by Catherine Dilts
So much commerce is taking place online via the faceless
ether that there is a special phrase for businesses with a physical presence:
Brick-and-Mortar. These folks employ your neighbors. They benefit your
community.
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| A brick-and-mortar bookstore in Colorado Springs |
People like to rail against the ubiquitous Big A. Then
purchase from that company everything from pet food to toilet paper to birthday gifts to tools,
receiving the telltale packages on their doorsteps. And yes, books. I will
confess I read a lot of e-books on my Kindle.
I’m trying to change my ways. If I can purchase an item from
a local business, I need to support my neighbors with my dollars.
As a new author, my daughter Merida Bass craved seeing her
books in an actual shop. I’d been down that road years ago, and hadn’t gotten
much traction. Enter an ambitious Millennial, and voila, her books are in a
brick-and-mortar bookstore.
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| The Apple of My Eye by Merida Bass |
Since we co-author two series (The Ninja Grandparent Placement Mysteries and the YA Tapestry Tales series), I feel no shame riding on her swift-moving coattails. After she secured shelf space in Basecamp Books and Adventure, I contacted the owner about bringing in my Rose Creek Mystery series.
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| Image by Basecamp Books and Adventure |
Here’s good news: savvy bookstores support local authors. Chances are good that they'll carry the work of writers in their area. Basecamp Books and Adventure took our novels on consignment.
The flip side? These shops need our support in return. I ordered my book club’s monthly selections from this friendly bookstore.
