Awards and Shelf Space -

Shelf space.

It’s something many newer writers clamor for.

They want to see their books on bookstore shelves. Oh, the honor! Oh, the delight!

Well, one ‘bookstore’ is offering that opportunity—for a price.

The Reading Glass Books is selling shelf space for six months at…$350. You can find out more about this ‘opportunity’ on the Writer Beware website here:

https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2021/12/a-pay-to-play-bookstore-scheme-reading.html

(And after reading I hope you’ll laugh hysterically and shake your head)

But, I don’t want to talk about why a bookstore is soliciting writers by phone, why they’re even selling shelf space or even the other businesses this ‘bookstore’ offers writers.

No, I want to talk about shelf space and why writers are still so enamored with it at a time of enormous change.

Bookstores are wonderful places (I love bookstores and libraries and…you get the picture), but bookstores are not the only places where people buy books, especially nowadays.

Which leads me to the Grammy Awards (just follow along I’ll make the connection in a minute.)

Awards—and most notably award shows—are not what they used to be. In the past (twenty years ago, maybe?) they garnered more attention. An award for a musician meant more attention, name recognition, possibly more sales, not so much anymore.

So, when a musician like Drake, whose music you may not know (millions don’t) or even care for (ditto) withdraws his nominations from the Grammy Awards ballot, it’s clear he knows how the life of a creator works today. And he puts it out there for others to follow by saying:

“You already won if you have people singing your songs word for word, if they’re singing in your hometown. You’re already winning, you don’t need this right here.”

Shelf space, competing to get on lists, paying to rack up awards and reviews are fine if you want to stay on that merry-go-round, but if you have libraries adding your work to their digital shelves for their eCollection, bookstores ordering (not necessarily stocking) your book because readers are requesting them, or if you have a reader reaching out to you directly and asking what you’re working on next?

You’ve won.

Celebrate that.