My
family and I recently embarked on a family vacation that logged 1,140 miles by
way of our Buick Enclave. No, this post is not about how I paid over $5 a
gallon in Toronto or how our gas-guzzler separated $220 from my wallet just to
fill up the tank a few times. But our road trip made me aware of the power of road signs and I pondered its potential impact on book publishing.
When
you are driving long distances there’s little to see but traffic, the
repetitive ROAD markings and the non-descriptive terrain filling the roadside.
Occasionally the elements, such as nightfall or bad weather, add to the
adventure of hauling across the highway.
But
one thing you are sure to zero in on is road signs, especially when you need
gas, want food or feel the urge to rest. Most of the signs show generic things --
but sometimes they advertise a specific brand, such as McDonald’s. I didn’t see
any signs that said “Bookstore” or “Newsstand.”
Perhaps
while traveling, an establishment that sells books is not as vital as one
selling food, water, fuel, or lodging, but nevertheless, wouldn’t it be nice to
see some signs encouraging the consumption of books?
For all the miles I traveled, from Westchester, New York to Toronto, Canada --and back-some 5.5 million feet -- I didn’t see a single sign touting the selling of books. I think, because it doesn’t yet exist, a bookstore that is positioned in the middle of nowhere (by the highway), could do well.
It
would provide a mental reprieve from the mindlessness of the road. Instead of
playing “Let’s look for cops while I exceed 80mph,” you can take a
much-deserved respite from staring onto the conveyer-belt blacktop and
nourish the brain and soul with any of the billions of words echoing in the
corridors of a roadside bookstore.
Maybe
because it hasn’t been done -- at least not on the roads I’ve ever been on -- it’s a
sign that the idea won’t work. After all, people who drive on the highway are
trying to go from points A to B -- and only stop out of reluctant need- use a
restroom, fuel up, or fill an empty belly. Why would they stop to shop or read?
Because
Americans need stimulation. I think if you build it, they will come. I know I
would.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter.
You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him
at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the
third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013
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