Indies Turn to Crowdfunding Campaigns

With so many independent bookstores around the country closed for browsing and forced to rely on web sales and shipping, booksellers are increasingly turning to crowdfunding to ask their customers and communities for support. Here's what various stores have been doing.

Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Mass., launched a GoFundMe campaign earlier this week after being closed to the public since March 17. Owner Joan Grenier and her team are hoping to raise $60,000, and as of this morning had brought in more than $13,000. On the funding page, Grenier noted that May is usually the store's best sales month of the year, but with Mount Holyoke College closed, those sales will not come. And while she will be applying for various relief grants, she doubts they will be enough on their own.

Annie Philbrick, owner of Bank Square Books in Mystic, Conn., and Savoy Bookshop & Cafe in Westerly, R.I., launched a GoFundMe campaign just yesterday. Philbrick and her team are looking to raise $100,000, and raised over $10,000 on the fundraiser's first day. On March 16 Philbrick furloughed more than 30 staff members, keeping only four to handle online orders, social media posts and bookkeeping. Funds raised will go to payroll, utilities, liabilities and rent.

Nicole Magistro at Bookworm of Edwards.

A week ago, The Bookworm of Edwards in Edwards, Colo., launched a GoFundMe page. In the days since, store owner Nicole Magistro has managed to raise more than $62,000 out of a $75,000 goal. Magistro wrote that while the store was able to sell groceries and soup out of its cafe, it was not enough, and prior to the campaign's launch the store was operating on less than 10% of its normal sales. Since launching the campaign and appealing to customers, Magistro reported, online sales have jumped tremendously and she was able to schedule more than 100 staff hours this week.

Andover Bookstore, a 211-year-old indie in Andover, Mass., is looking to raise $125,000. Owner John Hugo explained that because of the pandemic, the store is running out of cash to pay rent, utilities, paryoll and liabilities. He wrote: "Funds given to this campaign will help us weather this storm and make sure we can ultimately reach our goal, which is to keep this business afloat and exist in Andover for another 200 years."

Nina Barrett, owner of Bookends & Beginnings in Evanston, Ill., has so far raised over $20,000 for a campaign she launched five days ago. In recognition of the fact that so many other indies are in a similar position, with hundreds of booksellers being laid off around the country, Barrett is in turn giving 10% of donations to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.

Nicola Orichuia at I Am Books.

I Am Books in Boston, Mass., was one of the first indies to voluntarily close its doors in the early days of the pandemic reaching the U.S. At the time, co-owner Nicola Orichuia had tenatively planned to reopen on March 27, and launched a campaign asking for $5,000. With a reopening date no longer in sight, the store has raised nearly $9,000 and set a new fundraising goal of $10,000.

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