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What Would You Want in an Independent Christian Bookstore?
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That is a very real idea(:I like it Summer!!
However that is tough... Definitely a Christian Biography section(:
I've got a secular bookstore/coffee shop near me that's done just that, focus mainly on Indie books. I think it's a good idea, but it is hard going.
Summer wrote: "I wonder if an independent Christian bookstore could survive on books alone, without the gifts that take up so much space?" Back in the 70s, I was acquainted with the operators of a small-town Christian bookstore (sponsored by a church). Like other stores of this type, they carried a lot of "holy hardware" (Christian-themed gift items), and that accounted for most of their income. (Even so, the income wasn't enough, and the store was ultimately closed.) That's the only real empirical data I can bring to the subject. :-(The challenge for bookstores is that only a small percentage of the general population buys paper books in brick and mortar stores. To survive, they need to appeal to as much of that base as possible. But CBA (Christian Booksellers Assn.) stores, by policy, limit their appeal to a small segment of that base --the part of the Christian community that limits its reading to strictly sanitized works that mirror the evangelical subculture without critiquing it. In most communities, that's not a viable base, and the limited selection of books tends to turn off and alienate other potential customers.
Personally, I'd like to see an independent bookstore owned by Christians and operated on Christian principles, stocking material which isn't pornographic and nihilistic, but judging what books to carry on their overall merits rather than by the letter of proscribed content codes. (It wouldn't have to bill itself as a "Christian bookstore" to have my support; the owners of Chick-Fil-a and Hobby Lobby, for instance, run their businesses on Christian principles and deliver quality service to their communities without having to label themselves as a "Christian restaurant" or a "Christian craft supply store.") I'd like to see such a store open to carrying independent authors, and with a mission to carry both fiction and nonfiction that addressed relevant issues in authentic ways, that spoke to both Christians and non-Christians and challenged them to think more deeply, be better people, and be more open to the working of God in their lives and their world.
A Christian supernatural fiction section would be great! (That kind of fiction, of course, is spurned by CBA stores. :-( ) But I'd also like to see wholesome secular fiction. And I'd like to see a strong children's book section, and to see the bookstore actively work (either on its own, or in partnership with other entities in the community) to encourage reading and literacy, for both kids and adults.
The trouble with a bookstore saying that it only sells books that address relevant issues, is that Christians patronising it would probably want to know if they adhered to Christian values, and that is a problem, as everyone seems to have a different opinion on what that means. Does it mean no bad language, for instance, or are words like 'hell' and 'damn' okay? (I couldn't put my trilogy up on one clean reads website because I used both of these words). Then, how much violence is too much? Are you allowed to mention that married couples are having sex? Can you have a scene of them in bed when it's clear they've just had sex even if it's not described? Some people will object to that. Look at how sanitised some Christian reads are. There's nothing even remotely bad in some of them, to such an extent that the Christian characters in them often present unrealistic role models!
Any bookstore that did this would probably need to nail down exactly how far they would go in each scenario and even then, some still wouldn't like it.
These are all helpful ideas to consider. One of the advantages of being independent is that we could go for upbuilding messages/meaningful books rather than CBA guidelines. I think small press and Indie focus would have the advantage of flexibility in stock. I've seen models where authors pay for a certain amount of shelf space in 3 month chunks, models where untested authors sell on consignment, and models that focused on book clubs/discussion groups with a cover charge at the cafe in order to make ends meet. Unless the store was called The Weaker Brethren, I doubt that one would have to sanitize every word of a book with a strong redemptive message.
One of the reasons I publish with a non-CBA small press is that they are open to a wider range and depth of experiences. The family that owns the press is deeply faithful (several generations missionaries), but they have the missionaries' savvy of knowing how to communicate the Gospel with the world around them.
I love the idea of a large children's section, especially since Christian children's books can be tough to find.
Thanks, y'all. Any other ideas?
Lynne wrote: "The trouble with a bookstore saying that it only sells books that address relevant issues, is that Christians patronising it would probably want to know if they adhered to Christian values, and tha..."To clarify, I didn't mean to suggest that I'd want a bookstore to only sell books that addressed relevant issues; but I'd like to see that kind of book as something they made a point to include in their stock. Lynne, I agree with what you wrote, including the fact that some Christians would be offended if they thought a "Christian" bookstore's content standards were too lax. (That's why I'm not wedded to the idea of using the label "Christian" for a bookstore; it suggests, to some people, an image that's more uptight and restricted than what will, as Summer said, "communicate the Gospel with the world.")
Summer, if you ever start your store, it sounds like a place where I might like to shop! You wouldn't consider building it here in Bluefeld, would you? :-)
I think it'll be awesome if there is a little area to sit and read, maybe with a small cafe. You can have book clubs meet there, or even bible studies or discipleship. (I suppose that might discourage people from actually buying the books and end up just sitting there, but it could also encourage more people to come and visit the store)You could also sell things that are not necessarily books, but helpful for book-lovers! (bookmarks, tote bags, journals, book stands, book quotes, etc)
I think your idea is a great one. What if you had a section of used books? Many patrons would love to bring in used books to sell and many more would love to buy them. We have a local bookstore, though its not necessarily Christian, that does this. They sell new and used books, and they seem to be doing very well.
Tosh, I think that's definitely a good idea for any bookstore! Our local independent secular bookstore has a used book section (and has had it as long as they've been open, which is over ten years).
What Would I Want in an Independent Christian Bookstore?That it would exist somewhere near my town so I could go buy books there :(
P.T.L.
Tosh wrote: "I think your idea is a great one. What if you had a section of used books? Many patrons would love to bring in used books to sell and many more would love to buy them. We have a local bookstore, th..."That's a cool idea.
Affordable
- I understand business overhead, but when I go into Christian book stores, the only things I can afford are in the discount sections. Many of these titles, I already have.
I wonder if an independent Christian bookstore could survive on books alone, without the gifts that take up so much space? Some friends and I have considered opening a bookstore that specializes in small presses and well-screened Indie books. We would have a Christian section for books of course.
But I wonder, if one wanted to open a Christian bookstore, what would you look for? Obviously there'd need to be a Christian Supernatural Fiction section! And Bibles/Bible study. But what genres would you want if you went to such a store? I'd love to hear your thoughts.