How to save the bookshops

Last week, Minister for Small Business Nick Sherry predicted that brick-and-mortar bookshops would disappear within five years. His intention was to encourage booksellers to embrace online retail; however, all he did was make them angry. (Who didn’t see that coming? Just him, I suspect.)

“Whoa, hey, relax. What’s the big deal?”

For the record, I understand his point. Physical books sales are down. The Red Group (Borders and Angus & Robertson) recently collapsed. In the places where I used to see people reading - train stations, bus-stops, airports, park benches, cafes - I now see people playing Angry Birds on their iPhones. And Australian retailers getting online is important, not just for their own sake, but for consumers. Until 2010, I regularly had the following conversation:

Reader: “Why haven’t you written a sequel to The Lab?”
Me: “I did. It’s called Remote Control.”
Reader: “Then why haven’t you released it?”
Me: “It’s been out since 2007.”
Reader: “Then why isn’t it on Amazon?”
Me: (sigh) “Because Amazon only stocks US publications.”*
Reader: “Then where can I get it?”
Me: “Every single bookshop in Australia. Or, failing that, other online bookshops like Fishpond, Booktopia, Seekbooks or Bookworm.”
Reader: “Wait a sec. There are other online bookshops?”

But Senator Sherry missed the point a little bit. Borders went under because its strengths were range and price, two things which the internet does better. Australian booksellers getting online won’t solve the problem, because Amazon will crush them. For the most part, online book buyers browse on Amazon and nowhere else.

Instead, bookshops need to focus on the things the internet can’t do. You can’t host a book launch on the internet, with speeches and food and autographs. You can’t populate your online bookstore with friendly, well-read staff, who can make recommendations based on your personal tastes. (Online reviews are a very poor substitute for this.) You can’t fill the air with relaxing music, comfortable chairs and (sometimes) the smell of coffee…

…screw blogging. I’m off to the bookshop.

*This may not be true any more, because Hit List seems to be available on Kindle. But the Australian edition of Remote Control is still not there.