The Appeal of Paper

Thanks to Susie Hollands, the Founder and CEO of exclusive European real estate company Vingt Paris, I was invited to attend a book launch party in Paris last week for the release of Monocle’s new France travel guide. 

The atmosphere was intensely hipster: Loads of 20- and 30-somethings sporting glasses, tattoos and stylish haircuts; a coffee bar serving matcha and oat milk lattes as well as wine (of course!);  a fantastic spread of Lebanese finger food; and walls of the bookstore, Bonjour Jacob, covered with hundreds of high-design magazines on topics from travel to trans issues to technology. I was in my happy place!

My favorite moment was when someone asked the founders of Monocle, “Why print? Why do you publish hard copies of books, magazines and even a newspaper in this digital age?”

“Because many people still love paper,” one of the founders replied. “We have a different relationship with print than we do with digital. There is joy in thumbing through magazines, in picking up a newspaper and flipping through its pages.”

“Plus, there is a practical aspect,” the other founder chimed in with a chuckle. He picked up the paper and opened it, so that the ad for Air France was on full display on the back page. “When you’re reading an article on your smartphone, no one can see the advertising!”

It made me happy to hear this – and obviously all the folks in that bookstore felt the same way. This was a crowd of print lovers. 

I bought a Kindle when they first came out, but I only used it for a few months before reverting to hard copies of books. It seemed to me that my brain didn’t retain the information as well. Furthermore, I really missed dog-earing, highlighting and scribbling notes in the margins, as I am inclined to do. 

Print is dead. Long live print! 

Those of us who love print will keep it alive. 

FYI, Susie Hollands participated in the first cohort of the highly acclaimed Your Bestselling Book 6-week course, which is now open for applications for the Fall 2024 cohort (September 16 - October 26, 2024). Hailing from Scotland, Susie founded Vingt Paris nearly 25 years ago and has met with tremendous success. She is writing a guidebook for foreigners who want to do business in France. 

TIP OF THE WEEK: Visit a Bookstore!