The News That's Fit to Print

The death of the printed word by way of the e-reader and e-books has been an oft-repeated trope in the publishing industry for years. This year, they’re singing a different tune: independent bookstore sales nationwide are up five percent from 2017, while e-book sales have dipped nearly four percent in the same timeframe. It’s good news for some independent bookstores in South Louisiana, too.

Missy Couhig, who opened The Conundrum Books & Puzzles in St. Francisville in 2015, has definitely seen the writing on the wall, even beyond five percent. “Actually, since opening in late 2015, our shop has seen about a ten percent increase in sales each year and this appears to be holding true as we approach our third anniversary in early December,” said Couhig.

LeeAnna Callon, General Manager of Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, said that while their store has always had a steady level of community support from their Oak Street neighborhood, she has seen upticks in certain areas. “We sell used books as well, but I’ve noticed we’ve sold a lot more new books and new releases this year,” said Callon.

Tom Lowenburg, owner of Octavia Books in the West Riverside area of New Orleans, didn’t have his sales figures in front of him at the time, but he hasn’t seen any loss of interest in his independent bookstore. “I think a lot of people never left,” said Lowenburg. “Books will always be a favorite gift to give.”

Cottonwood Books, however, has not seen the book-buying trend spread to Baton Rouge. Owner Danny Plaisance said if there has been an upward sales trend, it’s not a dramatic one. “I don’t know that I’m a believer in that trend,” said Plaisance. “I have not seen evidence of it and I know others who haven’t either.”

As far as the downtrend of e-books, Lowenburg isn’t surprised. “There’s a whole process involved in how you select a book that doesn’t apply to e-books. There’s been a lot written about books being tactile, and how that works with memory. A book is a marvelous invention in itself. E-books are not real books; they don’t satisfy in the same way. We have offered e-books on our website and we’ve seen that our customers preferred the real thing.” 

Similarly, Callon feels that actual books offer a break from the screens we look at every day. “Screens are so prevalent with everything,” said Callon. “People have to work on computers, use tiny computers in their pockets every day, and I imagine it’s a nice break to get back to books.” 

Couhig agreed that too much phone and tablet use is bringing people back to the printed word, but noted that experiencing a bookstore brings a particular joy. “Humans crave connections with other humans, and going to a bookstore like ours, chatting about books, and sharing books gives people that sense of community and connectedness that they need. At our bookstore, you often have an opportunity join a book club, or to meet the authors of books and have them sign the book. It is awfully hard for an author to sign your tablet.”