Bookstore visit: Bound to Be Read Books, East Atlanta Village

 Jef Blocker, manager of the store, poses in front of the  blackboard that hangs behind the register.

Jessica Handler & Jef Blocker pose at Bound to Be Read Books; 

Jessica is holding her book, Invisible Sisters.

Last week I spent a couple of days at Bound to Be Read Books in East Atlanta Village.  My buddies Jef and Jeff were kind enough to let me get a behind-the-scenes look at their bookstore lives, and I had a blast.

Several people have asked me if what I'd do if I did a mini-internship at a bookstore and hated it.  I was warned numerous times about everything possible.  Oh, those window displays can be a pain!  If you're busy, you'll be having conversations with people all day--ALL DAY!  There are lots of mundane details! You have to alphabetize the books frequently! You've got to stay organized!  

I find none of this daunting.  Probably the scariest part of the day-to-day bookstore operations is the finance aspect, but luckily I already have an awesome accountant, a wonderful SBDC counselor, and several others on board to help me as I better learn the retail ropes.  Here's a little secret about me, one my family and close friends already know:  I LOVE ORGANIZING, and when I was a kid my neighbor and I would play "office" for hours in lieu of playing house.  I love (and collect) office supplies, and I have been alphabetizing other people's (and other bookstores') bookshelves since early elementary school.  Making window displays sounds like a dream job, and chatting all day about books sounds like heaven.  So yeah:  I'm ready for this, and I can't wait. There's not one aspect of the business that makes me feel like running for the door and never looking back.

Bound to Be Read Books is a neighborhood bookstore on Flat Shoals Avenue in Atlanta, right across from the Earl (a music club and bar/restaurant many Athens musicians know well).  The founders opened the bookstore just over four years ago, aiming at first to sell only used books.  As time went on, they added lots of new books to the mix, responding appropriately and professionally to their customers' wants.  Now this store, complete with red accents, hand-painted library stools, and a newsletter-writing cat (who is also the Director of Public Relations), boasts an impressive collection of new, used, and collectible books. 

East Atlanta Village is a hip little city unto itself.  While having lunch at Holy Taco with two new author friends, Laurel Snyder and Marc Fitten, I ran into a UGA professor's daughter, a woman I met in Athens years ago who is now married to a guy I was in eighth grade band with.  A few hours later, I set up shop at Joe's Coffee and ran into a guy named Joel, who used to own a delicious BBQ joint in Athens (where White Tiger Gourmet now makes its home). After my coffee and deep-dish apple pie fix (yum), I headed across the street to the bookstore to spend another day with Jef and Jeff.  To my happiness, my Twitter friend (and acclaimed author) Jessica Handler was there to greet me.  Running into so many familiar faces and names made me feel as if I was having just another day in Athens.  It felt homey and comfortable.

It's hard to imagine my being even more excited about Avid than I was earlier this month, but it's true:  visiting other bookstores  invigorates me and calls me to action.  Speaking of, there's work to be done...

GREAT NEWS: I'm heading to Winter Institute!

Thanks to a generous scholarship, I'll be attending ABA's Winter Institute 5 in San Jose, California in early February 2010.  The ABA Emerging Leaders Program paired with Ingram Book Company to present eight scholarships to various "emerging leaders" in the bookselling world. 

Though there are lots of education opportunities for booksellers throughout the year (Book Expo America and regional trade shows, such as the one I attended in September, come to mind), Winter Institute is more focused on bookseller education and networking.  I'm eager to meet many of the folks I've communicated with online and to reunite with some friends I've met over the past many months.

Rest assured I'll report back to you about Wi5, my impressions of San Jose, and more.

Thanks to the friends who've already congratulated me on this scholarship--I'm humbled and quite elated.

Join the IndieBound movement & get a prize!

You've heard me talk about IndieBound before.  It's a way for independent businesses (notably bookstores) to network with one another.  It's a way for traveling customers to easily search for indie stores wherever they may roam.  But did you know it's also a great tool for communicating with other community members?  Learn about friends' recommendations, events at your local bookstore(s), what the bestselling titles are at independent bookstores, and more, more, more.

Here's a bonus for those of you reading the blog.  Join the IndieBound movement (it's cost- and spam-free!), befriend Avid Bookshop, and get a prize!  Three of you will be randomly chosen to receive a free ARC (advanced reading copy) of a book I have in stock, and every person that enters will get a wee treat.

After you befriend Avid Bookshop on IndieBound, leave a quick comment here to let me know you've done so--then you'll be entered in the contest.  And if you're on Facebook or Twitter and share this message, you get an extra entry!

So what are you waiting for?  Since this blog doesn't have a huge readership (yet!), you have a very good chance of winning a free book--as if the wee treat and an IndieBound profile weren't enough!

Here's just a handful of Athens businesses that are already on IndieBound & need more fans.
1000Faces Coffee
Jackson Street Books
Bizarro-Wuxtry record store
The National restaurant
Athens Cine bar, cafe, & arthouse theatre
Schoolkids Records
Harry's Pig Shop restaurant
Vision Video (Homewood Hills location)
Kingpins Bowl & Brew




Winners will be picked on Sunday, November 8, so please don't hesitate!

The randomly chosen winners are as follows:
Margo (randomwalk), Lindsay (lindzsmile), & Lauren (laurengallaspy).  A few of you participated without leaving a formal comment, but don't worry--I made sure to include everyone! Thanks so much.

Cheap books could lead to fewer books - the book price war

If you keep up with big retail news stories (or even book industry news briefs), you probably have heard about the recent price-gauging fight among Wal-Mart, Amazon, Target, and now Sears.  The New York Times had a feature on this battle today.  In an attempt to control bestseller market share and bring more folks to their superstores (where, inevitably, more items will be purchased), these retailers are cutting down prices on books to the point where they're taking a hit.

Perhaps you read bestsellers exclusively and drool at the thought of a new hardback book that's less than half the cost it'd be if you bought it at a brick and mortar store (chain or indie)--but think again before you rush off to Wal-Mart with your $10 bill in hand.  There's something afoot here, and it has nothing to do with the love of books, the love of reading, or the love of you--the customer.

The folks at WORD Brooklyn sent out a link to this piece about this week's price war and what it could mean for readers.  This price-gauging should frighten you and make you think again about where you buy books and the effect of your shopping choices.  Here's a quote from the above-mentioned New York Times article:

It’s a contest “that has no end in sight,” said Michael Norris, a consultant with Simba Information, which provides research and advice to publishers. Mr. Norris said the price war could be particularly damaging to the publishing industry and booksellers because the retailers who were currently slashing prices “don’t need to sell books in order to stay in business” and therefore can sell the books at a loss.

Please do take the time to read up on the issue, and feel free to leave any feedback here on the blog.

Thanks!

learning a lot & making connections at booksellers school!

Hello and greetings from Fernandina Beach, where it's overcast and breezy and I can *just* see the Atlantic beyond the condos across the street.  We're two days into the Paz & Associates workshop (Opening a Bookstore:  The Business Essentials) and I'm completely energized and excited by all the work we students have accomplished and all the great ideas I've had (or have stolen from other people in class).

                                                                                                                

One thing I keep hearing over and over is that it's a good thing that it's taken me a little longer than originally anticipated to open the store.  In the last two years, I've accomplished a lot in the name of Avid Bookshop and feel so much less daunted by the idea of opening the store.  Now I actually know what I'm getting into (which, in all honesty, I didn't quite get or want to get in the early days of planning when I was more dreamy and less realistic).  Much of the advice given revolves around booksellers' need to create and foster real relationships within the community, the need to get feedback from customers and find out how exactly the community will support an independent bookstore.  I feel spoiled and glowy when I think about how excited many Athenians are to have Avid coming to town next year.  There are many more marketing opportunities and connections to be made, but, all in all, we've got a head start on a lot of things.  I'm happy to report that in Athens fits the description as an ideal town to open a new bookstore in (more details on that later).

What do you want to get from Avid's presence in Athens?  What sort of environment do you seek, and what sort of books would you like to buy there? A more formal, specific survey will be coming soon, but for now please feel free to toss around some ideas and let me know what you hope to find at Avid Bookshop.

You can buy ebooks from your indie!

Over the past several months, I've had many (many!) talks about the book industry with novices and experts alike.  When I tell people I'm opening an independent bookstore, even the most excited approach the topic of ebooks with hesitation.  "What about ebooks?" is the vague question I'm often met with, and until recently, I've had to tell people that I'm hoping to sell ebooks but am not quite sure how it'll work.

Now the groundwork for my ebook selling has been laid.  According to yesterday's article in the American Booksellers Association (ABA) newsletter, Bookselling This Week, many ABA member stores are already able to sell more than 220,000 ebooks directly from their websites.  What thrilling news for independent bookstores and their customers! 

By the time Avid opens next year, there will undoubtedly be more changes in the ebook industry, but I suspect that the ABA will keep up with them and ensure that member booksellers (like me) will be able to offer customers the chance to buy ebooks directly from their local bookshop.

(image of Sony eReader from http://theguybrarian.files.wordpress.com)

What do YOU love most about bookstores?

What are some of your favorite things about bookstores? What do independents have that chains don't have? What do non-indie chains have that indies lack? (Don't be afraid to talk about the glorious wide aisles at Barnes & Noble--though I may not shop there nowadays, I certainly have spent my weight in gold there!)

Do you have a very favorite bookshop? Any treasured bookstore, past or present, that felt like home? Please share your stories here and let us over here at Avid find out what you value most in a bookstore shopping experience. We'll be using your feedback to help create our store--it is, after all, for the neighborhood and community, and finding out what you want will help us make Avid Bookshop a success.