Choice Is King

The April 2010 issue of Quill & Quire (Canada's Magazine of Book News & Reviews) is now out.

Quill & Quire is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year and the latest issue is a special Anniversary Issue.

Following the theme of "75" Q&Q asked publishing professionals to share their thoughts on how to improve the industry. I was delighted and honoured when editor Stuart Woods contacted me a month or so ago asking me for a bookseller's perspective.

The 7.5 POV's included in the article entitled "7.5 Ideas for Fixing Canadian Publishing" are from Patrick Crean, the publisher of Thomas Allen, Dan Wagstaff, sales and online marketing rep for Raincoast Books, Mark Bertils, co-organizer of BookCamp Toronto, Julie Wilson, curator of SeenReading.com and former online content developer for House of Anansi Press, Craig Riggs, a partner in the Turner-Riggs consulting firm and adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University and Peter Waldock, president of North 49 Books. (The .5 is a cute "little thing" that the Q&Q staff collaborated on adding called "Don't be a buzz-kill")

First of all -- wow, I get to "hang out" with some pretty sharp bookish peeps. That alone is a huge honour and reminds me of just how lucky I am to have a job where I get to interact with such great minds.

Second, the article is an intriguing mix of viewpoints and perspectives that will hopefully give people within our publishing and bookselling industry some good food for thought.

Third -- my topic area within the article covers the concept of "Choice is King" and encourages booksellers and publishers to be as inclusive as possible in their thoughts, plans and actions when it comes to maintaining relevance in the hearts and minds of their customers and ensuring customers have easy access to the great products and services that are offered, particularly as our industry struggles to properly embrace digital technology and how it not only changes, but ultimately enhances the game.

So, a quick thank-you to Quill & Quire for asking me to submit my thoughts, as well as a fond and congratulatory Happy 75th Anniversary!