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For books, resolve to showroom in reverse - Browse Online, Buy Local

1/15/2019

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We've all seen them. Some, perhaps, have even been them: those dreaded shoppers using their local bookstore as a showroom to browse books before buying them on Amazon. 

Most people wait til they get home (or at least step out onto the sidewalk) to finish showrooming, but on a recent trip to Chop Suey Books, I bumped into the same woman in each nook of the store, her smartphone shamelessly open to her Amazon list. She'd select a small stack of books, thumb through them, touch her screen, and move on. Nothing stealth about it. But she did avoid making eye contact with anyone - guilt, I'd like to hope, something she couldn't click away.

This year, resolve to REVERSE the showroom process - starting with books. 

Browse for the books you want online, then buy them from a local bookstore. You know, those quirky, essential places that support writers and whose "staff picks" lead to book discoveries beyond bestsellers and NPR picks. Better yet, PRE-order books from indie stores; pre-orders are one of the best ways to support the poets and writers you love.  Don't have a local bookstore? Place your order with Indiebound or a similar site.

Eager to get started? Here are two poetry books to preorder now - both full of memorable, beautifully crafted poems that will stay with you long after your turn the last page:
  • Take Me With You, Wherever You're Going by Jessica Jacobs
  • These Many Rooms by Laure-Anne Bosselaar

For an extra bit of affirmation, you could COMPLETELY reverse the typical showroom process.  Make yourself an Amazon Wishlist for books, but give the list a name that reminds you of your commitment to buy local.  Mine is called "Buy Books from Indies." What will you call yours?  And why stop with books . . . 
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    Wendy - poet-librarian, teacher, writing mentor. Read more on about. 


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