Parnassus’ Colbert Bump

Ann Patchett has again won the hearts of independent booksellers across the country, this time with her appearance on The Colbert Report last Monday. During her interview with Stephen Colbert, she made the case for the importance of indie bookstores in a witty head-to-head exchange with the Comedy Central host.

When Colbert encouraged the audience to purchase Patchett’s State of Wonder on Amazon.com and told Patchett that she was in store for the “Colbert Bump,” she immediately countered by suggesting viewers purchase the book online from her Nashville bookstore, Parnassus Books, where they could also get it signed.

The sales bump to which Colbert was referring, it turns out, is real, and not just for Amazon.

“It’s been a crazy, crazy week,” said Karen Hayes, the co-owner, with Patchett, of Parnassus. “Our website has just been inundated with orders. We’ve been a shipping factory.” In addition to the huge wave of online sales, the store’s regular customers have been mentioning Patchett’s appearance on the show and several people have stopped in from out of town.

“We definitely are feeling the Colbert bump,” said Hayes, “it’s been a really, really good thing.”

On Tuesday, Parnassus hosted two in-store showings of the Colbert interview, which were promoted on Facebook and Twitter: one at lunchtime, and one later in the evening. The first showing was played to “a very enthusiastic crowd,” Hayes said.

The majority of online purchases in the wake of Patchett’s appearance are single copy orders for a signed edition of State of Wonder, but several customers have tacked on additional items, including a previous Patchett title or a pre-order for State of Wonder in paperback. Most commented on Patchett’s appearance on The Colbert Report and expressed support for indie bookstores.

Patchett, who doesn’t watch television, told BTW that she was familiar with Stephen Colbert through his profile in the New York Times Magazine and from other people who love his show. “I don’t think I fully grasp the importance of any television,” said Patchett. “I had never heard of the bump. I watched a few clips before I went on and then quickly stopped because it seemed too easy to scare myself.”

Since last Monday’s episode, Patchett has been stopped in the post office and grocery store by people who watched the show. When she went into Stitch-It, the alterations shop that she mentioned during the interview, they welcomed her with a hug.

“It seems to be a moment of Nashville pride for most people and I love that,” Patchett said. “I had no plans to ask America to buy the book from the store, it just sort of happened. We’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the orders, but I would say happily so.”