In an effort to combat a certain online megastore from taking total control of the book world, I am going to initiate a program to interview book store owners and give them a bit of exposure on my Pat Bertram Introduces . . . blog, To do this, I will need questions to pose. Obviously, I will need to ask where their store is located, hours, directions so people can find them. I’ll also need to ask what sort of books they carry and if they special order.
Basic information like that gets boring after a while, so I need some exciting or at least fresh and interesting questions to ask.
For example:
What book do you wish would sell better?
What little-known book would you like to see make it big?
What is your reading preference?
As you can see, I am having a hard time coming up with interesting questions. If you were going to interview a book store owner, what would you ask? (Ask as a reader, I mean. I know what you’d like to ask as an author!) If you were reading such an interview, what would you like to know? If you are a book store owner, what would you like someone to ask?
Thank you for your help!
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Pat Bertram is the author of the suspense novels Light Bringer, More Deaths Than One, A Spark of Heavenly Fire, and Daughter Am I. Bertram is also the author of Grief: The Great Yearning, “an exquisite book, wrenching to read, and at the same time full of profound truths.” Connect with Pat on Google+. Like Pat on Facebook.
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April 20, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Why a bookstore? It might sound like a silly question, but in this economy & at a time when independent book stores battle for survival, it takes alot of passion, courage & possible sacrifice to run a bookstore. Did they inherit a family shop? Fall in love with books & dream of owning a bookstore? What?
Another: What makes your bookstore special?
What’s the hardest thing about running your shop? What’s the best thing? If you could invite any author for a book signing at your shop, who would you choose? What book is your greatest treasure & why?
Also give them a place to do a brief sales pitch & tell where to find/link to their store.
April 20, 2013 at 2:16 pm
Not a silly question at all! It’s exactly what I’m looking for. I’m sure readers would be interested in the answer.
April 20, 2013 at 12:46 pm
Ask why are bookstores relevant to the Internet age. That’s a thought-provoking question.
April 20, 2013 at 2:15 pm
I’ll add the question to my list. Thank you.
April 20, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Happy to help, Pat.
April 20, 2013 at 1:23 pm
Another fabulously good idea, Pat B.! Some indies do survive into the “new age.” How many happy hours I spent in little bookstores–now, no more. Browsing on computer just not the same, I’m afraid. have you got some candidates in your area?
April 20, 2013 at 2:15 pm
Juliet, there are no independent bookstores in my area, and I’m not about to take my ancient car with Korean-made tires (the only place that still makes tires for the vehicle) into big-city traffic. I’ll do the interviews the way I do all my interviews — online — though I will send the invitation via regular mail. Seems fitting, somehow.
April 20, 2013 at 4:19 pm
I’d like to ask why so many local bookstores won’t even consider Indie authors – especially when they are approached with books that are professionally done and well-received – you would think the stores would want the chance at a niche market and the readers we could bring in – and being able to offer something the big stores can’t – but it doesn’t seem to be the case …