Posted 8:30 am under 
So yesterday I was scanning twitter and saw yet another story about how poorly the big chain bookstores are doing. This on the heels of news that one of my favorite independents in Dallas also closed. Every day we’re bombarded with sad prognoses about the book industry. To read it, everything is on life support right now: Publishers, book stores, and even books themselves.
I personally can’t–and don’t want–to imagine a world where bookstores and print books don’t exist. (I’d also, for the record, be pretty upset if publishers went away, but that’s a blog for another time.) I don’t hate ebooks. I don’t loathe online print book retailers either. I spend money on both all the time. But my first love will always be print and I hope to continue that love affair for a good long while.
I’ve blogged before about how we’re conveniencing the joy out of our lives. But it goes deeper than that. Joseph Campbell once said, “Your sacred space is where you find yourself again and again.”
Bookstores are temples and stories are my prayers. I suspect it’s the same for a lot of you.
As kind of a half-joke, I started a thread on twitter about how we need a national book day. A major holiday for reading. Like Valentine’s Day, only for books. The kind of holiday that Hallmark makes cards for and that has its own mascot. Because, guys, it’s that serious.
Recently, Time magazine ran a list of 10 things kids today won’t experience. Reading real books was on that list.
Think about that. Time magazine, a major national print media outlet, has declared the print book obsolete. Besides being a bit premature, it also, sadly, looks to be an accurate prediction.
So here’s what I’m thinking. There’s this National Buy a Book Day on September 7. You probably haven’t heard about it because it doesn’t have any catchy slogans (why not get some writers on that, guys?) or celebrity spokespeople. But I think we can change that. Imagine what could happen if book lovers everywhere–from publishers to agents to authors to booksellers to readers–spread the word.
Everyone knows someone who never reads. Buy them a book. Everyone knows a kid who would rather play Nintendo than read. Buy them a book. Everyone knows a friend who loves to read. Buy them a book too. And then buy one for yourself. You deserve it.
I don’t care what book you buy. This isn’t about promoting my books. It’s about promoting ALL books. And any book that sells helps all of us.
So spread the word. And next Tuesday, get thee to a brick and mortar bookstore and buy at least one book.
For the price of a paperback you can help save civilization.
I definitely don’t want to think about a world with no bookstores… I enjoy my ebooks, but I love my print books just as much and online browsing just isn’t the same, there’s no doubt about that.
) Cool idea… I can definitely do that.
Thanks, Shiloh!
Oh I have plenty of books coming out that day that I want so I will definitely be buying a book. I think that’s a great idea. Maybe I will buy my kids some new books that day also.
Jaye, you make me glad I keep losing your books and have to buy a new set every month. I’m actually just getting to my car to go to the bookstore. It’s release day.
You know you have the Book-Addicts support on this. In the past month I have spent…well, never mind how much I spent.
…I probably covered the electric bill for a BN this month, though.
I’ll definitely be buying books Sept 7…as well the rest of Sept.
I usually hate greeting cards, but if they had some encouraging book-reading, that would be super awesome.
Love this idea! Now, if we could actually make it as big a deal as Valentine’s Day, it would totally rock.
Thanks, everyone! Keep spreading the word.
I have to agree with you Jaye. The thought of no bookstores makes me sad. I too buy a lot online, but usually only the books i can’t get hold of in my local bookstores.
I find them peaceful and a great place to think as well as a fun place to shop. If actual bookstores disappeared i would be quite upset.
That is sad. As a kid I LOVED to read or be read to when I was real little. At the school library I would always check out the Random House Book of Faerie Tales and this other book on Haunted Houses. Those were repeated and repeated checkouts for me!
My little niece LOVES books too. She has her own shelf filled with books and likes being read to. Although with her attention span she just likes looking out the pictures and you can just point out the people/characters or whoever on the pages. I’ll make a reader out of her yet!
Well said, Jaye, and I agree we should rally the troops. I’ll also be buying a book on September 7. And probably the 6th. Oh, and I’ll be on a plane on the 20th, so I’ll probably get one on the 18th, and the again on the 26th. And . . .
I don’t see that happening in the near future (thank heavens!). Even Captain Picard on Star Trek had some books, lol.
I do see where “new” authors will be writing ebooks, at first. Then only the “best” or “top selling” authors will be printed.
But I will do my part by spreading the word and heading to the bookstore on the 9th!
oops, meant the 7th!
[...] Buy a Book Day. in the event you’ve missed our tweets or blog items from Phil Athans and Jaye Wells, the idea is to simply buy a real, made-from-dead-trees book from a brick-and-mortar bookstore on [...]
Ordering audio on amazon now…this IS something to get excited about…I know I am!!! Still and as always: not surprised…you are so amazing, woman.
love c
oops..I think i posted on the wrong post…but you get it. xo
I buy a few books. The reason is that a lot of good books are not translated into Hungarian. In Hungary, there is barely a few good books. If you can not find anything in the store’s most popular (www.konyv-konyvek.hu), you will not anywhere else. Unfortunately, it would need a lot of foreign books, but only expect such a long time.