Wicked Witch of Publishing Takes Over Pretend Independent Bookstore. Will She Thrive—or Just Survive?
Where do I find the mass grave of the 2500 bookstores that went out of business between 1990 and 2006? I want to stand beside it and bid adieu to Murder Ink, Coliseum Books and Micawber Books—bookstores-turned-white-elephants that have recently succumbed at the ages of 34, 32, and 26, respectively—as their corpses are tossed on top of the bones of their erstwhile predecessors. Then I want to grab the owners of the 97 new independent bookstores that arrived on the scene in 2006 by the scruff of the neck, drag them to the edge of the grave and scream: “Don’t make the same mistakes these guys did.”
Because they bring incredible enthusiasm and vigor with them, I love the idea of brave, out-of-industry folks entering the independent bookstore fray, but they’ll need more than bravado to be successful. If they’re to avoid the same fate as their forerunners, as my mystery entrepreneur said in last week’s post, they’ll need to bring fresh ideas and inspired new ways of doing business. And…they’ll have to figure out what is working for the top 100 independent bookstores and the largest independent bookstores like Barbara’s Bookstores, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Powell’s City of Books, City Lights Booksellers, Elliot Bay Book Company and The Tattered Cover Bookstore, then adapt their insights to their own enterprises.
Still Dining at The Alfresco Dumpster After All These Years!
Did you see The New York Times Metro Section on January 10th, 2007, and the article: “Two Places Where Readers Hold On to Their Bookstores”? Peter Applebome, “Our Town” reporter, covered two 34-year-old bookstores about an hour out of the city nestled in suburban areas: Village Bookstore in (simply rich) Pleasantville, NJ, and Second Story Book Shop in (really rich) Chappaqua, NY.
The Village Bookstore has been operated for the past three years by a couple, both 62-years-old. Their sales have “grown every month” [good!] and they are moving to a cheaper space [smart!] “where they hope to make it as a going economic concern.” [Uh oh!]
Second Story, has been owned and operated by the same—clearly very smart—business woman for 34 years, 73 year old Joan Ripley. Despite having former president Bill Clinton, her neighbor, drop by to chat and autograph books, Ripley has had to struggle to “keep the wolf from the door,” and had to rely on underwriting by Chubb Insurance Company [thanks, Chubb!] as a bailout for jacked rent.
Thirty-four years and still struggling…
Wicked Witch Inherits Auntie’s “Dead-in-the-Water Bookstore.” [Oh, no!]
Were I suddenly to inherit a bookstore from my ditzy Auntie [Oh that’s right! I’M the ditzy Auntie!] and found out I couldn’t cash out because there was no cash, I’d do at least five things right away:
1) Change the name ”Dead in the Water Bookstore” to ”TreadWaters Bookstore!”
2) Find ways to save money and make money simultaneously:
If I’m leasing, I’d look into renegotiating. There’s nothing a landlord hates more than having an empty storefront for six months. If I’m the owner of the building, I’d be thinking about ways to syndicate to get ready-cash, especially if the neighborhood is improving. If I had apartments over the storefront, I might sell them, rather than continue to collect rent.
I’d run up and down the street organizing fellow small businesses to play oil heating companies off against each other as a group in order to get the best price for us all. (I AM on the east coast! I know THIS works!)
I’d look into subletting space to writers, authors, freelancers, accountants—anyone who didn’t require more than a cubicle, so I could make some easy money. [Cash or check? Let me think about it! OK. I’m done!] I’d see if it were feasible to rent those same cubicles to people who work a nightshift so I could earn money while I sleep. Dispatchers or emergency hotline operators. Who else? Show me the easy rental money.
I’d flash my smile at nearby local businesses to see if we could co-op book sales in their stores, like the local non-Starbucks and Mom and Pops that still exist. I would venture into the local supermarket with cookbooks, the local hardware store with “how to” books. I’d even go into my local supermarket (many of them pride themselves on buying local produce to support local farmers) and suggest they support the local bookstore—mine—and shelve MY location-appropriate books.
I’d bring back the stock and pillory, those “wooden medieval restraining devices in
which your head and hands are pinned.” Shoplifters would serve their time (you know who you are!) on public display, along with appropriate book titles like “Shoplifting Stories” by Gloria J. Elquist and “Something for Nothing: Shoplifting Addiction and Recovery” by Terrence D. Schulman, in the store window! [Your choice: the cops or the stocks!]
I’d look at my inventory and figure out new ways to MOVE IT. Maybe I’d offer $5 credit for you to return the bestseller you just purchased within 7 days so I could sell it again (used) and not have to reorder. Maybe I’d change some of the shelf labels: “Books Only An Idiot Hasn’t Read.” Garrison Keillor has a shelf labeled “GOD” in his just-opened bookstore in St. Paul , Corner Books. [I love it!] Maybe I’d ask some of my customers to review and return some long-shelved and long-forgotten books, and post the reviews.
3) Develop a detailed matrix with independent bookstores down the left side; ”author signings,” “coupons,” “book club retreats,” “website,” “distance from B&N,” “distance from library,” “non-book merchandise,” anything and everything I could think of myself, wring from other bookstore owners, and research on the internet from websites like Publishers Weekly, American Booksellers Association, and the scores of blogs that are out there offering free insight and advice. I’d frantically look for clues that might reveal what the still-in-business independent bookstores were doing to stay in business and what those who were no longer in business didn’t do that they could have/should have done.
4) Start a break-even analysis and cost-benefit analysis! Oh, my aching brain. I’d dust off my brain and try to remember what I learned in that advanced financial management course [where is that book?] about creating break-even analysis spreadsheets and cost-benefit analysis spreadsheets. Ouch, it’s all coming back to me now.
5) Look for potential answers to the question last week’s mystery entrepreneur said I should ask, again and again: “What would you have to believe about my store to be willing to come here and spend money here?”
And know this to be true: whatever worked, I would share with my fellow independent bookstore owners, knowing we were all in this fight together. I don’t want to hear independent bookstore owners say: “We’re surviving.” I want to hear: “WE’RE THRIVING!”
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing: Don’t forget to leave your email address if you want to receive automatic notification whenever I create a new posting.
January 19th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Oh boy, I guess I’ll hazard the hoots and catcalls by asking why on earth this hue and cry to “save” the independent book store with the same fervor as saving polar bears, whales and snale darters? Hell, I didn’t want the mom-and-pop drug stores to vanish, either, but they sure ain’t there no more.
Go to the college towns, Cabot Cove or Carmel-by-the-Sea (is there one not by the sea?) and you’ll still find indies. And other places, including the way-back-town half deserted shopping centers around our city. And, of course, a few continue to prosper, perhaps by a combination of luck as well as skill.
But all these schemes–get Clinton to stop by, rent cubicles to night workers, do co-ops, rally supermarket support (oh, yeah), hawk Garrison Keillor, do a matrix and a book club retreat…what on earth does this say about the basic premise of even having an indie if you have to do all this to prop it up?
Yes, I love indies. I love the library more because it’s free and I can order new books quickly from a multitude of libraries. When I buy, I usually buy the oldest and cheapest on-line because it’s worth it to wait, even with the shipping. And where are “THE Book Stores?” They’re in the malls where the people are, buying what they’re told to buy and drinking lattes because they don’t know any better. I don’t like it any better than you, but it’s a market-driven society. And even Bill Clinton’s visit probably ain’t gonna have a lasting impact.
The market flow of dollars, which is from the masses, will decide. Bless the dedicated souls who still patronize the indies. Eventually, they’ll be missed, much like I miss the coffee shop in Woolworth’s and the five-and-dime.
It’s ok. The books are not vanishing and, for those needing them they’ll still be there. Probably cheaper than ever, the way technology is going.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: My rescue plan for Treadwater is to help it metamorphosize from a unicellular organism, sprout limbs, and crawl from the sea!
January 19th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Curious—97 new stores is 1.8 per state or about 8 per month, nationally. How many are closing down and how does that affect the 97 figure?
January 20th, 2007 at 8:16 am
Hmmm.
Here, the hardware stores already offer how-to books (produced and published by the comglomerate) and the supermarkets, cook books ( same as before) as well as the usual magazines and racked paperbacks.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Hi, Bernita. I’m talking about the Mom & Pops in the neighborhood. And yes, the local supermarket carries books and magazines, but I would ask them if they would carry some of my books, too. Most supermarkets carry only the latest bestsellers 1-15. I could shelve some older, fabulous books there that have been gathering dust from lack of exposure. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
January 20th, 2007 at 8:50 am
I am one of the bookstore owners whose independent store ‘bit the dust’ in 2006. We opened in May 2005 and closed our doors December 31, 2006. Obviously we did not learn how to do business smarter and better. All we really wanted to do was connect readers to books — not run a business. That was probably our downfall. If we had been voracious business people instead of voracious readers we might have had a chance — maybe. Thanks for telling it like it is. I just wish I could keep selling books.
Deb Andolino
Aliens & Alibis Books
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: I asked a friend of mine what she would do if she suddenly owned a book store. She said: “Read all day.” I just shook my head in disbelief. Deborah, I’m so sorry your store folded. The website shots of the interior of the store make it look so appealing, but as we know, that is not enough. Aliens & Alibis Books was an independent store in Columbia, South Carolina, specializing in mystery, fantasy and science fiction books, both new and used.
January 20th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Lynne,
If you inherited a bookstore your first priority would to to learn something about the trade in 2007. I believe that anybody should work for a minimum of 12 months alongside an experienced bookseller who has a proven sales record.
Love of books, in itself, is no use whatsoever : first and foremost you would be running a business (to make a profit).
Assuming that your shop was based in a smallish town you need to ensure that you are not stocking non-book items which can be purchased elsewhere. Successful traders generally work together (in small towns) to ensure that you can recommend customers to neighbouring shops : you should not duplicate stock selection within the town, unless you want to be very unpopular with your fellow shopkeepers.
It makes absolutely no sense for indies here in the UK to stock mainstream bestsellers : you must be adventurous in your stock selection, and choose exciting titles which the chains overlook (such purchasing knowledge only comes with experience).
When I started in retail - nearly 50 years ago - I was taught to “bag count” : if few people in the town are carrying (shopping) bags you have a real problem: perhaps the visitors are coming to have a meal, look at the architecture, visit a theatre, etc; but if you see no bags, sure as heck they ain’t going to be spending in the shops. This is the gypsies warning that Auntie has left you a stinker: time to get on the road and find somewhere where folks are willing to spend money in the shops.
In the UK we would generally accept that it takes a minimum of 3 years in any locale to get the business breaking even, and five years (from opening) before the shop shows a decent trading profit. If you want holidays for the first few years (and maybe for a decade), forget it!
These are just a few random thoughts—running a shop is fun, but there is also a great deal of brinkmanship involved—both on stocking and with finances. Enjoy it, and always open the shop on time and never close before time.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Ah hah! More info for the matrix. But, Clive, I have NO time to waste at TreadWaters. I’ve got to turn things around right away. I don’t have time to man the register at someone else’s bookstore. That’s why I’m looking to save money before I make money on the sale of a book. ”One dollar saved is two dollars earned.” (Drat that Auntie for not going to The Wharton School.) And, yes, I’d be calling my bloggin’ buddies for advice!
January 20th, 2007 at 11:45 am
There’s one thing nobody’s mentioned here yet — the old retail saw: location, location, location. Malls and other general retailers locate where the traffic is, where the people are. There must be a way to find zones where readers reside, and plunk your bookstore down in their midst. Like, marching through the neighborhoods like political volunteers, ringing doorbells and inquiring into reading and book buying habits.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Hey, how did you know I’m sitting here in my chenille bathrobe? Jeeez. I’m lowering the blinds right now! I agree, Dave, location, location, location, but I am stuck with Auntie’s store right where it is and want to make a go of it if I can. I think the matrix will help me figure out what the public might like to see or experience in TreadWaters while I struggle to understand my market and reposition.
January 20th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Andrew made a good point about towns like Carmel whether by the sea or inland. What’s the price of a hardcover when your two bedroom cottage is two million dollars? Wealthy towns won’t have a Walmart any time soon with acres of free parking and career opportunities.
Bookstores are caught in the middle of a downtrend in all intermediary businesses, i.e., those that sell other people’s products. Either the product becomes a commodity or the method of delivery evolves, leaving the business model workable in niches dictated by factors like geography, demographics, and luck.
The terms of trade between US publishers and bookstores haven’t changed since the Great Depression. Every eighty or ninety years it’s crucial to dust off the business plan.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Two years ago I had a meeting/interview with a COO at one of the huge publishing houses. I suggested that they leverage the big box companies into better vendor contracts. “Try not going hat-in-hand,” I suggested. “Simply don’t offer some of your bestselling authors to the big boxes six months ahead of pub date. The big boxes will come to you.” At that point, the balance of power would shift. But NO, too much fear all around.
January 20th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
I must confess that the word Pleasantville, NY, took me right out of the moment and sent me back to my teenage years when that place was a sea of muddy streets and new houses (My aunt built a house there)! But I digress…
Wow…there’s a lot of good advice here…even from commentors! I’ve made a copy of this to take to my local indie to see if they can use any of it.
I think it all boils down to whether the shop owner is a business person or not. Being in business today is not for the faint-of-heart. I’ve had my own business for 16 years, and I have had to evolve to survive and prosper.
And it took more than a year to prime the pump and get the cash flowing well (in my direction).
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Hi, Bonnie. Bonnie, I think that while it is extremely important for someone involved in the bookstore to have business acumen, circumstances beyond your control can conspire to put you out of business, even if you did graduate from The Wharton School. Most new businesses fold within 3 years. We know that. Twenty-five years is another critical period. There are succession problems that have to be faced. (Try prying the hands of the “founding” partner off the reins!) And there will have been so many changes in the marketplace….
January 20th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Today I went to Home Depot because my little hardware is gone. I had my tires balanced and rotated at a Firestone outlet because Jim’s Tire Service is gone.Stopped at the Safeway (Large Supermarket) for bread and buns because my neighborhood bakery is closed.
I miss those old stores but the world she’s a changin.
Selling Lattes and scones with soothing Muzak doesn’t a thriving business make.
After 30 years in sales (commercial real estate) I can tell you that Location, location, location equals high rent, high profile, dominant businesses. Book stores can not usually survive in D class locations let alone high profile sites.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing (TM): You are right, and that is why TreadWaters has to change into something more than a bookstore. The questions are: change into what, and how quickly can I make that change? I don’t want to just throw up my hands and throw out my inventory and good will, do I?
January 20th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Lynne,
You say that you don’t have the time to work alongside a bookseller to learn the ropes (trade); and, I am not talking about working the till. Knowledge is power: without the knowledge how are you going to be in with even half-a-chance of surviving.
Without knowledge and experience you will just be another merchandiser; another one of those dreamers who think that they can push a few buttons on a keyboard and learn about retailing books.
The sales manual has not been written, and will never be written because it is only learnt “hands-on” working in the trade.
How are you going to know which publishers keep books in print for years, which sell overstocks more or less a week after launch: which local books are worth stocking, is this publishers going to leave titles on consignment with everybody from hairdressers to coffee bars.
The only way in which an independent can be successful is by adding value to the books which are stocked: can you speak with authority about the author’s work (especially important with many non-fiction fields where some titles are definitive and others a mish-mash rehash of others work)
It’s tough out there ; it can be fun, but it is going to be near impossible for anybody who is not prepared to work their passage through the trade and get a decent grounding apprenticeship.
It being just after 7.30pm here in the UK, it is now time I wrap up matters in my store until the morning. Yup, I work 7 days a week (even in the middle of the UK winter).
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Hey, I LOVE working the till! It’s my favorite place! Of course, Clive, you are right, legacy retail experience would be my Achilles’ heel. I know that, and I would get outside advice (what’s your phone number?), but it would be from booksellers AND people outside the industry, like the mystery entrepreneur. I don’t think it would take me long to figure out what’s been going on with Auntie’s bookstore once I got my hands on her records. And I have been all over publishing for twenty years in all sorts of positions, some of which should help me. The new books I want to stock are the books that I know are going to be promoted or can be promoted by me. I’m not sure I care right now which publishers keep books in print for years. Do I? I guess I’ll find out! I do know I’m sick to death of publishers not supporting their books and being happy with 3000 copies sold. (Remember my posting: When Failure is 90,000 Copies Sold.) I know all about midlist and deadlist books. I don’t know about overstock, but if someone is going to wring money out of me for them, he or she will tell me how it is done. Besides, I’m drowning in inventory right now. So, while I acknowledge needing help from a savvy insider and handseller, I’m not totally helpless or clueless, not having apprenticed, Clive. I can crunch numbers. I can market. I can sell. I can negotiate. I can write promo copy. I can discuss Spinoza, but please don’t make me! That said, I want to do things differently. I think it has been proved that value-added at this point has to be something in addition to speaking authoritatively about authors, books, and which local books will sell well. What is it? What is it? Why, oh why, did Auntie have to die so poor?
January 20th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Lynne,
I was indicating that besides Thrive or Survive….there is a more likely third alternative…sorry but that is the way the crumble cookies.
Steve
January 20th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Get creative, get involved and get smart. Here are five steps to help that appeared in Part II of Book Patrol’s “Bookseller Manifesto”. Also might be interested in the recent post “Don’t Believe the Hype: The Book Shop Remains Endangered” which delves a little further into the recent press releases regarding book store openings.
Step 1
Our first order of business is to accept the fact that independent bookselling as we know it is on its death bed. Period. The model has been severely disturbed by the changes of the last 10 years and will no longer work.
There is no need to read on until this Step is understood.
Step 2
We need to let go of the term “independent” once and for all. To remain independent in the new landscape will almost certainly guarantee failure. Yes, the trade is swarming with independent, unique individuals that add so much flavor to the trade but most healthy organisms must exhibit some dependent behavior or they do not survive. It should be no different for booksellers. We need to create bookshops that are unique in their complexity.
Step 3
The barriers that separate the different forms of bookselling must be torn down. A bookseller must be willing to sell new, used, rare and out-of-print books. They must be willing to sell books by small presses, fine presses and book artists. Hand-made and machine-made, limited and unlimited editions.
One must embrace the rich world of the book, in all its forms, to succeed. Each bookshop becomes a book center where all the book needs of the community can be met.
Yes, you can put a used copy of a book next to a new copy, next to the DVD of the filmed version, and you can have the first edition and a fine press edition available too!
Step 4
Be creative with your space and stay open-minded. If you have enough space-sell the booze and the coffee and let the community use the hell out of it -readings, music, spoken word, storytime for kids, storytime for adults, etc. If there is enough action it is a 24/7 experience.
There is no way, at least initially, that the chains and the internet retailers can offer such a rich and varied experience. We must never; however, lose sight of the fact that that they will always be in our rear view mirror trying to run us over.
Step 5
The bookselling industry remains completely fragmented, both within the various segments (new, resale, book arts, etc.) of the industry and within the industry as a whole.
To date the leadership of the ABA (American Booksellers Association) and the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America) have been unable to respond effectively to the massive changes that has taken place in the industry. Yes, there have been changes and no doubt much effort and thought has been expended by the leadership but the trade remains in dire straights.
At minimum, the leadership of these trade organizations must unite their resources and begin a concerted effort to work together. They should also reach out to the various Book Arts Guilds and Centers for the Book throughout the country. We need to build book epicenters in our communities not independent outposts. We do not want to, or need to, be survivors.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™:
1) I agree.
2) I like the idea of symbiotic relationships, not dependent relationships. Don’t you consider an independent bookstore’s relationship with, say, Random House, dependent to the point of groveling? And “unique in complexity” sounds good, but what does that mean?
3) No specializing? Something for everyone who enters the store? I don’t know. If the model has to change because independent bookstores are dying, I’m not sure just filling the bookshelves with new, used, rare and out of print books isn’t just beating a dead horse.
4) All sounds great, but is offered by Barnes & Noble and the other big box stores. Mystery entrepreneur said we have to offer what they DON’T offer to make folks go the extra block and seek out my store.
5) When you accept dues from everyone and depend on everyone, including Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Books-a-Million, you struggle to be even-handed, don’t you? When was it that Barnes & Noble absolutely refused to pay its dues and let everyone know it could care less about membership? (Kind of like the United States holding back on the United Nations!) A great, powerless howl was heard across the land. (I’m vague on these details. Maybe someone else remembers them.)
January 20th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Oh, and I want to point out one more thing. George L. Jones was appointed CEO of Borders in 2006 from outside the bookseller industry. I blogged about it.
January 21st, 2007 at 6:32 am
Lynne
The one question that you have failed to address is why should anybody visit auntie’s store rather than purchasing off the internet, direct from publisher, or by visiting a chain branch of say B&N.
Until you can provide a realistic answer, then you are unlikely to know why auntie died so poor.
Retail is a very different environment to publishing and book retail far different to other sectors . To answer your point above, George L Jones was appointed as CEO at Borders but they have some highly successful senior management (with years of book retail experience) : David Roche joined the group here in the UK.
Take at look at the disastrous mess which was made with Waterstone’s in the second half of last year : buyers and “middle” managers with years of book retail experience were replaced as senior management imposed a supermarket product regime. Resultant trading loss, at a time when many retailers experienced a bumper Christmas sales period. Waterstone had difficulty matching supermarkets for price on bestsellers, the shops were festooned with promos for (boring) mainstream books whilst some fantastic recent titles were not shelved, even in their flagship branches. Is it any wonder that Amazon UK were able to increase market share (some indies did OK but that is another matter) If auntie’s inventory was similarly mainstream to Waterstone then it is no wonder that she wasn’t making a substantial trading profit.
I have said enough, I leave the discussion to others.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: But Clive, I’m TRYING to find out what it will take to entice people into TreadWaters. That’s what the matrix is about. That’s why the question: “What will it take…” will be asked repeatedly. Business cannot be done the same way. I’m proactively looking for the answer and finding hints in the matrix. And, yes, I’m learning book retailing on the fly.
By the way, on January 16th, 2007, George L. Jones announced the appointment of two new executive vice presidents and direct reports: Robert P. Gruen and Kenneth H. Armstrong. They are colleagues of Jones’s from his previous position at Saks Department Store Group. They both have ”three decades of retail experience” (not bookstore). Are you thinking that the hiring of these old friends (?) doesn’t augur well for Borders? (Clearly, Jones is bringing in executives loyal to HIM.) David Roche, managing director and CEO of Borders UK, has also become a direct report to Jones. (Consolidating power?)
January 21st, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Here’s what brings me to the indies: author appearances and atmosphere.
My local indie, Nancy Olsen’s Quail Ridge Books and Music in Raleigh, NC, hosts authors of all stripes. Bestsellers, poets, politicians, midlisters, award winners, all are welcome. She makes a particular effort for local authors (including me, this time next year!). Many if not most of her events are standing-room-only.
Malaprops, in Asheville, NC, targets their artsy market with artsy author events and artsy atmosphere. They match their efforts to their clientele’s tastes. More indies should do this–take the cultural temperature of their geographic locale (assuming relocation isn’t an option, or when relocating) and reflect it. Rustic, modern, cozy, hip, whatever. Make it a place where the people in that area will want to spend their time.
And populate the space with comfy chairs. Lots of ‘em.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Here’s an interesting statement I found when reading the past three months of Publishers Weekly: From the Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts—10-20% of the people who attend an author signing/reading at a “regular event” will by a book; 30-40% of the people who attend a “private group” signing will buy a book. More for my matrix! I dunno about those comfy chairs, Therese. I don’t like folks hanging around pretending MY bookstore is a library or taking up space eyeballing each other when I’ve got books to sell.
January 21st, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Did anyone offer these suggestions?
* If your city offers free wireless service, offer a
my former employer exhibited, we purchased the option for four days. We were allowed to leave brochures by our designated computer and I think we paid a thousand dollars (4 Days) for the marketing option. I know independent authors would pay for that type of advertising.
Computer kiosk of lets say 5 desktops. Make the default homepage for sale on a monthly basis. At one conference
* One woman came into the local Borders and didn’t want to purchase the whole book. I was appalled but then I thought that is an opportunity. I don’t know what yet - but it was an opportunity that Google is willing to offer. I would figure out a way to satisfy the publisher and my bottom line.
* Going to a bookstore should be a literary experience. I’m not talking about book signings either. BORING! People are seeking information, so give them information! Teach folks the joys of reading and analysis. Collaborate with your local library. Invite local librarians in to give lectures on how to write reviews or whatever information they have stored behind those glasses (wink).
*Heck, offer mini-courses on Literacy period. Join up with a non-profit literacy organization and qualify for a huge state grant.
*Form a strategic partnership with a local college where students can actually learn hands-on how to run a bookstore. Make it credit course and qualify for an intern who really cares about bookselling.
*You already have a plethora of business books; therefore form a strategic partnership with vertical industries like Insurance, Real Estate, or any industry that is licensed by the state. You can order books specific to the industry and offer CE credits that are required. CE credits in Insurance run about $99 + per person. When you close your shop for business, you can open it up for instruction from let’s six -to-nine.
My $0.02
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Mel, are we related? These ideas are what brainstorming is all about! More good stuff for the matrix. Is anyone out there thinking “out of the box” (I hate that phrase) like Mel? Yes, people can be taught how to read. I don’t mean learn to read See Spot Run. I mean to read, stop and think, slow down, analyze and read on when the book offers more than banal entertainment. Someone taught me “how” to read, and it changed everything.
January 21st, 2007 at 8:45 pm
First of all: Hi to SIBA sister Deb, posting above–so sorry, Deb, about A&A closing, but Sally and I are sending you all the best karma we have. Good to see a familiar SIBA face here!
That said, I’ll be brief (for me, anyway), having just driven back from Atlanta in a blinding rainstorm. Just two points:
For Mr. Lieberman: Independent bookselling is not dead. (Yes, the term is something of a misnomer, because–as you correctly point out–indies are in fact dependent, in fact a lot more dependent on their community than big boxes. I just like the term “indie.”) The answer is not to evolve in different ways, be creative, come up with wild new paradigm-shifting ideas. The answer is what we do every day, HARD F–KING WORK. The answer is reaching out to the community, which makes them reach out back to you. Obviously, times are changing, and the model evolves, but that happens by the owners of the store learning, observing, living day to day. And WORKING THEIR ARSES OFF. Service is what people get with us that they can’t get on the Internet or in Border’s. And giving good service, making every person who walks in the door feel like they’re just the person you wanted to see right then, is often a pain, but its rewards are beyond calculation.
For Lynne: In re: your #4–the numbers need not be the ogres they may appear. One reason I advocate ABA membership for all indie stores (full disclosure: I’m on an ABA committee, but would recommend it if I weren’t) is that you can participate in the ABACUS survey. Every year, you fill out a fairly complicated form for them (complicated, but nowhere near impossible, maybe an hour of work), using the numbers off your accountant’s year-end sheet, and in 4-6 weeks, you get back a .pdf that crunches your store’s numbers in all sorts of vital and interesting ways. You get this free with membership (in fact, they often worry they don’t have enough booksellers to get a good sample and bribe stores to participate with $50 off dues). It’s the sort of thing you’d pay a consultant thousands of dollars for. Also, the ABA hosts educational events at BEA and regional shows, one of which is “The 2% Solution,” which will tell you everything you need to know about going from an industry average profit of -1.67% to a positive number. God knows if I had to rely on my bookkeeping skills and math skills….well, let’s just not think about this.
Great post, Lynne, a lot to agree with, though, as noted, groceries and hardware stores get books from wholesale jobbers (and exactly what are these “independent grocery stores” you speak of?
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: I have to tell you, Frazier, I worked my-you-know-what off at AdWeek (A/S/M Communications) for four years: NO vacation for 2.5 years and cutting the fingertips off my gloves so I could continue to work over the weekends in the winter when the heat was off in the building. Of course, I was young and didn’t know what a recession was. I thought through dint of hard work and good service, I could hold back the recession single-handedly on my publications. I was one of the very last to go when AdWeek was sold. And I worked really hard 24/7 during a different industry upheaval in the late 1990’s, trying to maintain the current business level while a new model was being created, all without significant support available for the obsolete model. The indie store situation is reminiscent of both these experiences. It “smells” the same. I think more than excellent service and good community relations is required. Too slow evolution will result in an overtaking by the faster evolvers, don’t you think? I hope to find what TreadWaters needs before I have to shutter Auntie’s, whoops, my bookstore, and cut my losses.
January 21st, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Thank you! I think we are related or at the very least, we are cut from the same cloth. (Smile)
I have to give most of the credit to you and your Mystery Entrepreneur.
He/She said; to paraphrase, get out of the mindset that you are selling said product. (Transportation accessories vs. the buggy whip).
I realized that bookstores are actually selling media arts, culture and information.
Thinking in those terms, a bookstore business model can create all types of revenue streams without selling out.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Mel, I agree, but, again, the problem is that TreadWaters has to offer that which Barnes & Noble, Borders, Costco, Sam’s, etc., do not offer, according to the mystery entrepreneur, in order to entice people away from more conveniently located bookstores with cheaper product. Indies need drawing power that makes it worthwhile for a customer to go the extra block. I know, just know, some of the ideas presented in these comments are worthwhile to try!
January 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 am
Bookselling gets riskier and riskier in a millenium dominated by the internet, xboxes, plasma tvs, & ipods… Opening a
store will consume your life because the brainstorming you do today will require refreshing yearly. You’ll need all kinds of help, elevating your operating costs and draining your meager profits. I don’t know what the numbers are, but I’m sure people buy fewer books these days than they did 10 years ago, and I bet those numbers are declining annually. I was an English major and still work a book every day. But it takes me forever to get through a book now (see–I’m on my laptop now, instead of reading), and when I do get to it, I fall asleep after only a few pages. I rarely have the kind of time and place that I used to have for book reading.
Yet, when I enter a good bookstore, I get ambitious. I can easily put out $100 for books (and magazines) in a bookstore designed for me. Elliot’s in Seattle, sure. Transitions, in chicago, sure. Atmosphere is utterly important, as well as the niche. And the location. And the parking.
I’d like to have a bookstore in my house. If I were out in the country where zoning wouldn’t be a problem, I’d stock my house with books and things, have parties on the weekends–soirees, with guest speakers–and charge for everything. Make it your life, day in and day out. Just reserve a couple of private rooms that would be off limits. If you love people and ideas, running your home as a business could work out just fine.
January 22nd, 2007 at 2:38 am
Lynne:
Yes, the bookseller is dependent on Random House and groveling is a trait of an unhealthy dependence.
I am mostly talking about relationships with other people in the book world not necessarily the publishing world.
Relationships with the used bookstores in your community, the book artists in your community, the special collection librarian of the nearest university, the illustrators, the fine press printers, graphic designers,small presses. All the different disciplines where the book plays a major role. If you can network them together and connect these vibrant book pieces a viable business would emerge that will draw people to it.
You carry the books you want to carry, the ones you like the best, and blend all the space you save by carrying only the books that you want, into a multi-use destination. Coffee, art, exhibits all can be there safely. Yes, the big box retailers sell coffee, but this is a different coffee experience. It won’t be a matter of offering “what they DON’T offer to make folks go the extra block and seek out my store”
You can offer your customers the option to order any book they would like; new copies, used copies, collectible copies;and have it at there door in a couple of days (not your door their door) and make money. You can have your coffee shop too selling coffee that is roasted in your region.
And if you really have a desire to specialize in an area.
Pick it and then go deep.
Take some of that space that you saved by only carrying books you like and transform it into you’re specialty space.
Let’s say we like turtles.
Start with a selection of the turtle books in print -this selection will go from children’s picture books to the most academic and scholarly books out there, you know like the scientific ones where you can’t even read the title but you know it is about turtles. Then you offer used and collectible books on turtles and art and artist books that have turtle themes.
You serve turtle sundaes in the coffee shop and show turtle movies in the kid section.
Not all people like turtles but the concept just might be interesting enough to draw them into the shop to see what is going on and once their in our chances of selling them something increases greatly.
If you really want to go with it. You rotate that specialty section quarterly.
Then we will have that “unique complexity” that cannot be mass produced.
Frazer. None of what I envision or talk about is possible without “HARD F–KING WORK” and personal relationships with the people that patronize your shop. Those two variables are inherent in any strategy or process to battle back against the forces that are trying to crush this trade. It sounds like the ABA is providing some big time services to independent bookstores all over this country and for that all booksellers in all segments of the trade are grateful.
I am not sure what constitutes “wild” but when you say
“The answer is not to evolve in different ways, be creative, come up with wild new paradigm-shifting ideas” but I am afraid if we don’t think outside the box a bit we might continue to lose ground.
Respectfully
Michael
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Michael, some good ideas. I like the idea of rotating the specialty section. I just don’t think it can be all about books anymore, any more than it can be selling a variety of buggy whips (old, new, antique, rare) to bring business back in. Also B&N has a same-day delivery option.
January 22nd, 2007 at 10:36 am
What a useful, idea-filled column. And once again, it has generated lots of intelligent, thoughtful feedback — including further smart retail strategies and observations. Well done Lynne. Your blog is a “must-read” for independent book sellers.
January 22nd, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Great post and conversations. One of my thoughts on running a crime fiction bookstore is to murder one of the customers. No publicity is bad publicity, right?
For a sane idea, I have wondered about the feasibility of delivering books to phoned-in orders. I remember a Barnes and Noble commerical showing someone disappointed with the nasty weather outside, ordering a book online, and everything was better. Of course, he didn’t get the book for two days, but that wasn’t in the commerical. What if you could have a new book delivered to your door on impulse?
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Oh, Phil, you are such a stitch. Too bad Auntie is already dead, we could kill her, that’s how mad I’m getting! Phoned-in orders… hum… isn’t B&N doing same day delivery in urban areas? Remember, the big guys can afford to take a financial hit and deliver books to your door at a loss (for a while) in order to grow market share. I don’t think you can go head-to-head with B&N or Borders. Their pockets are too deep and they can out last you, financially.
January 22nd, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Wicked Witch: Why are people so silent about your idea to rent space and bring down expenses? That makes such good sense to me.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Hum… I don’t know. You are right, no one has said a word. Maybe they don’t want to sacrifice shelf space, but perhaps they haven’t weighed how many books they would have to sell to equal the rental income each month. Dunno. I’ll ask?
No one likes those ideas?
January 23rd, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Most people are very choosy who they let “sleep in their bed” : renting space to defray expenses, no…never;
“tenants” are a pain in the butt - and more importantly for successful businesses, space is always at a premium.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Hi, Clive. Welcome back. I’d be HAPPY to cuddle-up with a paying tenant. [Hey, quit stealing the blankets!] I’m toying with the idea of cubicles for a public relations person (with a little barter thrown in) and a tutor for middle-school children (not those thievin’ high-school kids who don’t read anyhow!) I am also considering leasing space to writers’ workshops or bridge clubs. Maybe I’ll put a long library table in the back. Thinking. Thinking.
January 23rd, 2007 at 12:32 pm
I’ll be opening my revamped “pretend” bookstore, TreadWaters, next week.
Stay tuned!
There are some great suggestions here, and more that arrived via personal email, a number of which I plan to
stealborrow. Keep ‘em coming. I’ll cherry pick the ones I like and give you credit.Watch for my Grand Opening/Under New Management notice soon.
First hire? T. T. (Terrible Ted), the cat from hell, as in-store personal greeter and flea bearer.
January 23rd, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Lynne:
“Halsey’s Typhoon” book tour, I’ll be at the Tattered Cover in Denver on January 26 and Powell’s in Portland, Oregon on February 8, so I’ll have an opportunity to observe and inquire about what makes them tick. Inevitably, my co-author, Bob Drury, and I have to do the Borders and B&N gigs, but there is a special pleasure to doing the indy stores where one meets real hardcore book lovers. Stay warm . . . here it’s 20 degrees and snowing!
Greetings from Grand Rapids. I admire and am grateful for your passion for independent bookstores. On my
Tom
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Hi, Tom! That’s right, you are on your book tour. Did I read that Halsey’s Typhoon is hovering at 19 on the New York Times Best Seller List? Did I? Yahooo. I remember a 16-city tour for one of my books. Exhausting. Lots of radio, TV, and local newspaper interviews, but NO bookstore signings at all. Why? No books arrived from the publisher in time for my appearances. [Don’t get me started!]
TreadWaters will have a closed-door, invitation-only book party for you (30-40% will buy) at 5:30PM, an open-door reception for the hoi polloi at 6:30PM (10-20% will buy), and a private dinner party for ten deep-pocketed people at 8PM ($125? each) at the Mayor’s house at 8PM.
P.S. (How’m I doin’?)
January 24th, 2007 at 9:15 am
I recently moved to a a fairly large town. I love independent bookstores—where I used to take a stack of books, sit on a chair or in a corner, read and select the 5 or so I could afford. So, I found two here. The first was full of teenagers, which were sons of the owner, lying on the floor, music blasting from their little machines, and laughing and talking loudly in the middle of the aisle. This lasted a hour. I asked for a book, the owner shrugged, I left. The next bookstore, the woman owner was chatting with her helper, who seemed to be annoyed that I was in the way of her stacking the shelves. I asked about events, if she was getting in a couple new books, and she said, no and no.
It’s sad, but I knew that when I went back, and I will, they may not be there.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Lyn, why go back to either store?
January 24th, 2007 at 11:47 am
A few of the bloggers who have linked up to this posting are listed below. By way of saying “Thanks!,” I’m linking back right now!
January 30th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Didn’t know if you or your readers have seen this?
http://www.danutakean.com/blog/?p=192#more-192
February 1st, 2007 at 9:37 am
I am researching the possibility of opening a bookstore and am finding all of these posts VERY informative. Thanks!! However, I think it all boils down to the experience one gets by actually going to a “brick-and-mortar” store, be it B&N, Borders, or independent. Sure you can get the book cheaper online, delivered next day, etc, etc. But I think most of the people who buy online already know what they want thru a previous experience. For me, I am leary about buying books online because I have no way of inspecting the book myself. Sure there are reviews and excerpts, but there is only so much value in that. Actually being able to hold and flip thru the ENTIRE book the best sales tactic for me to it. And being able to look at the books on the self as opposed to scrolling thru 1,000s of titles on the web to find the right one. And, maybe I am mis-informed but I would think that the better, more saleable (or perhaps most popular) titles would be at the store anyway, thus saving the search time (I know this isn’t always the case.) I could go on and on, but I have to get back to work!!
The term “independent” I think has been mis-interpreted by a lot of people. It merely means, in my mind, “independent” from an established chain. No business is independent. That attitude is recipe for sure failure. You are dependent on the customers, your employees, vendors, community, store environment, etc. All of these factors mixed wisely contribute to a successful business, along with HARD WORK!!! : )
Thanks to all who took the time to post. The information is most valuable!
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Thanks for dropping by, Tom. I’ve just been to The New York International Gift Fair, looking for possible items to augment TreadWaters’ books, having been told that the mix should be 70% books/30% other complementary items. What a nightmare: 17 miles of exhibits. I’ll be posting shortly. The question is whether I will plunge ahead and keep the store or cut my losses in some sort of profitable way if I can.
February 2nd, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Speaking purely for myself, I think the 70%books/ 30% other can be a trap. If you sell reading material, and your expertise is in reading material, why stray far from that? Let toystore sell toys, stationers sell stationary, etc. Most non-books I see in bookstores is useless, overpriced fluff and crap, in my arrogant opinion; but that may just mean I’m not the market the fluffvendors are seeking.
To me, as a bookseller’s clerk, what we are selling is about the reading, not interior decoration, as anybody who’s ever seen the interior of my beloved Renaissance Books [main store] will attest. Do what you do best, and do it damned well.
February 3rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
In the UK, it is the traditional bookshop/stationer which found it hardest to adapt to 21st century retail : the chain WHSmith have been fighting an uphill battle for some time, as have many indies who had a large % stock bias away from books, or Cd’s etc.
There are some natural tie-ins to books ; calendars, dairies etc - however this is one trade where sales are actually falling for most manufacturing suppliers.
I consider myself independent because I am not a member of any buying association or group. I run “my ship” to suit myself and my core customers - who are extremely loyal : my business only takes stock firm sale and therefore I am a totally free-agent on stock range - sourcing from multiple wholesale and publisher accounts. Last Christmas I carried many titles which were not shelved in UK’s high street chains : I pay no attention to anybody but my own bank balance and my own eyes - that is what I consider to be independence. (Market traders in the UK have a saying - let your eyes be the judge, and your pocket be the guide)
All the above can appear arrogant and pompous : I consider it rather the lessons learnt from doing my money on too many occasions in the past !
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing:
I’ve been felled by the flu. No doubt something I picked up at New York International Gift Fair last week. Will post again as soon as the fever breaks!
I have managed to read Jetta Carleton’s The Moonflower Vine (published in 1962) while convalescing. I bought it based on an exchange between bloggers at another Web site. Maybe there is a copy somewhere in TreadWaters. If so, I’m handselling it.
March 16th, 2007 at 11:07 am
What a fun game!
Profit means buy low and sell higher. Businesses sell things to CUSTOMERS, not to themselves.
There are two independent bookstores in my town which appear to thrive, and both have the same model. They buy (often with store credit at a slightly higher rate) used books, cds, and dvds from the public and resell at twice the buy price. There are ALWAYS people lined up at the TWO registers at one, and the other seems at least busy.
So, customer buys THE NEW BEST SELLER for $20 on January 1.
March 1, he brings it in and the store gives him $5.
March 2, customer buys ALMOST NEW BEST SELLER for $10.
June 1, customer 2 returns and sells RECENT BEST SELLER for $2.
July 1, customer 3 buys FORMER BEST SELLER for $4.
Everybody is happy. The store has made 100% in 2 months of holding inventory. I’ll bet the big box didn’t make $7 on the book.
The brilliance is that the customers set the inventory. Instead of trying to figure out what they want, actual buyers of goods bring you stuff actual they have already chosen.
Norah Roberts might not write books YOU like, but there are plenty of dollars chasing them. Lots of those dollars belong to people who would far rather buy 20 tattered ones for a dollar each than a shiny one for $20.
Treadwaters might give that model a try.
If you don’t want to pour money in the rat hole, you might have an exchange corner- let customers leave their books, to be resold and the price split.
Do all the accounting on the back flyleaf of each book, rip it out when the book is sold. Make the seller responsible for coming in to get payment. Hold each book for a maximum period, say a month, at which time it has to be retrieved, pitched, or moved to a dollar box for a week before discard.
This model works for antique malls. And on line for ebay and abe for that matter. You’re just the physical version thereof.
When I update my links, I’ll link to you if that’s alright.
Note from the Wicked Witch of Publishing ™: Smarter than smart.
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Welcome and well done! - I\’m not exactly sure what this has to do with Antique book old rare sale (that\’s what I was searching on MSN when I saw a link here), but I\’m glad I got a chance to read your blog. Thanks!!