Hello,
This is an interesting question. That has been my observation too!
Now, I love books on Catholic theology, and those by the classical spiritual writers, e.g. Thomas a Kempis, John of the Cross, Theresa of Avila. I also love reading about the saints, miracles of the Eucharist, those about special devotions, viz. the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart devotion, etc., and books by more contemporary writers, Thomas Merton, etc.
But, I think that it is more difficult to maintain a Catholic bookstore, especially if you’re a small bookstore owner based on observations:
The types of books stocked by Catholic and Protestant bookstores seem to be very different in their character and appeal.
Many protestant books in my view seem to appeal to the everyday reader. Books are generally practical, and they address contemporary issues and interests. They tend to be devotionals, biographies about contemporary people, motivational. They are often “how to live” books, books about the family, and are often by popular evangelists. Such books also tend to be short, offering practical stories to illustrate main points, and with a clear bible focus. And frankly, some of them are fun to read!
In my experience a large portion of Catholic books in Catholic bookstores that I’ve seen often seem “heavier”, more scholarly, and appeal to special interests readers, rather than general readers.
Classic reprints though quite popular nowadays are of authors of a different age and culture. Even though they are increasingly in modern trranslation, they can still be a little dense to get through. And such books are often long…300 - 500 pages long! What’s the attention span of the contemporary reader??
Many books also presume a level of theological understanding and interest of the reader that I think many contemporary Catholics don’t have. The reader also has to work to apply what is said to his/her life in a practical way.
So what kind of a reader would these types of books appeal to?
Someone said in this forum that Catholics often shop at Protestant stores. Presuming that’s true, how many Protestants would shop at a Catholic bookshop?
How many of Catholic book shoppers are repeat shoppers, who purchase enough to keep a small full time bookstore in business?
Those Catholic bookshops that I’ve seen often also stock Catholic supplies, viz. rosaries, statues, etc. I wonder how many Catholics walking into a bookstore, walk out with a non-book item , instead of a book. If they bought a book, I wonder how many of them actually finish reading it and go back to get another book?
These are just some observations. I’d love to hear from actual Catholic bookstore owners. God bless!
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The fourth one is three stories and is non-denom…well, it has Catholic AND Protestant stuff in it as well as artwork & a bargain basement. I LOVE that place and it’s only 40 mins away from me. The name of the place is called “Love”.
