A few years ago, I worked at a bookstore. My first day was more than I’d imagined. As a kid, I dreamed of being surrounded by books. That felt like home to me. Decades later, I stepped inside the store, and in a sense, I came home. Turning in every direction to see stacks and rows of somewhat chaotic and neat aisles, gave me sheer excitement. Oh, the adventures I would have, in the center of many brilliant and creative minds.
Carefully placing these masterpieces on the shelf, seeing writer friends books on display, and sharing my favorites titles and authors with customers was the dream. I had thought about these things, and how it would be to work at a bookstore for months before I started my job.
My manager had told me stories about “regulars” who came in once a week, on a Monday. The same time everyday. I anticipated seeing this.
On the following Monday, I got to work, ready to greet this lovely couple into our store. They were an elderly couple. Visiting the bookstore came after paying bills, a trip to the post office, and grocery shopping. Once their errands were completed, they would have a few hours to visit. They took time buying a book for each other. This couple, put thought into their purchase and stayed for two hours, walking every aisle, laughing, giggling, and reading the first page of multiple books. It was the experience they enjoyed most, not something to rush through because they knew this new book would become a close friend. Holding hands, they walked to the register and proudly placed their items on the counter. They left with new treasures, a happy heart, and a promise to come back the following week.
Everyday, book lovers came in with a smile and left with an even bigger one. I got a giant hug from a woman who desperately wanted to find, Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, for her book club read. She’d been three places, and it had been sold out. We happened to have not only that one copy but the whole series. She squealed and thanked me repeatedly. An older gentleman called to ask me for every book I could find in hardcover of The Hardy Boys, starting at sixty-six on up.
When I told him I had sixty-seven in the store and could get him the rest, he laughed with such excitement. His inner child held fond memories of this collection. A lady in her mid-twenties, came in to discuss with me her passion for philosophy and the power of the mind. We had a very in-depth heart to heart conversation about religion, the world, and our views on mind-set. She left with ten books that day, all by different authors. A mother of three sat in the picture book section for an hour, reading page after page, with a smile, a tear, or a laugh out loud moment. She couldn’t pick just one, and with that bought twenty books.
So many lovely people talked to me about their favorite characters. They mentioned to me that they think about what that character would do when faced with a tough decision. I giggled and expressed how I did the same.
Writing.
Sharing stories.
It makes a difference.
Readers love the books they hold in their hands. They're valued treasures and friends. Most of the time, they become longtime friends.
No one is ever asking me for the same title. EVER.
Western American History.
Gritty Horror Fiction.
A humorous picture book with a pig.
Vegan cookbooks
Mystery in space for a 8-10 boy.
How to build confidence books for young girls.
Some customers knew exactly what they wanted and needed. They knew their section and darted straight over to it. Others, went to experience the store. Many times I heard, “I didn’t plan enough time
today. I’m going to come back when I have more time to enjoy myself.” It’s not just a purchase when you’re buying a book; it’s an adventure. A time to escape and enjoy the moment of finding a new gem. I gained a whole new list of books to read that cherished customers recommended, and I gave them recommendations on books I adored and cherished.
Readers are waiting for your stories. They ask for different genres and love all types of characters. Readers want characters they can relate to, that reach them to the very core. A world that takes them somewhere else and emotion that brings feelings out of them, that they didn’t even know were there.
It is important.
Being a writer is an amazing thing to be.
If you forgot this, go to a bookstore and take time going up and down the aisles. Smell the books and touch the pages. Pick some off the shelf and hold them in your hands. Think about why you write. Think about the messages and thoughts that stir in you, that want to be heard. Sit on the floor, and be the reader. Allow yourself to feel, to escape, and to enjoy the journey with the character inside the book you’re holding.
Promise to come back and visit again. And go home. Sit at your computer, and write, but write for you.
-Lauri Schoenfeld-
