Can a sophisticated algorithm be as helpful as a person inside a bricks and mortar bookshop?

I was at the Australian Book Industry Awards on Monday night when I heard that Di Gribble was unwell. Di’s incredible contribution to book publishing in this country is phenomenal. I don’t know Di personally but so many wonderful reading memories come from books McPhee Gribble published back in the 1980s, authors of the ilk of Helen Garner, Murray Bail, Tim Winton and many other Australian authors I bought because they bore the round filigree-like logo of McPhee Gribble on the spine. I have a first edition Cloudstreet that I have just had framed along with three other cherished books; each hang above my bookshelf in the hallway. Anyway,  the news of Di got me thinking about the risks associated with publishing and the courage, vision and perseverance required to be successful in an arts based industry such as ours.

I’ve often wondered if we are all increasingly becoming risk averse. If we buy online and don’t have the support and guidance of an expert bookseller handy do we tend to buy what we already know and recognise? If you look at the top fiction sellers at the moment the list is dominated by well-known, established international names such as Janet Evanovich, Danielle Steel, David Baldacci, George R.R. Martin and others; there’s not an Australian amongst the bunch save for the wonderful Geraldine Brooks – and all are veteran storytellers. Don’t get me wrong I love a great book no matter where the author originates or how successful they are. I’ve just been pondering the risks we do or don’t take when we enter a bookshop or go online and try and find something to read. Can a sophisticated algorithm be as helpful as a person inside a bricks and mortar bookshop?

Taking a chance on a novel by someone you haven’t heard of, Australian or not, is definitely taking a risk; I appreciate that. Yet some of my favourite books have come from taking a leap of faith – often at the suggestion of a bookseller: Funny Boy, The Reader, The Zanzibar Chest, One of the Wattle Birds, Restoration, The Stone Boat, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, The Toucher; these are a few that come to mind, all recommended to me by a passionate bookseller at one time or another – and all incredible novels, particularly The Toucher by Dorothy Hewett; I loved that book – and thought she was terrific.

Someone in the book industry told me earlier this week something that she had heard once from Salman Rushdie - that people who read fiction are searching for questions while people who read non-fiction are searching for answers. I wonder if there is a correlation between these desires and the ebb and flow of economic fortunes or our age?

I’ve rambled on again and haven’t mentioned a thing about ebooks or social media or other forms of digital marketing so here goes. There is a lot of jargon when you start thinking about digital marketing, a new algorithmic concept, a new service or application, or platform, or set of tips or rules to deal with almost on a daily basis. I try as much as I can not to get too lost or seduced in the ‘sizzle’ of it all but try and think instead about common-sense solutions, about helping people take risks and what I can learn from the Di Gribbles of this world.

If you plan on taking a risk any day soon I recommend: Five Bells by Gail Jones, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (out late September), There Should be More Dancing by Rosalie Ham, The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman (out October) and Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (it is 50 this year and it’s on my mind) and if you want answers, Into the Silence by Wade Davis and One Way Road by Robbie McEwen (out October). Sorry that most of these books aren’t available yet, it’s an occupational hazard to read ahead. You can always reserve a copy at your local bookseller now.