What is selling well in the young adult & middle grade market?
Well, the Twilight books, of course, and there's been new interest in Harry Potter since the latest movie came out. Other than that what sells well here is what we handsell. Currently, that is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Un Lun Dun by China Mieville, Freak Show by James St. James, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster, and other staff favorites. Shiver, which just came out, seems like it's going to do well.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?
Right now we don't do a lot, but we're starting a lot more school outreach that I think will bring more in. Once they're here, I mostly just try to talk to them. Kids who love to read, love to talk about their favorite books. I always like to hear what they're enjoying. There are several kids I see a lot and I pass off ARCs (Advance Reading Copies) to them because I know they are facing the same thing I did as a kid---you can never get enough books!What challenges are you facing within the industry, and how do you deal with them?
HA! What challenges aren't we facing! Specifically with regards to YA (Young Adult)
and MG (Middle Grade), my biggest pet peeve is how many books are released in
hardcover. I know it's necessary for the school and library market, but
young readers just aren't going to spend $16 on one book if they can
get two books for the same price, with very few exceptions. Right now
we deal with that by holding off on a lot of books until they are in
paperback, unless it's a must-have.
As an independent bookseller, I think our community continually faces the challenge of reminding our communities of how much we do and why it is important. We deal with that here at WORD by trying to being receptive to feedback, trying to keep in step with what our customers are looking for, and so on. It helps that we have fantastic customers!
One challenge that you hear a lot about that I do NOT lose sleep over is that "kids just aren't reading anymore." I really don't believe that this is true. I meet kids everyday who are wild about books and can't get enough, and I meet their great parents and teachers. There are way more demands on their time, for sure, and many more forms of entertainment. But I see even "reluctant readers" transformed when they find the book that's right for them.What makes you continue to wake up in the morning and come to your job with a smile on your face?
There are so many answers to this question! The customers. The huge
number of fantastic books out there that it is my pleasure to champion
and match with the right reader. The amazing people in the bookselling
and publishing worlds. The joy of being surrounded by books all day.
The book nerd basketball league that we run on the courts across the
street from the store. Finding that book that you can't stop telling
people about. My co-workers. The fact that I walk by a donut shop
everyday on my way in! Meeting authors. Great book club discussions. I
could go on forever. Even on the bad days---and they are very few---I
still can't believe I'm lucky enough that someone pays me to do this.
Stephanie Anderson is the manager of WORD in Brooklyn, NY. You can reach her by visiting www.wordbrooklyn.com or her personal website at www.bookavore.com
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