Print books, literary events, special editions, and bookstores. By now, you’ll recognize that one of my themes for the year (will this end up in my top ten trends of the year? Is this a spoiler alert?) has been the power of analog.
ALLi News Editor, Dan Holloway
I will confess that one aspect surprised me against this background: in the Written Word Media survey I reported on in depth a few days ago, live events and Kickstarter were rated very low as successful marketing strategies by indie authors. I am always open to letting facts change my opinion, so I am revising my thoughts in light of that. But as a counterbalance, I wanted to feature the two stories I have today.
The Return of Midnight Bookstore Openings
First up is a fascinating piece in Publishers Weekly about one of my absolute favorite things: midnight bookstore openings. I have long been one of those who would be first in line to get my hands on something I was excited about, all the way back to lining up for Kundera’s Immortality and Thomas Harris’ Hannibal as a student. And without putting too fine a point on it, who doesn’t fantasize about an all-night lock-in at a bookshop? These events intersect with midnight book parties. As the article points out, these became a “thing” when the Harry Potter books hit their peak around the time of the release of Goblet of Fire.
It seems we are now seeing this tradition move beyond its roots in young adult fiction as adults prove they haven’t lost their sense of fun and adventure (or the thrill of staying up late). Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo and Haruki Murakami’s The City and Its Uncertain Walls are the latest titles cited for midnight events. I remember a few years ago being part of a special all-night celebration of Murakami’s 1Q84, and it was a truly magical experience.
Indie-Friendly Literary Festivals
The second story is about literary festivals. There has been widespread concern in the UK about the future of these events following the high-profile withdrawal of sponsors Baillie Gifford. But it seems smaller festivals are thriving. Having been part of several of these, many with a much more indie-inclusive atmosphere than their larger counterparts, this strikes me as very welcome news indeed.
