I Love My E-Reader. I Love Indie Bookstores. Can This Work?

[Jim Thomsen]

I've finally decided on a balance that leaves me with some sense of personal integrity.

I own a Kindle. At first, during the infatuation phase, I figured I was going to leave printed books behind forever and buy everything on my new device.

Then, when I woke up, I thought: What about the handful of indie bookstores I love and purport to regularly support? True, they're probably doomed in the long run as e-books grab radically more market share in book publishing with each passing year, but I'm damned if I'm going to watch these good folks watch their dreams dissolve on my watch.

After much deliberating, here's what I've decided to do with my book-buying money:

— My Kindle will be used to purchase exclusive and specially discounted e-books. One of the great pleasures of exploring the e-book publishing world has been finding self-published e-gems in the cyber bargain bins (from free to 99 cents to $2.99) of the Kindle Store. There are some good thriller, suspense and traditional mystery tales there, many of which have gone through story editing, copy editing and proofreading that appears to be as stringent as Big Six fare. I find many of these gems just trolling around the Kindle Store, or I find them recommended on the numerous Kindle boards and blogs (which I also subscribe to, usually for 99 cents a month, via Kindle, and read daily).

— I will buy and order new and still-in-print older, traditionally published fare through my favorite indie bookstores. I will suck it up and pay full price, even when it's more than double the Kindle price, and absorb the loss on principle. Part of it is pure altruism; part of it is that I want these folks in my corner when my time to roll out my first novel arrives. Part of it is that I still love printed books. And part of it is that I just plain like these folks.

— I will order the out-of-print books I want, used and usually cheap, on Amazon.com.

— I won't spend any more money in Borders, Barnes & Noble or any other corporate chain store. It's not that I have anything against them; it's that just that I don't have anything for them. Particularly any more money, after I spend it elsewhere first.

So, that's the balance I've stumbled upon.

Has anybody else scuffled with this?

[minervaK]

I approve of this scheme, with one caveat: why not buy your out-of-print books from a local bookseller also? Or at least consider the anti-Amazon, Powells.

[Jim Thomsen]

I'm a big believer in Amazon. I think they're good for readers, good for cost structure, and, as they're proving now, good for authors. They're bad for publishers, distributors and bookstores. I can live with the first two; the third, as I've stated, I'm dealing with.

I love Powell's, though, and usually make a stop at the mothership store when I'm in Portland (I live about 3 1/2 hours north). I have ordered online from them before, and I should check them before I check Amazon for the out-of-print books I want, but generally Amazon and its affiliated vendors have the bigger inventory — and usually that means that I have a better chance of finding what I want there.

[I. J. Parker]

I'm also a big believer in Amazon. They've never discriminated against me like publishers and book stores.

[Stacy]

I won't spend any more money in Borders, Barnes & Noble or any other corporate chain store. It's not that I have anything against them; it's that just that I don't have anything for them. Particularly any more money, after I spend it elsewhere first.

I do have something against the chain stores and it's one reason I haven't shopped in one in years. I buy all my books on Amazon. One reason is because the stores don't have a lot of the books I want and another reason, it's easier. Also, I always buy NEW books from Amazon. I don't buy used books. As an author that's a personal policy of mine. I am not passing judgment on those that do buy used books, I understand sometimes that's all a lot of folks can afford, but for me, I like to buy new books to make sure the author gets something in their pocket. The only time I buy a used book is if I can't find it new but I try to always support other authors and buy their books new.

As for the chain stores, I don't feel sorry for them at all and think they deserve what they get. They are the reason the book industry is in the mess it's in. Like I.J. says, they do descriminate against different authors, pubs, types of books, etc. They put themselves in the mess they're in as well as the big pubs who let the bookstores have all the power. Screw 'em.

I do support Indie stores though (smile). But unfortunately, a lot of them don't have the books I like so I'm back at Amazon regardless. Also, I am an ebook reader mainly now so...

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net