Hopes For A New Dawn For Malaysian Bookselling

Several organisations in the Malaysian bookselling and book-publishing sectors were interviewed in this article in theSun regarding the closure of bookstores in the past few years and some trends in reading and book-buying.

The article has a hopeful tone and ends on a positive note. But how will bookstores capitalise on the supposedly growing print leadership, the quality of what's being read notwithstanding? What would they need to do to remain viable? Growing big may not be the answer as prices of books and the costs of running a bookstore keep rising, placing hurdles before the ambitions of the next mega bookstore.

Could one answer lie in being small instead? Instead of one or two major book emporiums, maybe a scattering of smaller bookstores all over, serving local patrons and their specific tastes and doubling as a community centre, where locals advertise rooms to let and more, organise local events and fundraisers, and spotlight products by micro industries?

I don't want to see the end of the brick-and-mortar bookstore in my lifetime. A good chunk of my life revolved around bookstores. They supported my hobbies and several became my haunts. One gave me a job. Some from my generation onwards don't feel that connection to many bookstores (any more), and I don't blame them. With the economy and the currency the way they are, staying afloat is taking all they have.

No hate for big bookstores. I just feel that in the current economic climate, they make less sense and are tougher to run. A mega bookstore that only offers a wide range of books and stationery won't get far. Also, BookXcess has a different business model that lets it sell books for cheaper, so I doubt we can compare it with other bookstore chains, and the falling ringgit has raised its prices too – been to its recent Big Bad Wolf sale?

Like small bookstores that end up catering to a community, megastores can be a high-profile platform to jump-start local literary initiatives through author events, readings, book launches and such. Having other non-book-related activities: micro-bazaars, career talks, blood donation and charity drives, etc., might make a bookstore more welcoming and more of a communal space rather than just a market for books. Bookstore chains can also hold pop-ups with targeted selections for where they are set up, especially in neighbourhoods without their outlets.

Instead of agonising over how much a promo will cost and what can be earned from sales, maybe just do it? That's how the smaller outfits lift their profile, because they are nimble enough to adjust and take risks to draw more people. Plus, their brands may not warrant protection, unlike those of established chains. The goodwill from such side projects accumulate silently and the results may take a while to manifest but if "everything" has been tried, what else is left?

Of course, bookstore-goers should reciprocate when the stores do their darnedest for them. Incidents of book vandalism, theft, and rubbish left on bookstore shelves demonstrate just how little regard some people have for bookstores and books. Such behaviour has no place in any book culture. While bookstores do have an obligation to their patrons, the sanctity of the store and the stock must be respected too.

Malaysia is still some distance away from having a book culture it can be proud of, but it'll get there.