genre is already on the shelves it will take an even stronger platform, even more compelling concept, and even greater diligence to writing well for a publisher to take a risk on adding another.

As an aspiring or veteran writer, what are you up against?

Scenes like this:

bookstore pilgrimage

Or this: writer pilgrimage to bookstore

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a flip-side to being overwhelmed by the volume of books on the market. It’s the realization that as a writer, you are part of a much larger scene than the space around your writing desk. It is a writing community into which you’ve stepped. You’re part of the supply line of entertainment, education, inspiration, or hope for readers. You’re not alone. And every writer who’s gone before you has also started with a blank page or screen.

Will your book grace shelves like these? The answer depends in part on your diligence, perseverance, and willingness to learn the craft well.

What’s trending in covers? And which covers invite you as a reader to reach for the book?

Although authors don’t always have complete sway in their books’ cover art, a savvy author will study the industry’s array, particularly in the chosen category, genre, or subject matter. How does a cover choice expand the reader’s enjoyment or engagement with the book? What makes one cover more inviting than the one next to it on the endcap? How does a cover color choice or font set a tone for the content of the book? Libraries can offer a hands-on experience with covers, including new releases. But a well-stocked bookstore that specializes in the kind of books you write affords a look at the books that are currently selling.

What does a pilgrimage to a bookstore tell you about titles that grab a reader’s attention?

Today’s reader is used to scrolling quickly through information, listening to sound bites of thought, and buying books with minimalist titles. The rule of thumb used to imply that generally the best titles are six words or fewer. Now you’ll find many one- or two-word titles among the new releases. Even though an author’s first title choice on his or her proposal is always considered a working title–likely to be adjusted, revamped, or replaced–an author’s knowledge of title trends hints that they understand their potential readers.

A pilgrimage to a bookstore is an investment in your writing future.

pilgrimage booksThe bookstore atmosphere feeds your imagination, informs you about issues of concern or interest to readers, and can help you hone your topic or your approach to your current work in progress.

A visit to a thriving, well-stocked bookstore could be considered a vital part of research for any book you’re working on. If you can, make time for an investigative–and no doubt inspiring–trip to a bookstore that carries a good supply of the kind of books you write. Explore every corner. Listen to what staff and customers are saying about the books they’re buying. Observe. Absorb.

You’ll return from your pilgrimage a smarter writer.

(Photos courtesy of Books & Such, taken at the Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, MI)

 

 

 

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  1. Have you been to Haslam’s Bookstore,
    right downtown in St. Pete?
    It’s not so much retail; it’s more
    where dreams and writers meet.
    Step inside from Central Ave,
    and inhale the magic smell
    of books (THIS I must have!)
    that only print can tell.
    It wanders through five storefronts,
    ramps go up and down and back;
    and upstairs are the haunts
    of used books that you lack.
    If it’s not on a shelf in there
    you may not find it anywhere.

    Haslam’s Bookstore is at 2025 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, Lorida, and is well worth a special trip.

    You may even run into jack Kerouac’s ghost there.

    Reply

  2. On a recent trip to Los Angeles, we made a three-generation (grandsons, son and me) visit to The Last Bookstore on 5th Street in downtown LA. It’s the largest new and used book and record store in California. The smells, colors and textures made the stop worthwhile. Alas, we could buy only what we could carry on the train.

    Reply

  3. I am not sure what makes this the case, but northwest Washington is a reader’s paradise. We have multiple privately-owned bookstores that seem to be thriving, and a Barnes & Noble that has actually not gone out of business. My wife and I love browsing the bookstores. There is something of a nostalgic feeling one gets being surrounded by the abundance of knowledge and wisdom, and as Shirlee has noted, there is a welcoming smell to a bookstore. Yes, I learn by browsing the shelves, but the real value for me is just the way stress leaves my body. In a bookstore, I am home.

    Reply

  4. Great post. I have a local (only 30 miles away) bookstore. But it’s a small, independent. I’ve done book signings there.

    However it doesn’t give me the range of a B&N or anything like that. That’s an hour and a half drive and a full day trip if I’m going to garner any information and soak up some atmosphere. Oh to live closer to a city…

    Reply

    • I’ve sometimes viewed the distance (not on my way; too far for just a bookstore visit) as a hindrance. But these days, I’m considering the idea of turning it into a day trip, with a great place for lunch, a park or museum to visit too, or coffee and time to think as part of the pilgrimage. 🙂

      Reply

  5. As I was wandering through the largest bookstore in the world yesterday, Powell’s Books in Portland, my first thought after “wow” was that there couldn’t possibly be another original idea under the sun (after all, that’s “biblical,” right?). However, then God spoke TRUTH: “Look, there are empty spaces on those shelves. Your books could go there.”

    Reply

  6. We enjoy going to the bookstore! And yes, it’s a trek for us. The nearest small one is 30 minutes away, but the nearest Barnes & Noble is about 45 minutes away. And so worth the trip. Now that I know several writers, I guess my favorite thing about going to a bookstore is seeing friends’ books on the shelves. When my girls are with me, it’s not uncommon for me to point to a book and say, “I know that person. Can you believe it?!”

    Reply