At RiverRun (from l. to r.): Random House's Ron Koltnow, owner Tom Holbrook (talking in front of the counter), Random House's Lesley Vasilio and Simon & Schuster's Katie McGarry.
More than 50 people turned out at RiverRun Bookstore, Portsmouth, N.H., last Wednesday night to hear about holiday gift ideas. Sales reps from Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster joined store owner Tom Holbrook in sharing their picks for the season.
"The reps were very entertaining and had a lot of terrific suggestions," said Michele Filgate, RiverRun's events coordinator. "Our customers loved it." Highlights of the evening included Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, Annie Leibovitz at Work, National Geographic: The Photographs and Robert Sabuda's newest pop-up creation, Peter Pan. Also going over well as stocking stuffers were HarperCollins's Olive Editions of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Everything Is Illuminated and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. The small-format paperbacks retail for $10.
Holbrook touted RiverRun's collection of signed books, among them The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich, who appeared in Portsmouth earlier this year as part of the store-sponsored series, Writers on a New England Stage. The first shopper of the evening who purchased a signed edition of Champlain's Dream by David Hackett Fischer received a signed, complimentary copy of Dennis Lehane's The Given Day.
Enthusiastic audience members asked questions during the 90-minute presentation, enjoyed holiday cupcakes, mingled with other attendees and were eligible for giveaways of cards, journals and signed copies of Francine Prose's novel Goldengrove. They received handouts with a list and descriptions of the featured titles. Those who couldn't make up their minds that night or who needed additional gifts could return to RiverRun yesterday for the store's annual Customer Appreciation Sale.
Last spring RiverRun held an event similar to Wednesday's gathering with recommended reads for book clubs. Both events came about at the suggestion of Random House rep Lesley Vasilio--a service that she and her colleagues across the country are offering bookstores as part of Random's Books=Gifts campaign (Shelf Awareness, November 12, 2008). "If we can work with our bookstores and market directly to their customers in this tough economy, why not?" said Vasilio. "It's so much fun and there is such energy. To actually be able to stand there and watch people walk out with stacks of books is the best part."
In addition to the RiverRun event, Vasilio and fellow Random rep Ron Koltnow presented gift suggestions at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass., last week and will be at Andover Bookstore in Andover, Mass., on December 14. Book club gatherings are held throughout the year. Before events, Vasilio sends an outline of tips and advice for making it successful and garnering a good turnout--such as requiring participants to R.S.V.P.
Filgate promoted RiverRun's holiday gathering by announcing it in the store's e-newsletter, which has 1,200 subscribers, distributing a press release to local media, hanging posters around town and sending e-mail invitations to the people who signed up for the book group event.
Those who attended on Wednesday were treated to a surprise: 20% off featured books they purchased that evening. The event "certainly boosted sales, and people were buying piles of books that were recommended," Filgate said. RiverRun is planning to reprise the event next year. "It's a great thing for independent bookstores to do for the holiday season," she continued. "It emphasizes that books really are on people's minds as the perfect gifts since they're affordable. It's also a nice way to get everyone in the holiday spirit."--Shannon McKenna Schmidt