The Unexpected Advantage of One Bookstore To Becoming a Writer
If Amazon had existed, I wouldn’t be a published author
When I moved to Endicott, NY, in 1989, there were three bookstores.
Walking down the main drag at lunchtime, you could visit an independent book store. It carried mostly literary works and looked down its nose at genre fiction. Not surprisingly, it was the first to go out of business.
At the other end of the street was the book department of the local department store. The department store was slowly failing, as big box stores were able to sell goods for less. The book department was one of the last profitable departments. It hung on well after the store closed everything else.
The final book store, selling a mix of used and new books, relocated to the nearby Oakdale Mall. They hoped to find more customers. They didn’t.
The mall also had three bookstores. The new and used store, a Coles, and a Waldenbooks. Waldenbooks owned Coles (they bought the chain in 1984) and eventually closed it. The new and used store also closed, as it was not an inviting environment in which to shop.
That left Waldenbooks.
Taking classes to meet people
Being new to the area, my mom suggested I take some classes at the local continuing education school. I was sure to meet people.
I decided that I would take a class on how to write. At the time, I was hoping to find a nice young man with interest in science fiction. Instead, what I found was a gaggle of girls with an interest in romance. They wanted to start a writers group.
I wasn’t sure. After all, my first love was fantasy and science fiction. I also read romances, but pretty much only intrigues (suspense) or paranormal romances. So if I was going to write, I wanted to write fantasy and science fiction.
All my homework assignments in the class were fantasy or science fiction. But for some reason, the girls wanted me to join them, probably because I was carrying a romance to read while I waited for the classroom to open up.
The tragedy that led to my decision to become a writer
Okay, tragedy might be an overstatement. But it seemed that way at the time.
You see, I was a voracious reader. I routinely read 5–10 books a week. I’d polish off 3 or 4 on the weekend alone.
So when I went into Waldenbooks on a Monday evening to get my latest stash of books, I was desperate. I’d already read all the books I’d purchased the week before. And it had been pretty slim pickings then.
When I walked in, the clerk informed me that their last delivery had not contained fantasy or romance.
I looked at every book in the two sections. Anything vaguely interesting was something I’d already read. I wasn’t about to buy a book I wasn’t interested in just to have something to read.
“When’s your next shipment?” I asked.
If they were getting more books, I could hold out for one night.
“Thursday,” the clerk answered.
Thursday! That was three days with nothing to read! Torture!
I had no choice. If I wanted something to read, I’d have to write it myself.
So, I told the girls I’d join their group and sat down to write a romance novel.
Final thoughts
It took a lot longer than three days to write a book. And I discovered that being an author is a marvelous money saver. I only had time to read one book a week instead of ten.
I also started editing the Science Fiction Romance newsletter. My goal was to raise the visibility of my favorite genre. But this meant people sent me free books so that I would review them. Even more money saved.
We eventually got more bookstores. Barnes & Noble put in a store, then upgraded it to a superstore. Fat Cat Comics started carrying science fiction and fantasy books. (Although they had a regrettable lack of diversity. They assumed their clientele would not buy books written by women.)
Then Amazon arrived on the scene. Any time of day or night, I could browse for books. They would show up at my door within days.
In the early days, I bought more books from bn.com, since their distribution center was in NY, and I got books faster. Now, the Amazon distribution center is about a mile from my house, and I frequently get things the same day I order.
If Amazon had been on the scene in 1992, I would not have become a published author. Instead of being devastated by the prospect of three days with nothing new to read, I’d have shrugged. Then I would have gone home and ordered some books on Amazon.
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