Since the news of Borders closing made headlines, I've been freaking out a little that there would be a chain reaction and all the other physical book stores would follow suit. This is what now lies where Borders flagship Melbourne store used to stand:
With the boom of internet shopping and ebooks, I sort of felt the the era of the paperback might be coming to a close. Then, whilst on a trip to see Transformers 3 last weekend, I stumbled upon this:
Dymocks Bookstore on Collins Street in Melbourne City. Very much open for business and choc full of good old books! Not only that, there is book culture all over the city. Underneath the city's train stations there are mini glass galleries where artists display their bookish art.
By the end of the day I was feeling a lot better about the future of book buying and as an aspiring author it's a relief! I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about publishing an ebook because I love flipping through the pages of a physical book so much, but I definitely feel better about being one of those rabid bargain hunters who trawled liberally through the meager skeleton of Borders bookshelves while they went into liquidation.
At this point I have to confess. This whole post has been a ruse to show off my favourite piece out of my Borders haul, a Young Adult sign from their young adult section. I plan to put it above my desk where I do all my writing. One day, with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, my book will be on a bookshelf under a similar sign.
Seriously though, what are your thoughts guys? physical vs ebooks? Post your thoughts below.
*Note: If you're wondering, yes I know my photography sucks.
I want a sign like that! I confess that one of the biggest buzzes ever for me, was to walk into a bookshop and see my book on the shelf. I had to restrain myself from running over there and pawing them, breathing in their new scent and hugging them like my bestest long lost friends...(clearly Im very new to the world of publishing and rather lame) Then I skulked in the corner watching furtively while people flicked through it...(Im a book stalker. Of my own books. The pinnacle of lame-ness!)Now I ask you - could one do that on amazon with an e-book? I think not.
ReplyDeleteI want real live bookshops to say in business. So I can luxuriate in new books. And so i can ONE day stalk my book when its sitting on a shelf underneath THAT SIGN. (and thats my daily positivity measurement exhausted for today.)
I think I read or watched something, somewhere, that digital books will eventually reach the level of print books, but won't cause print books to become "extinct"; rather, they will co-exist side by side. I think it's a pretty accurate assessment, personally. There were probably other factors that led to Borders closing (which I'm unfamiliar with since there are no Borders stores where I live; I think it's a US thing?) so I don't think we need to worry about the printed book disappearing any time soon. I think people who love books and reading do prefer hard copies ... at least, for their most favourite titles, I am sure they will seek out the physical copy.
ReplyDeleteThat's just my 2 cents though :)
Thanks Lani and Jinny. You've put my mind at ease a little. I don't think I will ever give up my love of print books. I stare at a computer screen too much as it is.
ReplyDeleteJinny: Borders is a Us company but they have subsidiaries in Australia (where I'm from) as well. We don't have very many chain bookstores or even small independent bookstores so it's a worry to see one so big go out of business.