WESTFIELD — Christmas came early for some local independent bookstores.
Famous author James Patterson wanted to give back and encourage booksellers to keep going.
"Five-years-ago, I wanted to bring a bookstore to the little community of Westfield. I thought it would be a nice addition because we don't have one here," Jamie Degler said.
Degler owns Turn the Page bookstore. She says it’s a one-of-a-kind place to pick up a book.
"It is still growing every year," Degler said.
She says there has been growing pains throughout the years.
"You just have to hang in there sometimes and ride out the first few years because it is hard to know the best way to go about selling books and getting your name out there," Degler said.
That's why a boost from the best-selling author is much appreciated.
Degler is one of 600 employees that received a $500 bonus from Patterson. He gifted the money out of his own pocket, which totaled $300,000.
“600 is generous, but there are a lot more than that. You think your chances aren’t really great at being rewarded one, but we were really excited,” Degler said.
“I’ve said this before, but I can’t say it enough, booksellers save lives,” Patterson said in a social media post.
Patterson says this is a way to bring awareness to the importance of local bookstores and encourage them to keep going.
“It’s incredible because a lot of independent bookstores don’t have the profits to give bonuses to their booksellers. We do what we can but it’s never huge, so getting a boost at the end of the year is something we can’t give ourselves,” Julia Breakey said.
Breakey co-owns Tomorrow Bookstore on Mass Avenue in downtown Indianapolis.
"There's an element that a bookstore can give you, a sense of self or place. It reflects the world back at you in a way not many spaces do," Breakey said.
Data from the American Booksellers Association shows bookstore openings are rising, following a spike of massive closures in 2020.
It's encouraging news for the bookworms trying to stay afloat.
Workers could nominate themselves for a bonus from Patterson, or they could be nominated by customers, store owners, coworkers, people in the publishing business or even other authors.
