And for my Next Book. . .

I’m back — Page Punditing. It’s early January, and a new year. And this month’s book is. . .

Nothing.

I work retail, and we just finished the Holiday rush. That didn’t leave much time for reading, so I haven’t finished my homework. Sorry teacher!

With the exception of the Janet Mock book (which was generously provided by my most excellent editor,) I provide my own books for this column. I buy them — I read them. As most people know, as of this writing, I work in a large chain book store. That helps a lot in this endeavor. However, it also brings me to my Point.

In the store where work, there is an LGBT section. It’s about one shelf. Of those, four are about trangender topics. This doesn’t count the Jennifer Finney Boylan books and Janet Mock books, which are primarily in Biography. Of course, there are many other books that could be ordered, but they aren’t on the shelf.

Why aren’t they on the shelf? Why is there only one shelf?

That’s simple — it’s all about demand. Everything in the store is stocked by how much a given topic/book sells. So, if no one buys them or asks for them, they don’t get shelf space. QED. The chain book store on Walnut street in Philly has an entire bay of LGBT books, as more people buy them there.

“That’s ok — I’ll order them from Amazon.”

Bookstores, especially independent bookstores, are fighting for their lives. They need every sale they can get. It’s simple — when it comes to book stores, Use them or Lose them. If people don’t buy from a given store, it will go out of business. That means it won’t be there — a place to browse, find books you’d never have seen otherwise, relax, meet friends, etc. The store where I work has many regulars, some of whom come in every day and hang out, chatting in the café.

Try chatting on Amazon.

I digress.

There are many wonderful books on LGBT topics, and many fantastic LGBT authors, and these books deserve shelf space. How do get them this shelf space? Go into your local friendly book store . . . and buy LGBT books. If you have all the books a given store has on its shelf — order a new one. Usually once a book is sold, it is often re-ordered for the shelf. And so a section grows.

I have my next book lined up — I bought it in December. I ordered it in at my store, and another copy was ordered and is on the shelf. Every book I’ve reviewed so far is currently on the shelf at the store where I work, as are the books I reviewed in my blog. Maybe they are on the bookshelf at your local store. If they’re not . . . ASK FOR THEM!

Okay, I’ll get off my soap box. I have a book to read.

Be well.

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Tags: featured, opinion, Transgender

Category: Transgender Opinion