The book as gift mantra is loud and clear this holiday season.
BooksAreGreatGifts.com is a new website put together by the American Association of Publishers to encourage books as the ultimate holiday gift. The site features video spots by tons of best-selling and award-winning authors and celebrities from all the leading publishers.
The campaign is “An industry-wide effort… established in response to the economic downturn and changing climate in retail-driven markets as a way of stimulating traffic to retail and online booksellers.”
Here are some of the reasons to give books as gifts that the site offers:
“They have shelf life longer than a fruit cake.“
“After you’ve been eating latkes and sufganiyot for 8 days, all you really want to do is curl up with a good book.”
“The new year opens the pages to a new you.“
The problem is this really isn’t funny. Independent brick-and-mortar bookstores are in dire straits and a weak holiday season could send many of them over the edge; even Powell’s, the king of the independents, has asked employees to trim their hours. This misguided promotion does little to help. I watched quite a few of the videos and none urged the viewer to shop at an independent bookstore and of all the publishers appearing on the home page only the Hatchette Group plugs independent bookstores.
Roy Blount, Jr., president of the Authors Guild, has a much more pertinent holiday message.
Noting that ” local booksellers aren’t known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating” Blount, Jr. urges us not to let bookstores die. “Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let’s mount a book-buying splurge. Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party.” It might be our last chance to support many of our independent bookstores.
Over at Booksquare, Kassia Krozser sums it up nicley for all of us who are fortunate enough to have a life in books: “You want to make a serious statement about your commitment to books? Buy everyone on your shopping list a book. Or two. Or three. No need to limit yourself. This isn’t going to turn the industry around, but…put some money back into the industry that’s been good to you.”
And if we needed any more signs as to how how far down the food chain the independent bookstore has fallen we need to look no further than Publisher’s Weekly pick for 2008 person of the year – Jeff Bezos . The first “bookseller” ever chosen for the honor!
Here is the 2 and a half minute “Books = Gifts” spot produced by Random House: