Once again the stateofindependents blog, which is written on behalf of Edinburgh independents, has stepped up and offered thoughts on whether the ‘emperor has got new clothes on’, or on World Book Night, they were just plain ‘naked’. The Edinburgh Bookshop were highly critical of this year’s World Book Night venture and although they supported the aim felt the method did little for bookshops and sales across the trade.
They offer an alternative approach which is less about promoting a few titles, or how they put it, ‘carpet-bombing the place with dozens of copies of the same book’ and giving stuff away blindly and instead they have focused on growing community, sharing books and building the business of selling books. Ironically, the scheme would see authors rewarded, publishers paid and potentially bookshops connect deeper and further with their potential customers and communities.
The Great Big Book Swap may still have some challenges but in its construct offers much and it would be a shame if those wanting to move World Book Night forward didn’t give it some serious attention and hopefully not just dismiss it as ‘not invented here’.
We believe that The Great Big Book Swap offers bookshops much and in principle is well thought through and has even had a trial run and launched a Great Big Book Swap site.
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