Goodbye Borders!

When the announcement came that the bookstore chain Borders has announced that it will seek liquidation and close its remaining stores, it was another attack on the printbook format.

Theywill close 399 stores which mean that over three-hundred outlets for author’sbooks will be unavailable for authors at the end of the fourth week of July
2011.

This is very, very sad news!

This is another casualty in thelong drawn-out decline of the paperback and hard cover book formats.

I remember when I was marketing my first novel, ABrownstone in Brooklyn and Philly Style and Philly Profile, the venues for new authors was nil. Today, it is even harder forauthors to get book event at major venues.

For years I tried vainly to getbook signings in bookstores to prove to the reading public that I was alegitimate author.

I walked into many bookstores andgot a resounding “No”!

I went to the Stonecrest MallBorders in Lithonia, Georgiawithout much confidence in getting a chance at a book signing.

Imet the store manager and told him I was a local author and teacher at a Dekalb County High School. He was very gracious and receptive and loved the
idea of a local teacher getting a chance at a book signing.

Heintroduced me to the community relations manager and I had my first major bookstore event!

I sold over fifteen copies on thatSaturday afternoon and gave out tons of marketing material, but mainly this wasmy first major exposure at a major book event venue.

Thatone signature moment, in my career as an author, lead to me getting speakingopportunities at other major chain outlets and eventually a stint as a
presenter at the AJC-Decatur Book Festival, The Virginia Festival of the Book,Buffalo Book Fair, New York City Book Festival and other major book festivals.

Now, I wonder where the road wouldhave taken me if it wasn’t for a manager at a Borders store that gave a newauthor a chance to showcase his work.

Good Bye Borders you will be missed!!!!