What’s not to like about being in a bookshop? It was extra enjoyable today as I got lucky and could visit two, Waterstones the large chainstore that most of us are familiar with and an independent shop. The Feminist Bookshop Brighton is a small independent bookshop, just out of town. I had been meaning to go since moving to the area a few months back. So here I was and all in the purpose of education!

The Feminist Bookshop

I was interested in seeing how this bookshop presented itself, and marketed it’s stock compared to Waterstones. My visit was an opportunity to look for a book that I had been researching. The bookshop is cosy; I felt like I was in the room of a favourite sister who had a fantastic library. Sadly, the downside of this was I couldn’t find the book I wanted to buy, Things We See In The Dark, which came out in 2019, was not obviously for sale. With the help of the person working in the shop, I found it in a tall shelf unit mixed with horror, fantasy, and dystopian fiction. I would never have found it without help. By contrast, the new Jeanette Winterson collection of short stories, Night Side of the River, had prime front window position.

The Power of Advertising

The prime advertising of Jeanette Winterson’s collection led me to purchase the book. It was a book I had not intended buying, I hadn’t even heard of it! I had been seduced by the title, a fantastic front cover, and, of course, the author. An extra book to be added to my ‘to be read’ pile. The name of the author was the first thing that grabbed my attention when I saw the book. Coincidentally, it was also in the genre that I was exploring, short stories on ghosts and hauntings. It was as thought the book shop knew I was visiting!

What makes me buy a book?

I suspect it isn’t hard for writers to buy books. If you are like me, it’s an obsession. Recommendations from friends or reviewers are likely to send me to the bookshop. Once I’m there, the choosing of a book involves other things. I am drawn to the book as a visual object. It needs to look visually appealing and to have the ‘right’ feel. If I don’t like the feel, the paper, or the font, it goes back on the shelf!   The challenge highlighted today is that you must work hard to find books by lesser known authors. You are reliant on people who work in the shop knowing their stock and by giving yourself plenty of time to browse.