In this day and age of the big-box bookstore, eBooks, and sites like Amazon it’s hard for the normal brick-and-mortar bookstore to compete. In terms of pricing it’s nigh on impossible to compete. In order to keep the customers coming in the store has to provide a service that a huge store like Barnes-and-Noble or Amazon can’t. The major service, in my opinion, is a sense of community. I mentioned this in my previous article about comic book stores and the advent of digital comic distribution, and it holds true for all bookstores. The release of the final Scott Pilgrim book shows how a bookstore can build a sense of community. Stores all over North America held parties to celebrate the release. At midnight on release day copies were being handed out.
I went to a book release party for this in Toronto, which was organized by The Beguiling, the bookstore where Mr Lee-O’Malley worked while he began the series. I’d never been to a book release party before. I know that many bookstores held them for the release of the Harry Potter books, but I avoided those. The two bars and the restaurant closest to The Beguiling also got in on the act, hosting parties, having DJ’s playing the soundtrack for the forthcoming movie, and holding costume contests. By most accounts about 2000 people showed up. The street was completely shut down from about 9pm until midnight, when the book was actually released. There were fans of the series wandering, having fun, lots were dressed up as characters. The only time I have ever seen this kind of anticipation of a book release was for the later Harry Potter novels. This was the same atmosphere, but with fewer pointy hats and most of the attendees were able to drink.
