By the Way ...

... Can I just say, to the folks at the American Booksellers Association who had some rather unkind things to say about me, particularly after I repeatedly predicted the coming merger between Barnes & Noble and Borders --

Told ya so.

Barnes and Noble eyeing Borders bid

It's okay, though. I'm sure the ABA will prove to be very effective at keeping indie bookstores open around the U.S.

That is, of course, if they:

• get their heads out of their rear-ends,
• fire their top execs,
• and stop just PRETENDING that they're doing something.

The regional booksellers associations are where the industry's real brains are.

Some of 'em, anyway.

Update

I know some folks still check in here from time to time, so I thought I should post an update.

Yeah, Bookstore Tourism is STILL on hold. And I STILL don't know if I'll get back to it at some point. Honestly, it doesn't seem likely. I've moved on.

I'm glad to know, though, that there are people around the country still doing bookstore road trips. It's great that the idea continues to move forward.

As for me, I have a few projects in the works, but the main thing I'm doing these days is writing a screenplay. I'm about 100 pages into what should be about a 130-page script. And damn if it isn't turning out to be REALLY GOOD. (Yeah, they all say that, but you'll see soon enough. And no, it has nothing to do with bookstores.)

This'll sound silly, but when I was 15 I was a fan of the TV show "Starsky and Hutch." I'd already been writing for a couple of years at that point, so I decided to write a script for the show and send it in. It was single-spaced, and it was on blue typing paper that my dad had lying around for some reason.

Well, about two months later, I got a letter back from the story editor, along with my script. He didn't say that I was a stupid kid or that I knew nothing about writing for TV, etc. -- he said the reason they couldn't use it was because scripts have to be submitted through an accredited agent, and that they'd already done an episode about Captain Dobey that season.

Just as important, he said that my script was very good, and to keep on writing.

So, although I've been a professional writer most of my adult life, I'm glad to be writing what I want to write again, instead of being a hired scribe.

It's just a shame it took me 30 years to get back to it.

Hope to hear from you. Drop me an email anytime.

Larry

Bookstore Tourism on Hold

I'm sorry to say that the Bookstore Tourism site has been shut down indefinitely.

I had big plans for 2008, including the launch of the non-profit "Friends of Indie Bookstores" organization and a cross-country trip to promote independent booksellers from coast to coast.

Unfortunately, despite a great deal of excitement and interest from supporters, the necessary funding was scarce. So, after five years of working on Bookstore Tourism without making a penny (and, in fact, virtually driving myself into bankruptcy), I had to make a very tough decision and pull the plug on the entire project.

It may be permanent. I'm simply not sure. But what's certain is that I'm using this year to WRITE. Over the past couple of months I've been working on a novel that I've had in my head for a long, long time, and I have two or three other projects that I hope will follow.

So, maybe after I get a nice advance (!!!), I'll have the ready cash to finally get back to Bookstore Tourism again. We'll see what happens. But keep an eye out for a book announcement from me later this year.

In the meantime, I hope that all the folks out there who are interested in doing "bookstore road trips" will continue. Everyone's always said it's a spectacular idea, and I've always said you don't need ME to do it, so my hope is that Bookstore Tourism will stay alive.

Feel free to email me at
lportzline@comcast.net.

Cheers,

Larry Portzline