This morning, Harry Potter ebooks became available for the first time ever. Now, you can load the entire Hogwarts library onto your tablet or smartphone — it’s a little like that magical, never-quite-filled bag that Hermione carried all over the wizarding world in book seven.
As with any form of magic, there’s a catch — the books can only be purchased from J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore site. Since she’s retained the rights to the electronic versions of her books, and because she has the publishing power and capital to create her own distribution source, she’s skipping eretailers altogether. Given the amount of revenue Rowling’s books tend to create, I’m sure this move is hitting Amazon like a well-aimed Cruciatus Curse.
Yes, I made this scarf. Yes, I realize how lame this makes me.
I’ll admit, I’d rather Rowling made her books available to eretailers so that we could sell them from Church Street. But I respect her right as an author to control her work, and I’m glad that she found her own way to circumvent the controlling influence Amazon is having on the publishing industry (like a pack of Dementors, they’re sucking the soul out of literature and calling it a kiss).
It’s like this: Let’s say independent bookstores are Gryffindor, and J.K. Rowling’s site is Hufflepuff. You’re not exactly glad that she’s won the House Cup, but at least you’re happy it’s out of the hands of Slytherin. (Amazon is Slytherin in this analogy. Obviously.)
If you’re looking for a more traditional way to experience the series, come by Church Street, where we carry all the paperbacks. Or order this awesome trunk full of hardcovers (if you choose store delivery for your shipping option, we won’t charge you shipping). After all, when you support your independent bookstore, you’re investing in the future of all stories, not just Harry Potter. And I think that’s pretty magical.
Carrie Rollwagen is book buyer and co-owner of Church Street Coffee & Books.