In one of my first Bookshop Blog posts, I shared some of the most useful tips I’ve compiled over the last four years or so (yes, it has taken me that long to prepare to open a physical storefront; no, I wouldn’t trade that timeline, as I’ve learned so much). To summarize that post, the three indispensable tips for prospective booksellers are: 1) Join the American Booksellers Association (ABA) 2) Sign up for the Paz & Associates program “Owning a Bookstore Workshop Retreat” 3) Connect with your community. I’m composing three follow-up posts to describe in more detail why each of these steps was so helpful to me. In the first, I demonstrated how ABA membership has helped me grow by leaps and bounds as
Author Archive
In my last post, I shared some of the most useful tips I’ve compiled over the last four years or so (yes, it has taken me that long to open a physical storefront; no, I wouldn’t trade that timeline, as I’ve learned so much). To summarize that post, the three indispensable tips for prospective booksellers are: 1) Join the American Booksellers Association (ABA) 2) Sign up for the Paz & Associates program “Owning a Bookstore Workshop Retreat” 3) Connect with your community. In this the first of three follow-up posts, I’ll explain a little more about why joining the ABA helped me so much. Join the American Booksellers Association & your regional association. The ABA is made up of hundreds of independently-owned bookstores across the
by Janet Geddis of Avid Bookshop If there’s one thing I’ve learned about being a startup bookstore owner, it’s that all the time estimates you think are givens are so completely wrong. Some “difficult” steps were a breeze; other “quick” items on the to-do list took upwards of six months. I have learned a great deal about myself in the process, too: I have reserves of patience I never realized were at my disposal. I have stamina and drive and the ability to see long-term benefits when it comes to a goal I find worthwhile and meaningful: opening and running a successful independent bookstore. There are a couple of naysayers out there (mind you, only a couple—that I know of, at least) who have scoffed
My name is Janet Geddis, and I am proud to be an independent bookseller. I started my journey over three years ago and, despite some unbelievable downs and even more miraculous ups, I am soon expanding my business. Since 2009, Avid Bookshop has been an online and events-based bookselling business, but this summer we’re moving into our first retail storefront. I couldn’t be more excited. For people who don’t know how well many indies are doing, my enthusiasm may seem unfounded in the wake of news about the big boxes’ struggle. But independent bookselling is alive and well, and the American Booksellers Association’s membership has actually increased in the last couple of years. As the dinosaurs struggle to adapt, more adept independently-owned bookstore owners are