October 18 Opening Remarks October 18 Evening News October 19 News and Announcements October 19 Closing October 18 Opening Remarks Praven Madan’s introduction HELLOOOOO EVERYONE! WELCOME. Thank you all for joining us today for, what we hope, will be a pivotal gathering for bookstores and our communities. My name is Praveen Madan and for my… Continue reading Plenary Notes, Oct 18-19, 2021
Year: 2021
How can community bookstores self-organize to help themselves?
Host: Paul Wright Participants: Betsy Weitzman, Jasmine Valandani, Kelly Stromberg, Malcolm Margolin, Nialle Sylvan, Paul Wright Notes: Is there an owner version of unionizing? What about ABA and BinC? Why re-invent the wheel when wheels already exist? On the other hand, do these organizations really serve the kind of business needs booksellers at this event are… Continue reading How can community bookstores self-organize to help themselves?
How to reimagine bookstores while also doing everything we already do?
Host: Lisa Swayze, Buffalo Street Books Participants: Mary Williams, Skylight Books Kit Steinaway, BINC, Jessica Stockton-Bagnolo, Greenlight Veronica Liu, Word Up, Maryelizabeth Yturralde, Creating Conversations, Jessica Palacios, Once Upon a Time Notes: Can more pubs join BATCH to save time? Are there other ways pubs can support taking away some of the menial tasks?… Continue reading How to reimagine bookstores while also doing everything we already do?
What do we love about what we do, and how can we do more of that?
Host: Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo, Greenlight Bookstore (Brooklyn, NY) Participants: Kevin Smokler (author), Angela Pursell, Jessica Palacios (Once Upon A Time), Ben White (Macmillan), Sarah Pishko (Prince Books), Rebekah Shoah (Boogie Down Books), Maryelizabeth Yturralde (Creating Conversations) Notes: Kevin: Clarification – what makes the situation dire? Jessica S: Not the lack of bookstores, but the lack of… Continue reading What do we love about what we do, and how can we do more of that?
Sustainability: What would a sustainable future for existing and new community bookstores look like?
Host: Paul Wright Participants: Notes: Defining Sustainability. Living wages, distinct from other retail jobs. Growing the pie to be able to afford this. This definition has changed. It used to be not having to ask for financial support. Now it’s just being able to have a sound, trusted, predictable budget. Enhancing customer base, symbiotic relationship… Continue reading Sustainability: What would a sustainable future for existing and new community bookstores look like?
What does the bookstore of the future look like? Wrong answers only (or maybe absurd answers too)
Christie Olson Day, Gallery Bookshop Participants: Another participant – Kim Patch, Rozzie Bound, Boston Notes: We all came up with bad ideas of terrible bookstores of the future “Sharing” home libraries with the bookstore as the trading post, taking a cut Pick a review journal and have those books in stock, charge a subscription fee… Continue reading What does the bookstore of the future look like? Wrong answers only (or maybe absurd answers too)
How do you keep bookstores running in a time where distribution houses are shutting down?
Host: Akanksha Vyas Notes: In the pandemic many distribution houses have started shutting down. Small, independent bookstores do not have direct connections with the publishers, nor do they have the staff or bandwidth to maintain those relationships. It is also important to note that distributors will take books back, where publishing houses will not. Is… Continue reading How do you keep bookstores running in a time where distribution houses are shutting down?
How does the “reimagined bookstore” exist in the current climate alongside more traditional models? What questions come into play as we move forward?
Host: Lisa – Buffalo Street Books Participants: Notes: Is the reimagined bookstore in conflict with more traditional models? Some of the models will be non-profit. The non-traditional stores already exist in this community. Nontraditional stores are doing their thing already. The non-trad stores are already doing many of things we’re discussing. The same things aren’t going… Continue reading How does the “reimagined bookstore” exist in the current climate alongside more traditional models? What questions come into play as we move forward?
How events, and event partnerships, can help bookstores
Host: Cherilyn Parsons (founder/ED of Bay Area Book Festival) Participants: Evan Karp; Steve Wax; Kelly Stromberg; Candace; Margot Sage Notes: The group discussed permutations of, and ideas for, literary events. Questions: Some bookstores produce their own large events (in-person or virtual): what are the dynamics of those, in-person and virtual, in expanding sales and building community?… Continue reading How events, and event partnerships, can help bookstores
Given that publishers tend to focus their tours for bigger, more well known authors in big cities and on the coasts, ignoring much of the flyover country where there’s a greater need for illumination and a wider point of view, how might they re-think their advertising and book launch campaigns to give smaller bookstores a “slice of the pie” and, thus, a real shot at impacting their communities?
Host: Tanya Mills, Book Bungalow Participants: Angie Grau, Bookseller Steph Opitz, Zibby Books Katrina Kruse, sales rep Missy, Katy Budget Books Lauren Gallagher, bookseller Jim Bean, Anthology John Leary, Hachette BrocheAroe Fabian, Sourcebooks/River Dog Book Co. Notes: Q (Tanya): Would publishers be interested in splitting up visits regionally for increased access to authors in rural… Continue reading Given that publishers tend to focus their tours for bigger, more well known authors in big cities and on the coasts, ignoring much of the flyover country where there’s a greater need for illumination and a wider point of view, how might they re-think their advertising and book launch campaigns to give smaller bookstores a “slice of the pie” and, thus, a real shot at impacting their communities?
Reimagining Bookstores 