Into the Fire

What if? My best guess is that Saturday is the busiest day of the week for most Christian bookstores. It has been in my experience. During the week, shopping can be erratic and sporadic. Often unpredictable. Saturday is notorious for retail busy-ness. So, what if the major Christian publishers sent teams to the Christian bookstores to push, well—show off—their products? Walked the narrow aisles, set up a table, actually TALKED to book buyers? What if? Maybe at the beginning of December, the marketing teams could split up with a suitcase load of product—or perhaps pre-shipped product—and on a prearranged date converge on the retail scene to chat up their books? Have a sample of different genres, have a sign-up for the publisher’s newsletters, hold a drawing for a book? Why not?

My guess is store managers could accommodate them with a table and covering and most anything else within reason requested by the team—or a solo representative to the smaller stores. There, in person, the publishing rep(s) could show shoppers how they do actually have novels written for men—as in husbands who traipse through the secular smut to read a good story. In person they could show their fantasy fiction for the young and “old” alike. In person they could lead the reader to the particular genre which most interests the consumer and feature new lesser known authors in that category.

Serve cookies, or chocolate, or cider, or punch, or coffee, or tea. Make it an all day gig. Why not? Have the store advertise the event and talk it up to their customers, explaining how they can ask questions and find out new information on perhaps their favorite authors. And you know what? The representatives might actually learn something from doing business and hanging out with real readers. The reps can ask the readers questions and hear the variety of answers—because I still maintain the stats don’t tell it all. They just don’t factor in the human element. Or hear the behind-the-scenes reasons for selecting particular books. It would increase the information, perhaps point to regional trends or preferences or differences.

Now I know every store can’t be visited. There are expenses involved in carrying out a plan like this. But, hey, a lot of marketing attempts have not succeeded over the years and have probably cost a lot more than a few weekend trips for a couple of marketers getting down with the money-paying customers, you know?

Father, I lift up those who are called to market books. I pray that above all else, they seek after you and your direction and inspiration. Apart from you, they can do nothing. I pray for those authors who have marketing savvy—that you would continue to give them fresh ideas for themselves and others. For those writers like myself who find it so difficult to point to my own work and say: Buy this!—that you would lead me in your ways, show me what I need to do because I want to do it for you. Please help me, and help us all in this writing endeavor. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.