My New Sachet: The Scent of a Book

My New Sachet: The Scent of a Book

from Rolynn Anderson

I admit I used to be a little nervous about e-pubbed literature and e-readers. I grew up with books and bookstores and like my friends, I could get a little emotional when I thought about the disappearance of hardback and paperback books going the way of LP’s. But my shelves are chock full of books that I can’t make myself throw away, leaving no space for new ones. What’s more, when my husband and I go boating for months at a time, we don’t have room or the weight allowance to bring enough books along. Call me fickle, but I transferred my allegiance to a Kindle with scarcely a look backward.

My friends haven’t adjusted so quickly. They’re still in shock that a population could turn their backs on printed books. So I asked them how I might help them transition to e-readers. Their response? They say it’s the smell of a book they’ll miss the most. So, while I market my first novel, LAST RESORT (soon to be available e-pubbed OR printed-on-demand), I’ve decided to make some extra money by developing and selling a sachet that smells like a book. My concoction will emit the odor of ink-on-paper, woodsy with a hint of chemicals…that marvelous bouquet that blasts you when you thumb through a paperback, priming it for a reading.

I’ve already applied for the patent and I’m contracting with some nice folks in L.A. who make stink bombs. They’re convinced my invention will be a big seller to any readers over 25.

Naming my fragrance comes next. Odour d’ Libre? Book Tang? Heaven Scent? I’m still open to possibilities. But how to use the sachets is a given. We’ll affix the potpourri’s to our e-readers, sit back in our chairs, beds or beach towels, and read to our heart’s content, the aroma of a ‘real’ book blending with the words we read. Nice way to transition from print to e-pub, don’t you think?