I’m lucky in that my job requires that I visit many of the best bookstores in the West, which means, some of the finest bookstores in the country. I am always amazed to see the creative displays and feature areas of the different stores. Having spent many years in retail before flipping to this side of the business, I really appreciate the thought and work that goes into this kind of merchandising, and there is no better way to get good ideas than to steal them from another willing colleague. Booksellers are nothing if not generous with sharing their ideas, as is obvious at every trade show or Winter Institute presentation or roundtable. Sometimes though, it is the simple idea that might not make a discussion that sticks with you. These ideas can be picked up best by visiting other bookstores in your area, or any area you happen to be visiting.
One of the reasons that booksellers have been so interested in the “bookseller exchange” program that MPIBA encourages as an experiment is not just for the exchange of booksellers, but the exchange of ideas that go with it. This was also true of the MPIBA spring Regional Focus Meetings in Austin, Texas and Edwards, Colorado. These meetings were not only a chance to network with fellow booksellers, but to see a store that you might not have previously visited.
Two booksellers in the San Francisco bay area recently made a tour of stores in their area and they were thrilled to be able to come home with some great ideas. Sheryl Cotleur from Book Passage documented her trip with Paul Yamazaki, of City Lights Booksellers in a recent NCIBA newsletter. You can read her article below. I know your time is tighter than ever these days, but I urge you to get out and see other stores in your area and take advantage of this valuable resource to better your own store for the future.
- Jim Carretta, Regional Sales Manager, PartnersWest Book Distributing
(Jim is pictured above in Estes Park, Colorado, with his Leonberger dogs: Hershey on the left and Raleigh on the right)
Touring Bookstores Bay Area Style – April 2009
It started as an idea to become familiar with stores not visited in years, in some cases ever, and ended being a trip of connection, delightful discoveries, reenergized relationships and a deeper appreciation for the diversity of Bay Area bookselling. Paul Yamazaki and I discussed taking a day or two off to visit bookstores outside of San Francisco so one Thursday in April we left San Francisco at 9 am and 32 miles later arrived at Kepler’s in Menlo Park. We visited with Clark Kepler, Frank Sanchez and Marilyn Smith and other staff and admired the results of their recent remodel. The store feels bright and airy. There are lots of tables of intriguing face-up choices and plenty of staff to answer questions and help you find things. Paul and I loved the custom designed cash register area on hidden wheels so it can be moved when need arises or to accommodate large events. Kepler’s has a powerful community feel with plenty of signs encouraging shopping local and joining their membership program. Book selection covers everyone from college kids to business people to families looking for puzzles or books to read together.
Then on to Rakestraw Books in Danville 55 miles later. By happenstance our tour managed to include the just moved and remodeled new location of Rakestraw Books. Michael Barnard has got to have about the prettiest bookstore in the area. His bright yellow, red and blue walls accented by wonderful carpets over a bare but beautiful floor make for a stunning space that includes wonderful tables and lamps. Paul and I felt how much the space just brings out the simple pleasure of shopping and the layout encourages one to wander everywhere. We loved the unusual combination of subjects imagining how much the customers must delight in finding treasures next to known authors. Michael was careful to include in his new store the ability to create a large welcoming space for events. Also because of all the large windows on to the walkable street one imagines folks flocking to this inviting store.
Next 18 miles later we pulled up at A Great Good Place For Books in Oakland. Kathleen Caldwell’s store may have been the smallest we visited but certainly does not lack for a large selection of books. She knows here neighborhood and her authors so it’s a reader’s paradise. Specializing in literary fiction, young adult and children’s books A Great Good Place For Books lives up to it’s name. Kathleen talked about her thriving book club business and her off site sales program. Her store is a great example of a smallish space with long arms into the community. Paul and I loved the well-crafted signs everywhere that said if you loved this book; naming a title, then try these, with descriptions of 4 more choices. Paul commented on the quality of these recommendations and later even pulled a few books off the shelf unknown to him.
On our way again we, after 10 miles, ended up at Mrs. Dalloway’s also in Oakland. This time it was late enough that we missed the owners Marion Abbot and Ann Leyhe but were greeted and welcomed by Frayda Simon and Michael Ichioka. First one had to spend time on the sidewalk admiring the window displays. It amused Paul no end that the full size mannequin of Mrs. Dalloway in the window was reading a copy of Poetry As Insurgent Art. I took pictures to send to Lawrence (Ferlinghetti, poet, publisher and co-founder of City Lights) at Paul’s request. This store has the feel of being outdoors while inside, perhaps because of the large gardening section, high ceilings and light green and white colors. We were completely taken with the large bowl of beautifully reproduced free poems given out for poetry month and the truly wonderful poetry section. We were told Mary Fox was responsible, bravo! I loved the shelf talkers here and as Frayda pointed out the large ampersand symbol on the front desk perfectly expresses the symbiosis between the gardening section and literature. Mrs. Dalloway’s is looking forward to some remodeling soon that will expand their space. This day ended with a brief stop into Diesel to read some of their vast number of cheeky and delicious shelf talkers and then on to some food and drink to talk over the day.
The very next Thursday we continued by going north. I picked Paul up at 9 am at the Larkspur Ferry and traveled the very short distance to my stomping grounds Book Passage. Paul got a good look at how we’ve evolved over the years into two buildings and extra classroom spaces to accommodate our expanding list of community events and conferences. Mostly though Paul, as buyers do, focused on looking at books. It was fun to have him over to our place.
Then on the road again and up to lovely Sonoma where 26 miles later we landed at Reader’s Books. Owners Lilla and Andy Weinberger greeted us as soon as we stepped inside. This is a charming store completely woven into the fabric of the community selling, lately, premium fresh organic eggs along with a few chicken books and a heady mix of fiction. Reader’s also has great current non-fiction, children’s books and an especially rich cookbook selection. In fact you can get a bottle of locally produced olive oil there also. Don’t get me wrong; the store is all about books with just a few food items to make things interesting. Lilla, Andy and their staff move around their favorite and featured titles often to keep the surprises coming for their loyal customers and they have a wonderful patio out back to accommodate good weather events & readings – good weather being in abundance in Sonoma.
After lunch it’s back in the car for a 45 minute drive over 29 miles of gorgeous countryside to Sebastopol where we visited Copperfield’s. This store houses the offices of the 6 store independent chain where we got to visit with Ty Wilson, the buyer and Robin Laine, the store manager. Also events coordinator Stephanie Deignan jumped in with tales of lively things they are doing like hosting an on going chess tournament in the front window all summer and having a local dance troupe perform in the back parking lot. Robin told us how their community was the Berkeley of Sonoma County and therefore their stock and events reflected that. Ty, Paul and I chatted a bit and looked around at the books enjoying Copperfield’s particular unique mix of selections. This store has a local authors section as well as tables full of current paperback fiction and non-fiction artfully arranged and also wonderful signage! Robin tells us that there’s a large community of artists all around who make their presence felt both in book selection and in what they produce, show and sell.
Then we moved onto Pt. Reyes Bookstore some 33 miles and stunning vistas later. The road meandered through vast ranch lands to the edge of Tomales Bay and down a part of that coast. Pt. Reyes has not lost one whit of its local charm and vibrant ranching community feel while also serving its expanding creative population of writers, artists, poets, and thinkers. In fact the sustainability movement, both practical and philosophical, is most strongly felt here and the bookstore reflects that. Paul was impressed with the quality of books packed into this 1000 square ft. store saying they actually bore some resemblance to the kind of books living on the shelves at City Lights. Owners Steve Costa and Kate Levinson could not be on hand to greet us but Steve and I spoke the day before. I was fascinated to hear details of their two Geography of Hope conferences, the first on Wallace Stegner whose writings provided the title & the philosophy behind it all and the second on writing on farming and the rural life. These conferences in back to back years took place over 3 days, drew 600 participants, over 35 renown authors and created excitement far and wide. Steve and Kate hope to continue this weekend conference every other year now on related topics.
Though it was hard to choose which wonderful place to have dinner we drove another 14 miles into Bolinas, because, well it’s Bolinas. After a leisurely drink at Smiley’s with the house dog for company we went across the street for dinner and much conversation – reviewing the entire experience. We wished we could continue on other days and visit every single independent bookstore, large and small within 100 miles of San Francisco. Finally when time to go we drove the coast highway back, which even at night is lovely, and after another 32 miles arrived at Paul’s doorstep. I then turned for home. It was 10pm and the end of a truly remarkable and fun 2 days. We were encouraged by the breadth and depth of Bay Area bookselling and enlivened by visiting our brethren booksellers. We saw evidence in every store of creative efforts to continue to bring cherished, hand selected good quality books to each community – something that is becoming increasingly difficult in this economy and culture and yet still is a labor of love. Everyone we visited wished they were on the trip with us and to that we say grab some friends and do your own trip! You will love it and the people you visit will love having you come by. We are a most welcoming community!
-Sheryl Cotleur, Buyer, Book Passage and Paul Yamazaki, Buyer, City Lights
The pronoun for the afternoon is “We” not “I”, because
without each and every one of you there is no me. We have worked side by side
these years, field hands in the world of ideas: matching books and readers (as
Joyce says). If I was any good at this at all, it was because you were my
examples.
I’m sure that the psychologists would have a “field day”
with this, but the only goal I really had as a young man was to have a lot of
friends. Working for Harper in the Rocky Mountains
has helped me fulfill that young man’s objective to the utmost. All of you are
the makers of my dream, and you will remain in my memories for the years I have
left. The times I’ve had with so many of you are what one of my buyers Ruth
Block at St Olaf’s used to refer to as “way too much fun”. I thank every one of
you for any success that I have enjoyed in my career here.
As I look back, I see my work life in cinematic terms, a
collage of plane flights and car rides, catalogues, order forms and lap tops,
shipments and arrangements, hopes and attitudes, many amazing reads, (some
penned by authors here today), and an occasional cocktail, well maybe a
frequent cocktail when those were my MO, and a million laughs, a gathering of
stories.
The beauty of reflection was evidenced last night at dinner
with the Hopkins and Betsy and Ann from King’s English, and why is it that
talking about the difficult interactions is so much funnier than talking about
the easy ones? Who knows? Mysteries remain unsolved.
For today, what I humbly understand is that with you and
extraordinary good fortune, the script gets changed and we don’t arrive at this
moment, and I am deeply grateful for this moment, and I am thankful to have discovered
a modicum of humility, and somehow that
awareness that the world is fragile and finite, and it makes it feel to me like
it’s time for punctuation, and as WE move on from here, as Pooh said to Tigger,
“I am in you and you are in me.”
When I started in the business, my previous employer was the
Yonkers Board of Education, where I passed a year as an entertaining, yet not
very engaged eighth grade teacher. It’s pretty tough to have an orderly
classroom if the teacher has what we now refer to as ADD. At age twenty-four, I
didn’t have the ability to sit in a classroom and focus on individual and
collective goals for one hundred and twenty students, when there was a big
world outside that needed to become my oyster. As luck would have it, my cousin
Jonathan Dolger, who at the time was an editor at Harper, was best friends with
the new Sales Director, Bob Gales, and Bob hired me with no book experience to
cover six southern states with no major accounts. It got me out of
The City, which at that point in time was a good thing for both me and The
City, and more importantly it was the perfect indulgence for my ADD, in that I
had one hundred and ten customers and thousands of publications, to not focus
on very well. A variation of that broad schematic has lasted thirty plus years,
and has been the perfect indulgence for me to skip across the stream of
publishing and never quite sink.
On a good day this is an absolutely charmed existence, the
intersection of ideas an personalities, and I honestly can say that if I’ve
passed one minute of the 30 plus “bored”, then my own blood sugar was the
culprit, certainly not the business that we’re in. There is a flip side, of
course, and that shadow side for me is inexplicable, in that the limitless
permutations become something of a tread mill, and having been born under a
self- critical star, there is a sense that I could have done better; that there
is work undone, opportunities missed, and it’s always time to move on.
So for me, in a
latter year, I start anew, and look back at the more narrow focus, that I can
be a better husband, father, grandpa (and judging from what I see of the next
generation, the parents are going to need all the help they can get), focus on
a few subjects and giving back to the world in which I’ve been so damned lucky,
on my own schedule for a little while. I thank HarperCollins for the
opportunity to do so, and the association of these years, in which I’ve had the
opportunity to work for a reputable, challenging, and humane company.
It is my sincere hope that this is no goodbye, but a “so
long” and that I will see all my friends here again, and often. You are in my
thoughts and memories, thoughts which frequently give me an opportunity to
chuckle. I wish you all peace, joy, and prosperity in the years ahead. I hope
when you think of me, it’s about good times, as are my memories of you.
On the day that the movie trailer for “Where the Wild Things Are” hit YouTube, I watched it six times. Then I sent it to my staff to post on our web site. When I arrived at the store, the books were prominently stacked next to a nice, framed movie poster. That very day (in the off season, no less) we sold out of WTWTA in paperback and hard cover. We ordered some more. We sold out again. We ordered again. And the hype continued.
We all know that making movies out of books is a good thing for book sales, publishers, and arguably, for the books themselves. Film adaptations breathe new life into backlist titles and can resurrect obscure authors. They bring the reading experience to a wider audience without much effort from booksellers. We sell stacks, we reorder, we ride the wave. But in some way, movies can also cheapen the effect of books and fragment the characters which once lived within their pages.
Box office success can mean that characters like Pooh and Piglet are turned into empires of licensing, their delicate identities turned over to the whims of marketing directors, producers and animators. And as we know, sometimes authors don’t like that.
Most agree that of all kids’ books made into movies, WTWTA has the chance to do good by the author. Sendak carefully chose screen writers Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers. Thoughtful and methodical, both are known for some of the most honest work in their respective industries. Sendak had oversight and veto power when he wanted it. And the film looks absolutely fantastic.
However, there are signs that our beloved Max is on the prowl, making appearances in coloring books, puzzles and a movie storybook from Harper Festival. Jonze and Eggers are also hoping to profit from the rights to Max. In separate private enterprises, Jonze figured out a way to sell a limited edition skate sneaker via Lakai with WTWTA art, while Eggers penned a young adult novel that imagines Max growing older through his McSweeney’s lens.
Will the two-dimensional Max persist? Yes. Will our opinion of him change? Probably. But will Max ever be free from outside interpretation again? Not a chance.
Perhaps, then, Salinger is on to something.
-Nicole Magistro, The Bookworm of Edwards in Edwards, Colorado
Ah, to go back twenty years to that golden era of
bookselling. Neighborhoods each had their own bookstore, newspapers did
extensive book reviews, Amazon was a big river, Barnes and Noble was that huge
store you visited in New York City and the internet ... just a twinkle in Al Gore’s
eye. But it isn’t 1989. Never will be again and the book industry
as we knew it twenty years ago, let alone last year, no longer exists. Mega-stores,
Kindle, POD; a whole new lexicon has appeared. And, I’m afraid, we are heading
towards the abyss of exclusivity. Here is my personal story in that realm.
Just in the last six months publishers including Chelsea
Green and Globe Pequot Press signed exclusive agreements with Amazon.com to
release both fiber-based books and e-books. We independents were aghast, the
ABA wrote letters of protest, bookstores boycotted Chelsea Green. Where’s the
level playing field we asked (as if it has ever been level?), how can we
compete? These were political titles, with short shelf lives and at least in my
corner of Utah, there was NO demand. No big deal but a warning shot across the
bow. What will we do when Stephanie or J.K sign an exclusive?
Robert Fulghum (EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN) lives in Moab part-time. He’s sold over 7 million books. He’s a
big deal and he only writes non-fiction. Or so we thought. About 5 years ago
Robert plopped down a tome in 5 volumes, “Read this, let me know what you
think? It’s a fictional piece I’ve been working on.” About a month later we
talked. Third Wish had it all. Compelling characters, a love story,
culinary, fine art and musical treats, a tour of three cultures. “Robert, this
will be a tremendous Book Club pick. Women, especially will love it! When does
it publish? How far apart will you publish each volume?” I gushed. Silence. “Well,
actually my publisher won’t publish it,” Robert replied, “I’m insisting that
the artwork is in color and that a CD of the music is included. So I’m going
with Amazon.” Long silence. “Becker and Mayer, they published those Griffin and
Sabine books originally is designing it and Amazon will publish and exclusively
distribute it, both in hard copy and on Kindle.” Longer silence. Visions of
book release parties go flying out the window. How can he do this to ME, I
mused. I took it very personally and told him how upset it made me feel.
“Well,” he quietly replied, “I did write into the contract that you could sell
the book.” “What’ya mean I can sell the book,” I asked. “What about all
the other independent bookstores in the country?” “Queen Anne Books in Seattle
can sell it too,” he boasted. After I calmed down a bit, we talked more about the
whys and whatnots and he explained that he saw this as the only way he could
publish the book the way he wanted it published, save self-publishing it.
But it put me in a quandary. Should I sell the book? Should
I go ahead with a release party? What do I tell my peers in the book world? What
do I tell Robert?
Ultimately we did a release party. Robert read, Cosy
Sheridan (who wrote original music for the book) sang and Peg Dougherty
(artwork) explained her process. Coming in at 6.2 pounds it is indeed a
tome---and still very good. Robert says Amazon is going back for a second
printing. And most of the United States knows nothing of the book ... unless of
course, you’re surfing the net ...
We all live in the West, probably because we are drawn to it. From the open spaces, the smell of sage after a hard rain, the too-short glimpse of a cactus bloom, the ancient layers of desert canyon rivers, soaring lonely peaks, dark and loamy pine groves, or the simple act of waving to a passing neighbor, the West supports a lifestyle unlike any other. Rare is the voice that can truly capture this mysterious … something.
Rarer still is the opportunity for publishers and booksellers to team up in a concerted effort to let the world know about such reads. MPIBA’s new Reading the West program is geared towards this specifically. Selected books will be supported by promotional materials and more widespread author tours, making it easy to display these titles well with the end result of, hopefully, selling some really great books that might otherwise be overlooked.
One of the great challenges in the book industry is simply getting attention. It’s extremely difficult to get a book to rise above the noise, especially when that noise is thousands of other great and, let’s face it, not-so-great books. This program is geared towards getting a few of these books a bit more attention, maybe that extra shove a great read needs to garner the readership it deserves.
The titles selected will fall into one of two categories: books whose subject matter deals with our region and books written by authors who live in our region (content doesn't have to be regional). The goal is to have one adult title and one children's title each go-round. The big publishers, small indie presses, self-published, whatever. It’s all eligible … it just has to be great. One of the nice things here is that it doesn’t take much space to set a book apart. Pictured here is a quick endcap display I set up. Nothing fancy. Simple but effective. You can, of course, make it as
simple or elaborate as you want. Please send in photos of your
displays! It’s great to see how other stores are using the same
materials in different creative ways, and will be a wonderful way for us to
see your store. Our region is so vast that it’s impossible for us all
to visit each other. Use this opportunity to introduce us to your store!
All that being said, Reading the West has a lot of potential to help us all -- publishers, booksellers and readers -- discover and help others discover a few good reads. Stay tuned for more details and more great selections. Remember, if you have a suggestion just e-mail Lisa (lisa@mountainsplains.org) and tell her about it.
Well it's a cold and rainy May Day here in Ft. Collins so it's not so painful to be inside working on the e-newsletter and the new blogsite instead of tiptoeing through the tulips in my garden.
Included here is a report on the Edwards meeting that Eric Boss sent to his handlers at Penguin. It was so much better than anything I had prepared that we asked his permission to reprint it. You can also take a look at our maiden attempt at film editing for YouTube. 10,000 thanks to Admin. Asst. Kathy Keel, who hurled herself down the rabbit hole of film editing in order to get this done on time.
Please everybody send in your comments to brighten our day here in the office.
Cheers, Lisa K.
Note: The blog page displays the latest ten entries. Eric Boss's report and eleven videos (turn your speakers or computer volume UP when viewing the videos) are available from the Edwards Regional Focus Meeting, so when you get to the bottom of the page, click "see previous posts."