National Buy A Book Day (Credit to Barbara Vey)

It's no big surprise to anyone that the economy sucks. Occasionally, I wish I could find a rock large enough to hide under so I wouldn't be quite so aware of this.

 

Publishing, once thought to be recession proof (ha, like the idiots who called Titanic unsinkable, most likely--if we learn nothing else, can we please acknowledge now that NOTHING is recession proof?), is struggling along with everyone else. October was a bad, bad month. Layoffs, publishers closing, horrible quarterly results, etc. 

 

I bring this up because Linnea Sinclair sent me a link to a blog that not only explained why this is the case but also gave us a way to do something about it.  How refreshing. Not just a rehashing of what exactly is screwed up and how terrible it is, but a way to feel like you're doing something to make it better.

 

And it's simple, really. If you love books, buy a book this week. I know we're all watching our budgets very closely. Myself included. I was a three or four book a week junkie, and right now, I'm hitting the library so hard I actually had to change libraries (long story) to get more selection. But I'm buying a book this week. (I'm so excited--it's been so long!) Doesn't even matter what kind, just buy a book.

 

If you find it hard to buy a book for yourself, buy a book for a holiday gift.  Nothing says Happy Holidays like a hardcover! :)

 

I want publishers to be able to continue taking risks on new authors and not just for my own selfish purposes, either. I love nothing more than discovering a new voice, a new name to seek out on the shelves.

 

Also, check out Barbara Vey's blog, About Her Book, which focuses on this topic today as well.