I had a very enjoyable
Saturday, touring around a number of bookshops in, or just outside, the Lake
District. The trip had been arranged by my publishers, and I had the pleasure
of signing plenty of books – which is always something an author enjoys! But an
even greater pleasure proved to be the chance to meet, and talk books with,
quite a number of very likeable people.
The tour began in
Lancaster, a city I know reasonably well from many visits over the years. In fact,
it was over a restaurant dinner in Lancaster that I had a conversation that
gave me the idea for the sub-plot of The Cipher Garden. This time I was calling
at the Marketgate branch of Waterstones, where I had the chance to talk to both
readers and members of staff, including Penny and Lynn.
Waterstones has changed
over the years, and for quite a period of time it was difficult to avoid the
feeling that there was heavy emphasis on bestsellers and "three-for-the-price-of-two"
offers. Mid-list writers like me, who were given great support by Waterstones
for many years, found it increasingly difficult to feature on the shelves. But
things seem to be taking a real change for the better, following the change in
ownership of the company. The impression I have is that the people at the top
are taking the business in a new direction, not necessarily trying to compete
simply on price with Amazon – which strikes me as a losing battle – but
offering a crucial personal ingredient in bookselling with enthusiastic and
knowledgeable staff. I'm sure that this is the right way to go from a business
perspective, and it also makes Waterstones increasingly attractive to book
buyers. I'm not saying the price isn't important, especially in tough economic
times, but it is not the only factor that matters.
Then it was onto Kendal,
one of my favourite northern towns, and one which features regularly in the
Lake District Mysteries. Once again, the local Waterstones featured
knowledgeable and – so very important – enthusiastic staff, managed by
Caroline, who is clearly a real book lover. We all know that things are
difficult in the retail sector these days, and staff who have a genuine passion
for the products they sell are the key to making a success of any retail
business in competing with online stores. Amazon reviews and ratings have
become really important for writers – perhaps disproportionately so – but there's
no doubt that word-of-mouth recommendation from readers and booksellers remains
enormously valuable.
All in all, I was
greatly heartened by these visits to Waterstones, not just from a personal
perspective, but more generally as a book fan. And after that, it was on to two
independent bookstores of great appeal – more about them soon.
