The Importance of Independent Booksellers
It might be hard to believe in our post-Amazon late capitalist hellscape, but people once bought their books from brick-and-mortar stores. And not just chain stores like Barnes & Noble or the two or so shelves where Walmart keeps the bestsellers - bookstores that were independently owned and operated. I should know - I used to work at one.
I graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a BA in English Literature in 2000. Not knowing what else to do with my life after moving back home, I went out and got a job at the one place that seemed like a good idea - the same independent bookstore that I’d frequented as a kid, right in my hometown. Book Revue, right in the beating heart of Huntington Village, was an institution for about as long as I had been alive at that point, and its reputation preceded it.
At the time, it was one of the largest and most successful independent bookstores outside of New York City, easily rivaling The Strand in the amount of business it did. I started as a lowly clerk, spending my days putting inventory on shelves, helping customers find the book they were looking for, and vacuuming about a metric ton of Cheeto dust out of the carpets in the kids’ section. Eventually, I ended up in the back rooms, working in shipping, inventory, and receiving, all while also helping out with front-of-house whenever I was needed.
Plus ça change, plus c’est même chose
By the time I left to return to grad school in 2006, I had learned a lot about what it takes to be an independent bookseller. In a world where there are massive corporations with hugely deep pockets, it becomes blisteringly clear that there’s no such thing as an even playing field. The fact that Book Revue recently closed its doors after more than four decades of being open solidifies that sad fact. Thankfully, Book Revue lives on, as former staffers have opened up a new store just a few blocks from the old place, fittingly named The Next Chapter. That’s a rarity, though - it’s incredibly difficult to keep an independent bookseller afloat in a world where Amazon can get you what you’re looking for cheaper.
So how can the few independent bookstores that are left ever hope to stay open? By offering things that Amazon can’t - a sense of community. Whether it’s hosting author events, monthly book clubs, children’s book story times, evenings of live music by local performers, screenings of art films, or something similar, the message is the same: independent booksellers offer so much more than just cheap books. They offer a place where you’re more than just the next Nameless “Valued” Customer. A place of comfort, a respite from the furor of the outside world, an oasis of peace and joy. A place where you’re welcome, no matter who you are or what you believe. And a place that loves working with small presses like us here at Blackwarren Books!
We Need Independent Booksellers More Than Ever
That’s the value of an independent bookseller. They’re few and far between today, but they’re not gone. The Next Chapter is just one incredible example, though since moving to the wilds of the North Country I haven’t had the opportunity to visit. Yet even here, in the foothills of the Adirondack State Park, there are hidden gems. Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs and its sister location across the border in Manchester, Vermont is one of the largest independent bookstores outside of NYC. Smaller ones, like Black Walnut Books and Beldame Books in The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, are incredible community resources, especially for marginalized voices. And there are dozens of small, independent booksellers everywhere, often specializing in used books, that are too numerous to name.
So take it from the grizzled veteran that I am: support your local independent bookseller. Drop in for a visit. Buy something small, like a sticker, a button, or a keychain. Sign up for their newsletter and follow them on social media. And most of all, recommend them to others. Because the community we create for ourselves can make all the difference.
We love independent booksellers here at Blackwarren Books because they’re natural allies of small presses! Want to see your own name on the shelf? Our novel and short story anthology submissions are still open!
