Literary Fun

Goodreads Reading Challenge Update

It’s oftentimes very easy, in the book world, to focus on the books themselves and forget about all of the behind-the-scenes players. So much of the excitement around a new book is generated based on the factors it takes little work to see: a talented and dynamic author, a bright, colorful book cover, some artfully arranged cups of coffee or vibrant flowers in a gorgeous Instagram shot. As much we appreciate these things, being reminded of what happens on the flip side makes the final product that much more meaningful and rewarding. 

I was fortunate enough to travel with Brit Bennett to Westminster, Maryland to accompany her while she signed books. If you didn’t already know, Westminster is where the Penguin Random House warehouse is located - where tens of thousands of books are assembled and packaged before being shipped to your local bookstores.

Now, we all know that authors sign their books: sometimes, in person, at a reading or meet and greet; sometimes, in bulk, so that bookstores can sell books with an added personal touch. What we often don’t get to see is the sacrifice of time and comfort that makes this a reality. 

On a brisk September morning in Westminster, Maryland, Brit Bennett prepared herself for a day of intense signing. The Mothers, her first novel, has already enchanted the literary world, including the judges at BEA: she was asked to sign around 300 books in one sitting at the conference. Sounds exhausting, right? Now, imagine signing over 4,000.

You read that right. In order to meet the needs of booksellers who were already overwhelmed by demand for the book, Brit sat down at a table in Westminster at 8:00 AM and readied herself to sign 4,128 books by 5:00 PM. 

Sound impossible for one day? One would certainly think so. According to some hasty calculations, Brit would need to sign at a rate of 800 books per hour to meet her goal, factoring in time for the occasional break. But the mind-numbing tedium of signing your name over and over and over again, even if she met that goal - wouldn’t it be enough to drive anyone crazy?

Probably. But luckily, the staff at the warehouse were a dream to sit alongside for the day. They formed a human assembly line, pre-folding the book’s flap into the signing page, sliding the book over to Brit, collecting it as soon as she’d signed, and packing them into boxes to be shipped to the indie bookstores that requested them. They also kept the conversation lively - we discussed everything from celebrity gossip to best concert experiences to favorite foods. Oh yeah, and books. 

Meanwhile, yours truly was on the 1s and 2s (okay, Spotify) doing my best to keep everyone sane with some tunes. Together we formed a well-oiled machine, and Brit finished signing with a few hours to go (and an extremely sore wrist and arm)! Look at that relieved smile!

First book, last book.

The Warehouse Team! What an incredible day!

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has opened the stately Ceremonial Room of the Jefferson Building to the public, a symbolic gesture that nonetheless reveals her focusing on connecting the library to everyday Americans.

Goodreads Reading Challenge Update