What is selling well in the young adult & middle grade market?
The best sellers are definitely fantasy/series books. Vampires,
fairies, etc. I would be happy to see more award winning, books of
literary merit sell better but they really don't seem to move like they
should. It almost seems that if a publisher is determined to move a
book, they will give it the publicity and marketing and it will move.
What do you do to get the young readers into the store? and what do you do to get them to buy once they are in the store?
To get them in the store I always try to make sure I have the newest
books out and displayed so they are easy to find. I also work really
hard at keeping up on all the series' so I have the book in the day it
comes out. Not an easy task as I also wear all the other hats in the
store. I am starting the kids coming in early with a Sunday story time
and am sure that this will translate well when they get up in the
grades.
To get them to buy when they are in the store I often ask them if they are a reader and what they like to read and then
lead them into something similar. I talk to them like they are adults
and am genuinely interested in what they have to say. I loooooove
talking books with children and young adults who read. They are very
excited about books! Sometimes I talk to them more than the parents and
I can tell that the parents genuinely like this and this gives the
adults time to browse at their leisure. It also makes the kids feel
important and that their opinions on literature are valued. And they
are. I have been in stores with my kids when they were at this age
group and I don't know how many store owners would watch them, follow
them, like they were trying to catch a shoplifter. I talk to them.
That's probably why I don't have a huge theft problem. I respect them
and, in turn, I hope it goes both ways.
I imagine the biggest challenge is getting out the "shop local"
message and instilling in people the value of a good book. I am getting
a lot of people in the store who are fed up with the way they are
treated/helped at the bigger stores where they can't find anything and
no one knows where anything is. But, I am sure that this is not the
case in all the big box stores. Walk into a Wal Mart or Costco and you
just can't get any help at all and no one knows authors or titles. Walk
into a Barnes&Noble and everything is divided into departments and
invariably the person you talk to doesn't work in the department you
need.
Another big challenge is catching a piece of that entertainment pie that young people seem to fill up so easily. Between sports and social networking and texting, etc, they need to know how important reading is and how much fun it can be and how it can translate into school success through high school and beyond. There isn't a lot in our downtown to draw that age group. Mostly gift shops and galleries and restaurants. I get a high school crowd and the honors English class takes a field trip to my store at the end of the year.
Also, they need to know that used books are also great (I sell both new and used). Many children are raised with silver spoons in their mouth and only want the best and most expensive because they assume that it is somehow better. And, they want to read what everyone else is reading. This social networking really has a domino effect on books. It is also amazing how a movie can sell a book. Isn't that crazy? Everyone knows the book is always way better. I would like to see more young adults willing to go out on a limb and try authors that they aren't familiar with -- some classics, too. Stuff that not only makes them feel, but also makes them think. The stuff that can help them become kinder and more sensitive and way more grateful. Historical fiction. Family tragedy. Memoirs. It is nice to see, however, "The Book Thief" doing so well. That is a fantastic book for young adults (and adults).
What makes you continue to wake up in the morning and come to your job with a smile on your face?
My customers. People who shop independent bookstores are the most amazing people in the world.
Val Stadick works at Main Street Books. You can contact him at: mainstreetbooks@srt.com
OR, visit their site at: http://mainstbooks.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp
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