Second Wind Publishing discussion

If you owned a bookstore, how would you set it up? Books only, books and reading area, books and a beverage, etc? What books would you carry, and how would you decide what those books would be? Can you name any real life examples of what you’d like to emulate?

Make it look like a bookstore used to--well, I take that back. You do need decent lights, chairs and to clean occasionally. ;) Not everyone enjoys sitting/crawling on the floor, although I used to find hardship a defining part of my bookshop experience. Don't get the "swallowing you" kind of chair they've got at Borders. There's something vaguely unhealthy about them. And, after all, you're supposed to be focused on shopping, not falling asleep! (These are wonderfully parodied in the TV series "Black Books," which is a must-see for every booklover who ran the gauntlet of the old indie bookstores and their frequently demented owners.)

You need easily available step stools to get to the high shelves, and because today's shoppers are like babies needing to suck on food everywhere, you probably need (at least) coffee, water & good tea.

You've got to have workers who know and care about your stock, which is another large problem for the small indie shop, as space is not unlimited. As you can't compete directly with the big box stores, you're going to pick a niche, and this could be small, indie publishers, who can barely get space anywhere else. Stock lots of genre. You need to host readings, and writer's/reader's/poet's groups and cultural events to create good will among local book buyers for your store.

And if this were MY bookstore, it would definitely have a cat, to bask in the sunny windows, or on top of the cash register. One of my favorite bookstores, Dark Star in Yellow Springs, Ohio, sells mostly used books as well as new graphic novels (argh) and "comic" books. It has always had a resident talismanic black cat for the 50+ years it's been in business. Of course, his/her name IS always "Dark Star" and he/she appears on all their give-aways & logos. Personality counts in a small business imho.

Funny you should ask! I've always said I'd love to have a secondhand bookstore. I'd only sell books I know people would enjoy, unlike some bookstores where the same book sits on the shelf for years. I'd also have a rack of new books by local or area authors. Plus, a display of book-related items, such as bookmarks, etc., created by local crafty folks. There would be a corner designated just for kids ... NO adults allowed! And, of course, a corner for the adults who want to sit and browse through the books before deciding to purchase. That same area would host a book group and be available for other book groups to use free of charge. I would definitely make it a place where people would enjoy coming for a visit, even if they don't buy a book!

Great comments Juliet. My bookstore would be similar to the coop in harvard square with open hallways and books on the exterior wall. There would be places to read at desks chairs etc. Dark wood is important as well as staying open late. Serving wine and good beers so that pricing out those who want to get drunk for drunks sake. Quirky but knowledgable staff with particular niches. Also some who can connect modern ides withold bringing the two together and offering fiction if available to fill in the middle.

have comfy chairs and tables in the middle --a place to buy coffee and goodies. a wifi corner--different sections for each genre and a special section for local talent and one for gently used books.

First let me say that don't think I have it in me to run a small business anymore! However comma, If I had the money I would open a store dedicated to current Indie authors and a select list of modern and ancient "Classic" authors. Now that I am one myself and about to publish a third story,trust me I have been through the mill with agents and publishers. Most of the drivel carried in bookstores comes straight from the desks of "Commercial Literature" gurus who have only dollar signs in their heads. And of course there are also the left-wing Barons of Publishing houses who have a choke hold on the book distribution system, and Indies are not welcome therein.A comfortable gourmet coffee and delicasy shop, Not Star-ucks They are anti-military,socialist morons and they serve burnt coffee as gourmet. Oh! did I mention that I am a right wing, patriot? I like the layout and decor that LuAnn and Peter describe,mostly it should be "Reader" comfortable. Not commercial hype of any kind.

I think couches and places to relax.. i always like to preview the book some before reading.. Also... i think really colorful and vibrant decorations. You read books to go to different "places" so i think a themed bookstore would be cool. And definitely coffee and hot chocolate!

My 'fantasy' bookstore would be a very old-fashioned one dealing mostly with used books and collectibles -- the bookstore in "84 Charing Cross Road" comes to mind. Or, a little more fanciful, the one in "The Neverending Story" :)

I have wanted to open a used book store for so long. The first step would be to become independently wealthy so I could survive! Or find a sugar-momma! -grin-

Really though, I would want a store that is comfortable for people to browse and hang around in. Lots of overstuffed chairs, lamps and lots of light. A lot of natural light if possible. People with allergies may have a problem because store cats would be mandatory.
I would stock tons of science fiction, fantasy, horror and bizarro. As well as art books and comics/graphic novels. I would want to carry classic and rare books. As well, operate as a book-finder for those hard-to-find-books!

I would carry other genres as well, but at a very low count. My focus would be on the sci-fi, fantasy, horror and bizarro. With some splatterpunk thrown in for color. -grin-

I would also want to display art by local artists as much as I could. Of course that would mean sacrificing wall space that could be filled with bookshelves, but I feel very strongly about giving local artists a place to show their stuff, to help build their confidence and basically encourage them to keep creating.

When I was in college in Seattle, there was one special bookstore on the 'Ave' that I practically lived in. It had all of the above, plus he allowed smoking. I wouldn't go that far, but it was such a cool store. I would get my triple tall mocha and go read. I found many, many of my best books there. I still have several art books that I got from him that I couldn't find or afford anywhere else.

That is the kind of atmosphere I would want. Easy going, laid back and friendly. Low mood music in the background and by mood music, I mean music to reflect my moods. -grin- Mostly rock with some classical. When you walk in the door I want you to feel welcome, warm and relaxed. To feel free to find some interesting books and sit down to browse while petting one of the cats. To feel at home.

For years I thought I would call my store "Just Imagine", but I'm thinking now that may be kind of lame. It's hard to come up with the perfect name and equally important to get it right. Besides, I saw a store with the same name here a while back!

My ideal bookshop would have several levels. Underground would be the music (rock), DVD, graphic novel, PC and Games section, staffed by a combination of Tarantino and that guy from the Simpsons. It would have a separate entrance, so the patrons of those creative offshoots wouldn't have to mingle with the readers at all.

Above ground, we'd have a multi-level book emporium, with sections for thrillers, horror, SF, used books, book swaps and so on. Comfortable leather chairs, and coffee/tea available. At least one of the nooks would have a writers' group in full flow. The whole area would be divided by slatted wooden railings, with small flights of stairs, and hardly a levelspot anywhere.

Books would of course be piled on nearly every available horizontal surface. There would be some attempt at order, but the manic book-keeper, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Vincent Price, would be the only one who could unerringly head in the right direction and lay his hand on any book at will.

The prevailing ambience would be dark - dark leather, dark wood, shelves of books disappearing into the heights of the vaulted ceiling. A cat and a couple of spiral staircases would be musts.

There would be no neon, chrome, little glass, and no Muzak. Just the queit drone of conversation and the riffle of pages being turned.

A few local eccentrics would occupy one corner, coming in every day to sit and read and chat, but never actually purchasing anything. Tolerated because they added atmosphere, although a high standard of personal hygiene would be required.

Name? 'That Place'. As in "... that place on the corner of the High Street..."

Since this thread started I've been thinking about my recipe for an ideal bookstore. But my conclusion, alas, is that such an exercise is self-flagellation. Most givens in modern life, culture, technology, pace, all mitigate against it. For now, the internet is my bookstore and, when the technological dust settles, an electronic reader of some sort. Not that I'm happy about this, but it's the crumbles of a cookie from a happier, dying era. sniff, sniff, sob, sob . . .

My ideal bookstore would be like one from the movie 84 Charing Cross Road. One of the great quotes from the movie is, I love inscriptions on flyleafs and notes in margins. I like the comradely sense of turning pages someone else turned and reading passages someone long-gone has called my attention to.
There is nothing better than poring over old volumes on ancient shelves on a Wednesday afternoon, that magnificent smell of time and wisdom permeating the entire experience, with only a vague idea of what one will find. I love the idea of those people working there, dedicated to books, as it were, rather than getting past the agony of life and going home.
There is a certain permanence about such things that seems to deny the existence of the modern age. Alas, the modern age has seen fit to deny the existence of such great bookstores for the most part. When I go to these modern glitzy bookstores I can find just about everything... except for anything which I want to read.

In addition to what others have proposed I would add that one of the things I would eliminate is the bottom shelf in my bookstore. I hate having to practically sit on the floor to see what books are listed on the bottom shelf. I would also eliminate the books stacked in the aisles of my book store. I would prefer a more spacious looking area even if it is small, in order to make it easier for people to walk or sit while they think about the books they would like to read or purchase at any given time. Of course having a coffee shop would ony add to the warmth of a book store for anyone who ventured in.

Elena wrote: "In addition to what others have proposed I would add that one of the things I would eliminate is the bottom shelf in my bookstore. I hate having to practically sit on the floor to see what books ar..."

You're absolutely right about books on a bottom shelf. I hate that, too. In fact, I often give up trying to see what all is down there because it's so uncomfortable!

The idea of a theme is rather interesting. Most bookstores I go into have the "shopping mall" theme.

I also like the idea of removing the bottom shelf.

The main thing I would do if I had a store would enforce some loitering rules where people aren't laying all around the store like it's their home. This is one of the biggest turn offs to me. I know it's a bookstore and people want to read but I don't think it's respectable for people to be lounging all over the floors, in between the shelves with their feet up. This is why I stopped going to Barnes and Noble and started shopping at Borders. I got sick of how folks sat all over the floor like they owned it. There were places for people to sit to read but they would be anywhere they wanted and had no care for other people. You don't want to walk over people when you're browing shelves.

So if I had a store, I would make sure that the people sat down and read in a particular area for that and not lounge all over the store. It also makes the store look messy and disorganized.

This is one of the reasons I haven't been getting my books out of stores for the past few years. Since I tend to know what books I always want, I have been ordering online since '07.Now I won't be going probably much at all because I just got an ereader for Christmas and I love it. I get all the books I want at my fingertips. I don't have to climb through people at the bookstores, LOL!

I enjoy the bookstore experience and I know it's supposed to be social but it should not be where people can behave however they want. It's still a public environment. You don't see people lying around at the libraries so why do they feel they can do it in the bookstore?

And ditto for removing the bottom shelf. I'm 6'0 tall and it's incredibly difficult for me to bend down if the shelf is on the floor!

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

If I could open my dream bookstore I'd absolutely have to open two:
1) Bookstore A: Would be named 'Oh the Places That You'll Go' and would be a themed bookstore centered on books with settings around the world. Regional books set in the U.S. would be in the center of the store with representation from the other continents set up like a traditional map. Within the country/continent organization there would also be the traditional organization by genre. Maps, pictures and plants from around the world would be part of the decor with plenty of comfy seating and lots of windows for imagining the words being read. Featured snacks and beverages would also be internationally themed.

2) Bookstore B - This would be a more traditional bookstore but with some modern touches.It would have a large scale Kindle type screen featuring books of interest with audio. I'd love to have a screening room with viewing for book-based movies with opportunities for discussion/comparison afterwards. Blog/Facebook/Twitter Central would have book news/events and workshops about posting more effective entries and utilizing Web 2.0 tools for maximum effectiveness. Lots of contemporary but comfortable seating, aesthetic would be very 21st century...oh if only. Big sigh.

What a lot of great ideas--makes me want to go to those imaginary places. We have a couple of great, small, independent book stores in our town. One focuses on new books with a neat little coffee area and the other has more used books, music, videos, but also carries new books (mine, thankfully!) Boy, removing the bottom shelf has been a hit with this group--love it!

I would keep mine relatively small and give huge support to small presses and local authors. A friendly, well-lit, airy place, but no cat. Sorry, I need to be able to breathe and do suffer from that allergy. I love going into the book and coffee store--it smells sooo good.

I agree about the bottom shelf. I'm not one for shelves over 6-7 feet either unless there is very handy methods of getting up there.

My local Borders took all the Science Fiction from the center section with the 5 foot shelving and put it on the wall units which are over 8 feet. It makes it a pain in the rear to scan the titles or just browse. Pretty stupid idea. They put the books that are least looked at in the center instead. Dumb, it won't get them looked at more just because they are in the way. Whoever is in charge there has no idea on product arrangement and customer flow.

I don't like going to Barnes & Noble because they won't put Horror in it's own section. Instead they put it in with all the other general fiction.
You know why?
Because the person in charge is one of those elitists that doesn't believe Horror is literature. That's it's trash, worse than Harlequin, but they put Romance in it's own section. What a putz!
They only give sci-fi & fantasy it's own section because of the high demand.

Sorry. It's a pet peeve.

That's an interesting comment about the categorization. I think being able to find what you're looking for without having to hunt around for a store employee would be a smart idea.
The Borders I go to doesn't seem to know the difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and has those two sections squeezed in a very uncomfortable spot in spite of the fact that there are usually more people browsing those shelves than in some other empty and wider aisles.

A huge place somewhere the rent is cheap.
All used books, with a used music section.
Little sandwich shop/coffee bar along one side.
Mismatched furniture culled from yard sales (where many of the items also originate!)
Music always floating down from a set of vintage Klipsh speakers mounted high on one wall...everything from Hawkwind to Charlie Byrd to Bach played by Glenn Gould.
An entire shelf of old Sci-Fi/Fantasy paperbacks, enough that no one could ever finish them all.
Staffed by an eclectic group who all love the smell of books more than anything else.

Bret said:

"I agree about the bottom shelf. I'm not one for shelves over 6-7 feet either unless there is very handy methods of getting up there."

On the flipside it would work well for me being 6'0. I wouldn't have to reach, LOL!

Another thing I would do. If I had a book store my book stores definitely wouldn't have black authors' books in the shamelessly racist "African-American" section! I'd make sure black authors were classified by genre with other books and not by race like it should be! "African-American" is not a genre, it's a race! Minority authors should be shelved by what they write and not who they are! It's racism.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

That does it you guys. I am coming to all of your bookstores and bringing my sleeping bag.

Mickey Hoffman wrote: "That's an interesting comment about the categorization. I think being able to find what you're looking for without having to hunt around for a store employee would be a smart idea.
The Borders I..."

I don't mind having sci-fi and fantasy together since they are closely related and many authors write both. Also, many novels blend the two genres right in their stories.
So it would be rather hard to separate the two.

Another thing that DOES bug me is at the local Barnes & Noble, they have horror mixed in with general fiction, along with mystery, suspense and thriller. Horror needs it's own section, as does mystery. But, in my opinion, it's okay to blend suspense and thriller with mystery because they are so close.

Can I make it a big enough store to have several copies of everything? I'd want a section where everything's filed by author name, another where series are filed by series name, and then lots and lots of genre sections. I'd have fun trying to sort the genres (sci fi next to fantasy next to horror next to dark urban next to ...) just like sorting clothes in a closet.

I am a former bookstore owner, from back when there were considerably more independent bookstores, and those remain my favorites. I love little quirky stores that you can wander around in and make fresh discoveries with each pass through. I'd rather see unusual titles and things I didn't know were out there than a slew of bestsellers I'm not all that keen on reading.

I don't think there are any independent book stores in Green Bay any more. There are a couple of used books stores, but the ones I've been in are rather grungy. This town is great at embracing the new stuff and letting go of the old -- even if the old was better in the long run. Unfortunately, most of the people don't notice until the familiar, locally owned places are gone.