The letter to the governors grew out of a meeting of independent trade organizations on November 29 and 30 in Washington, D.C., BTW continued. "The letter's signatories--the American Booksellers Association, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, Coalition of Independent Music Stores, Independent Florist Association, Independent Office Products & Furniture Dealers Association, North American Retail Dealers Association, and the National Bicycle Dealers Association--were among those who met at the 'Independent Trades Summit' to discuss common goals and challenges specific to independent retailers and businesses."
---
BTW also
profiles Brad Smith, owner of Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, Ore., who
recently opened "a second, 2,600-square-foot store in nearby Redmond,
which has a population of 25,000."
"When I bought the first
bookstore [in Sisters], I always intended to open another in Redmond,
which doesn't have an independent," said Smith. "I just felt there was
a really good opportunity there. The new store will be very similar in
character and displays, but I have to get in there to find out what my
customers' interests are to know what to stock."
---
What's a great gift for a reader when a book just won't do? The Guardian offered some tips. We like the British Library's "adopt-a-book" program.
---
Steve Bercu, owner of BookPeople, Austin, Tex., was quoted in an AP
article that focused on how "this season finds independent retailers
across the country dealing with a new set of economic challenges even
as they still contend with growing competition from big-box retailers
like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Borders Inc."
"We've had our best season in store history each of the last seven
years and I'm expecting this year to be another really pretty good
year," Bercu said.
"BookPeople differentiates itself
from the chains in several ways," the AP wrote. "It offers a big selection of gifts
alongside its massive book inventory; Bercu estimates gifts account for
30 percent of revenues. It also has developed its own offbeat
culture--BookPeople is a proponent of a tongue-in-cheek movement called
Keep Austin Weird--and uses it as a marketing tool."
"We have a looser view of things," said Bercu.
---
Fifteen new bookstores opened in November and became members of the American Booksellers Association. See the list here.
---
The Book Nook and Java Shop is now the "hot spot" in downtown Montague, Mich., according to the Muskegon Chronicle,
which called the store "a place where people call out your name the
minute you walk through the front door, a place you feared didn't exist
anymore."
Debra Lambers opened the bookstore five years ago, "armed with a business plan and a basic belief that every town--no matter how big or small--deserves a bookstore," as the paper put it.
"I've always loved books and coffee," she
said. "They're the two staples in my life. I think we have an inviting
atmosphere. It feels somewhat nostalgic. It's cozy . . . friendly. You
know what's unique about this place? People meet each other in the
store for the first time, and it's like they've known each other
forever. That's what this is all about."
---
Boasting that "San Diego's blessed with fine specialty bookstores," the Union-Tribune featured "our guide to 10 that are tops."
---The Brattleboro Reformer
profiled David Lampe-Wilson, owner of Mystery on Main, Brattleboro,
Vt., which opened November 9 after Lampe-Wilson had done "a little
sleuth work with the locals" and discovered "where to open shop and
what books to carry."
"We made the full move and got the store
opened in a three-week period," he said of his family's relocation from
Connecticut to Saxtons River. "People are finding us. There's interest
once they know we're here." Describing Mystery on Main as "a place to
sit and relax for a few minutes," Lampe-Wilson added that he "was going
for something homey. I wanted to keep it friendly, open and relaxed."
Mystery on Main is located at 119 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 05301; 802-258-2211; mysteryonmain.com.
---
U is for USA Today,
which invited readers to vote for one of five suggested titles for Sue
Grafton's next novel, the follow-up to her current bestseller, T Is for Trespass.
The winner was U Is for Undertaker, which got 54% of the vote,
trouncing also-rans like U Is for Unravel (28%), U Is for U-Turn (14%),
U Is for Usurper (3%) and U Is for Uxoricide (2%).
"I don't
believe I've ever used four syllables for a title," said Grafton. "I've
used three: Evidence, Innocent. I have to make sure it's not going to
wrap all the way around the book. I have thought of Undertaker, but I
let the book tell me, and I don't know yet what the story is for 'U.' "
U is for Uncertain?
---
Hilary
Reeves has been named director of digital ventures at Milkweed Editions
and continues as managing director. She was co-leader of the press for
five years following the retirement of founder and publisher Emilie
Buchwald. Earlier she worked at Johns Hopkins University Press and the
Smithsonian Institution Press.
Emily Cook has been promoted to marketing director at Milkweed
Editions. She joined the publisher in 2004 as publicity and marketing
manager and earlier was program director of the Printers Row Book
Fair, was a bookseller and ran a literacy outreach program in the
Chicago public schools.
---
Christopher Gruener has joined Faherty & Associates as a sales rep and will work with Jack Colwell, splitting sales responsibilities in northern and central California and northern Nevada. (The group has now expanded to four sales reps in California.) Gruener was formerly a retail territory manager for Baker & Taylor, where he serviced eight Western states. Earlier he worked at MacAdam/Cage and Nolo Press. Gruener may be reached at 415-342-6796 or chris@fahertybooks.com.