(Posted March 20, 2011)
OK. Those of you who know me, know I’m a “wannbe”. I grew up surrounded by Finns. Consequently, I find myself writing stories about Finnish Americans, Finnish Canadians, and real honest-to-goodness Finnish Finns. Heck, my novel, Suomalaiset is even being sold in the Academic Bookstore in downtown Helsinki. Stockmann’s (a major department store) owns the place and has a few copies of my weighty novel on hand for Finns (or tourists) who are interested in what a Slovenian/Welch/Dutch/German/English/Irish/French American mutt thinks about all things Finnish.
Anyway, the most recent edition of The New World Finn (http://www.kantele.com/nwfwebsite/index.html) has a well-written article by Sargit Warriner (Spring, 2011; p. 22) which details a conversation the author had with strangers about books, publishing, and Helsinki’s Academic Bookstore during the intermission of a symphony concert. Sargit makes a great point about the value of printed books versus the new wave of e-reading technology that’s being unleashed into the world. In the article, she describes confronting an impulse to buy her husband a new e-reader (as a gift) but opts instead for a hardcover version of a new book by his favorite writer. She concludes (and her view is supported by the folks she’s talking to at the symphony) that a bound book makes a more lasting, personal gift. She then goes on to discuss the history of the Academic Bookstore and its remarkable building. It seems that in Helsinki (and all over Finland) reading is still very much alive, though whether small independent bookstores (or even large bookstores affiliated with major department stores) can co-exist with technology remains, I think, an open question,whether the store is in Helsinki or Duluth.
In contrast to the vibrant literary culture Ms. Warriner describes in her article, Duluth’s authors and readers recently lost a beloved institution: Northern Lights Books and Gifts. So, before I continue, I’d like to make this pitch: When you’re considering buying books, please visit Sally and her staff at the Bookstore at Fitger’s (the city’s last independent bookstore) before going online or elsewhere to make your purchases. I’d hate for Duluth to lose the last vestige of commercial freedom we have in this town when it comes to the written word.
Now, I understand: The digital revolution is here to stay. In fact, you can find my books on Kindle (if you’re of that ilk). Despite this modest digital presence, I’m struggling (as a self-published author) to figure out how to make my little press viable. One of the things I may be forced to do is sell the Kindle versions of my subsequent books at “fire sale” prices to find a broader audience for my work. I know I’m not alone. Other writers doing what I do are facing this same decision: To digitize or not to digitize. But going digital doesn’t mean I’ll abandon the old ways of putting a book together. Paper and ink are for me, still the preferred vehicles to convey my ideas, thoughts, and stories unto the world. But, as times change, so must I. Today, publish or perish means more than simply creating a great read in print: It means putting your book out in formats that young folks raised in a digital age will buy.
That having been said (and as the NWF article points out) brick and mortar bookstores provide a physical (versus a theoretical or an atmospherical) space where authors and readers can come together for readings, signings, and discussions. Ms. Warriner points out very clearly that interactions between readers and authors at the Academic Bookstore are major cultural events that draw folks to downtown Helsinki. So, even in a world organized in neat rows of 1’s and 0’s there exists a place for me, for you, to come together and talk about the message I, the writer, thought I was conveying to you and the message you, the reader, thought you received. In the end, I hope, despite the significant changes being experienced in the world of books and bookstores, you and I can keep meeting and talking and enjoying each others’ company whether I’m ever named an honorary citizen of Finland or not!
Peace.
Mark
