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Book people are wonderfully easy to market to.
Put a quotation about libraries on a mug, print tiny books on a pair of socks, call something “literary,” and somewhere a shopping cart begins to fill.
There is nothing wrong with decorative bookish things.
But that is not what this guide is about.
We wanted accessories that change something about the physical act of reading: make a book easier to hold, illuminate the page, improve comfort, protect a device, organize the current reading pile or otherwise solve a problem readers actually encounter.
Some of the items below are already in the PDFP Boutique. Others are categories we think are useful enough to watch as the Boutique expands.
1. A remote eReader page turner
This is probably the best example of an accessory that sounds unnecessary until its purpose becomes obvious. Mount a compatible eReader in a stand and a remote lets you turn pages without reaching for the screen.
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2. A flexible eReader holder
A holder does more than free your hands. Positioned correctly, it moves the screen toward the reader rather than forcing the reader's neck toward the screen.
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3. A proper reading pillow
Ordinary pillows are excellent at being pillows and surprisingly bad at becoming chairs. A dedicated reading pillow creates a more stable upright position for reading in bed or on the sofa.
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4. A hands-free neck light
Clip-on lights work, but they add something to the book itself. A neck light moves with the reader instead.
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5. An adjustable tabletop book stand
A stand is one of the least glamorous and most useful physical-book accessories. It can keep books open while reading, studying, cooking or referencing material at a desk.
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6. A floor-standing book holder
This is the extravagant cousin of the tabletop stand. It is particularly interesting for heavy books or readers who want physical pages without continuously supporting their weight.
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7. A real floor reading lamp
The flashlight on a phone is not a lighting plan. A dedicated floor lamp puts illumination beside a reading chair without consuming table space.
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8. A protective eReader case
This one is mundane because it works. An eReader spends its life travelling between bags, beds, couches and tables. A good case protects the screen when the device is not being read and can add grip without significantly altering the reading experience.
The trick is not to turn an exceptionally light eReader into a needlessly heavy one.
9. A book sleeve
Paper books do not have glass screens, but bent covers, damaged corners and mysterious handbag debris are real. A padded book sleeve is especially useful for readers who carry paperbacks or hardcovers daily and do not want the book loose in a larger bag.
10. A screen protector—when the use case warrants one
Not every eReader owner needs one. A device that lives mostly beside a bed may be perfectly well protected by a case. A reader who throws the device into work bags, travels constantly or shares it with children may decide the additional sacrificial layer is worth it.
The important part is choosing one designed for eReaders so the protector does not unnecessarily increase glare.
11. A one-handed page holder
Thumb-style page holders are small pieces designed to help hold an open book with one hand. They are particularly useful for smaller paperbacks and for readers who like to read while standing, commuting, or holding a cup in the other hand.
It is a tiny solution to a tiny problem—which is exactly what a good small accessory should be.
12. A weighted page holder or book weight
These become useful when the problem is not holding the whole book but convincing stubborn pages to remain open.
13. A lap desk
Reading does not always happen in an armchair. A lap desk can provide a stable platform for a heavy book, notebook, eReader or tablet while sitting on a couch or in bed. It also crosses comfortably into writing, journaling and studying.
14. A rolling book cart or small mobile shelf
Every active reader eventually develops a pile: currently reading, reading next, maybe reading, definitely should have read already. A small rolling cart turns the pile into movable furniture.
15. A reading journal
The accessory here is not about holding the book. It is about remembering the reading life around it: what you finished, what you abandoned, what you want next, quotations worth keeping and thoughts that disappear three books later.
We deliberately have not filled the Boutique with somebody else's reading journal yet.
That is one product category where a publisher may eventually be better off creating its own.
The common thread
A useful reading accessory solves a problem.
A bad one merely announces that you like books.
There is room in the world for both, but when we choose products for the PDFP Boutique, we intend to favour the first category.
A remote that turns pages while your hands are beneath a blanket?
Odd, but useful.
A floor stand that can hold a large physical book over a recliner?
Highly specific, but useful.
A decorative object that says JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER for the fourteenth time?
You probably already own one.