'For Love OR Money Cannot Be the Question'

Shelf Awareness

Pam Grath

"A terrible and dangerous cultural myth has grown up around independent bookstores. The myth tells people that booksellers don't want or need to sell books because all they want is to spend time around other people who love books and talk to people about books they love.

"THIS MYTH NEEDS BUSTING!

"Employees clock in and out and get paychecks. Business owners do not.... Librarians are on salary; I am not. When I'm in my bookshop, I'm at work, and my work is selling books. Yes, of course I love conversation about books with customers in my shop. It just can't be an either/or proposition--either talk or sell books--because if I'm forced to that choice, another follows directly on its heels: selling books or closing the door.... We booksellers may be dreamers, but we live in the real world, too. Please feel free to join us there."

--Pamela Grath, owner of Dog Ears Books, Northport, Mich., in a blog post headlined "For Love OR Money Cannot Be the Question"