What Did You Expect? Tips for Working With Local Authors

Here are the facts: There were almost 300,000 books published in the U.S. in 2012 according to our friends at Wikipedia. Nearly half of those titles are self-published. Publishers Weekly counted roughly 12,000 bookstores in the U.S. in 2013. Do the numbers and it isn’t difficult to see why retail booksellers are often overwhelmed with local … Read more

Curb Appeal and More

When visitors step through the imposing 12-foot-high front doors of this1860s Painted Lady Victorian, they often comment on the lovely house, the intricate woodwork, the faux-marble mantels. As they wander through the shop they remark on our “Blind Date with a Book” display, the staircase-turned-stack of favorite books and the “read-in kitchen” that is home … Read more

Finding Good Bookstore Staff: Be Picky

In 1997, I acquired my used bookstore. It had a decent revenue stream, and looked like a good turnkey investment. There were two good employees, a steady flow of customers, and I had bigger fish to fry: the ultimate CD store. I would check in on the bookstore on occasion, doing the accounting and deposits. On … Read more

The Impact of Online Bookstores to Offline Bookstores

The significant increase in popularity of online bookstores over the last decade has had a monumental impact on offline bookstores, covering all facets of their business. Online bookstores offer a number of advantages over physical stores; these physical stores have tried to counteract these advantages by capitalising on areas in which online stores are unable … Read more

Hold Workshops in your Bookshop

I was straightening things up at the store and looking forward to a few days of vacation before jumping into a new year when our last customer of the day walked through the door. “I want to sign up for two of your classes,” she announced as she swung her chic wrap over her shoulder … Read more