Marilyn Thiele
A phone call from the supplier of the book covers I carry in my store led me to today’s thoughts on the many roles a small business owner plays. She asked for the Purchasing Department. When I indicated that she had the right person, she asked if she had also reached Accounting, Marketing, Sales and Janitorial Services. Hers is a small business too.
Among the many new skills I have had to develop as an independent bookstore owner is that of decorating windows and displaying books inside the store. I am not naturally artistic or visually creative. Like Steve Jobs, I know what’s right when I see it. Unfortunately, I am also the designer who has to go back and try again and the one who makes the final decision. Fortunately, displays are not too final and are easily changed.
I have the blessing (or curse) of almost full height plate glass windows. Seasonal trinkets (tchotchkes to those of us in New Jersey) interspersed with books usually do the trick, backed up by movable shelves displaying more books. The rotation of display books in the windows is frequent by necessity. Even in these dark days of January, the sun can quickly fade a book cover.
Interior displays are more problematic. I am not in the class of retailers who are paid to put certain books in prime real estate at the front of the store. Decisions, for better or worse, are based on what I think will appeal to customers, what I like and want to promote, and how the whole display looks. As each new shipment of books arrives, hard choices have to be made about moving books to the “regular” shelves or keeping them “on top.” So many good books, so little space! The owner of a small gift shop in a town nearby responded to my lament about wishing more books could be placed at eye level by telling me that her husband proposed that they install a conveyor belt, constantly moving around the store. Not a bad idea.
Arranging book displays inevitably leads to thoughts on jacket designs. Many words have been written on this issue. But here are a few observations from an amateur:
1. Although a cover in black, white and shades of grey conveys a certain feeling of menace, gloom and despair that indicates the content of the book, the fact that so many mystery book jackets in recent years have used this style makes displaying them difficult. Five books in a row in black and white looks like we are selling newspapers; but today even newspapers have color on the front page. I was taken aback at the movie tie-in cover for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: striking standing alone, but lost on a shelf with others. I’m glad I still have copies with the old, bright cover.
2. Jackets that are mostly white are a little better, but get dirty quickly with handling.
3. Too many “busy” book covers in a row are as off-putting as too many plain color or grey ones; alternating the simple and complex and blending colors makes the most attractive display. There seem to be trends in jacket design, leading to too many look-alikes. Again, this is not my area of expertise; I’m only commenting on what I observe. For me, those jackets that reflect the interior of the book in a striking way rather than the latest style are easiest to work with.
4. Readers do judge a book by its cover, or at least they stop to look at ones with attractive covers. More often than I like, I decide which books to turn out on the shelves or display on top by how they look rather than by my (admittedly subjective) opinions on how appealing the actual work is. Catching the browser’s eye is the first step to a purchase. She can then read the summaries, blurbs and opening chapter to determine if the book is a good choice, opening the door to other suggestions if it is not.
The abundance of newly released titles at certain times of the year makes for frequent display changes. At slower times, I find myself reluctant to move things around. Some of the delay is due to my own avoidance of tasks I am not totally comfortable with; most of it comes from the agony of decision making over which books to show off (assuming the jackets fit visually).
One solution to the limitation on the number of books one can display out front is “shelf-talkers.” These little notes attached to the shelves draw the eye and substitute for the salesperson who may not be immediately available or desired. The customer feels he is getting a personal recommendation without being drawn into conversation. Necessarily brief, a comparison to similar authors or a quote from a review can be an amazing sales tool. Knowing that the bookseller thought that the book or author was worth the time and effort alerts the reader to something special. Book jackets with meaningful blurbs or concise summaries can be a big help to the bookseller.
Time now to switch hats. Both Accounting and Janitorial need attention. As well as those displays.
