Recently I received an email from Joshua Henkin, author of the best-selling novel, Matrimony. The message contained within was one I really wanted to let my readers know. So, with his permission, here is the email :
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Dear Friends,______________________________________________________________________
As many of you know, the book industry is in serious trouble. It was in trouble when economic times were good, and now that times are bad, things have gotten really precarious. Book sales across the industry are down as much as 40 percent, publishing houses are laying off people and cutting imprints, one big publishing house announced that it was no longer reading new manuscripts, and a major chain bookstore is on the brink of bankruptcy. Many of these problems have been a long time coming (the decline of newspapers and especially of book review sections has been a big blow, as has the closing down of many independent bookstores), but in recent months the problem has become especially acute.
I don't mean to sound alarmist, but these are alarming times. What's at stake is the future of books, and of reading culture. Although books will continue to be published (Stephenie Meyer and J.K. Rowling will publish their next books), for everyone except a handful of bestselling authors, the future is far more uncertain. What's at stake is the wealth and diversity of book culture. Many classics (books we read in our English classes in high school and college, books our children read or will read), simply wouldn't be published by today's standards and, if they were published and didn't sell well immediately, they would be removed from the bookstore shelves.
This is why it's so important that you buy books for the holidays. There's a website dedicated to this enterprise, http://www.buybooksfortheholidays.com, which you might want to check out, and publishing houses are running ad campaigns focused on holiday book-giving. You really can make a difference. A typical paperback novel costs less than fifteen dollars, far cheaper than a necklace or a sweater or dinner at a nice restaurant. I would especially encourage you to buy books from independent bookstores, which are in the most serious trouble and which promote books that go beyond the usual bestsellers and where the employees really know about books. Independent booksellers are the unsung heroes in what are very difficult times.
Thanks for reading this, and have a happy and healthy holiday.
Best,
Josh
http://www.joshuahenkin.com
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This has been a big "book" Christmas for me. I've bought so many books and book-store gift cards it's just crazy.
ReplyDeleteI know I should buy books to help the publishing industry and all that, but my reason was more selfish: books are the easiest things to wrap. :)
Lol, so they are. They're also good companions in these troubled times.
ReplyDeleteyes, it's about time someone posted something like thi.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I gave and received several books this year.
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone had a nice holiday.
Cheryl