The Death of the Author Bookstore Appearance

I read this article by Jessa Crispin (The Book Slut) as I prepare to attend Kim McLarin's reading tonight at Hue-Man.

As an author helper who has setup readings for writers, I agree with most of this article. However, I don't agree with this: "Publishers should start refusing to send their authors out on the traditional book tour for anyone less famous than Dean Koontz."

Two reasons:

2) Publishers are already doing this unofficially and we all know that differentiating between the popularity of authors is a hurtful practice. If Joe some wants to do a reading at his local Borders, a publicist should set it up instead of saying, and I've heard this, "there's no point to set up a reading for you because no one will come anyway."

3) It isn't necessarily the entire fault of the bookstore when a reading isn't successful. But trust, I've set up some where I concluded from the behavior of the bookstore that there were not interested in selling books. But publishers/publicity people/authors need to step up too. Unfortunately, we are not in a world where authors can just show up to a reading anymore. They need to tell everyone they know. They need to take an active role in promoting it as well. And authors need to realize that having a reading in a city where no one knows you isn't a good idea either. Publishers can help out by sending posters (which should be included in all author's marketing budgets whether you're Dean Koontz or not) and postcards. Publishers can post it on their websites...There are some minimal things that can be done. And of course the bookstore should actively promote it as well, just as they excel in handselling. It takes a village to throw a successful reading at a bookstore.

I say all that even though I'm not a big fan of bookstore readings, although that doesn't take away from my love of bookstores, especially our indies! But see the post, How to Throw a Banging Literary Party. I raved about the party because it stepped out of the box.

I'm going to stop complaining and do something. Shout out to Orlando Lima for planting the seed in my head to start a BackList Reading Series, coming to a non-bookstore venue soon.