Around Indies

Just Write! Connects Village Books to Writing Community

Village Books & Paper Dreams in Bellingham, Washington, launched the Just Write! e-newsletter in January and has since seen great success in connecting with the local writing community, Books & Whatnot reported.

In its first newsletter, Village Books invited readers to attend a Writing Group Meet, Greet, and Match Up, and more than 40 people joined in for snacks, drinks, and conversation, said Village Books Digital Marketing Coordinator Amy Blackwood. Based on the overwhelming response to the bookstore’s writing events, five new writing groups have been added to the Village Books calendar and existing groups have been spruced up to lure more attendees.

In addition to promoting the bookstore’s writing groups and offerings, the newsletter also educates the writing community about classes of interest with college partners, writing conferences, open mic nights, publishing tools, and the bookstore’s consignment program.

The monthly “300 Words — Paragraph Prompt” inspires writers to take a moment to let the creativity flow. “In writing, we often get caught up in deadlines and pressures and meeting the needs of others, so I wanted us to return to our roots and take 20 minutes to free-flow write on a completely random topic,” said Blackwood. Writers are invited to submit their prompted paragraph to be published on Village Books’ blog.

Penguin Bookshop Launches Writers Series

On May 14, Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, launched the Penguin Bookshop Writers Series (PBWS) with an inaugural writing workshop featuring author Kristin Bair O’Keeffe.

“The goal of PBWS is to unite published writers with aspiring writers, aspiring writers with publishing professionals, and curious readers interested in the author’s craft with professional writers,” said Penguin owner Susan O’Connor.

The “Writerhead” workshop led by O’Keeffe, the author of The Art of Floating (Berkley Books), invited the more than 20 participants to share their ideas for how to get into a good state for writing, whether it’s mood music, total quiet, or the proper nutrition. The event was topped off with a champagne toast.

In June, Penguin Bookshop will hold its next PBWS event with food blogger Jessica Merchant, author of Seriously Delish (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

The Writer’s Block to Bring Education, Events to Las Vegas

As part of a downtown revitalization program, The Writer’s Block opened in Las Vegas in November with a special focus on education and events, reported Publishing Perspectives.

Scott Seeley, who owns the bookstore with his husband, Drew Cohen, is a co-founder and former executive director of 826NYC, a nonprofit organization that helps children with their creative and expository writing skills.

In that vein, the Writer’s Block houses a back classroom that provides a space for free creative writing classes, and the front of the shop is a general-interest bookstore, one that the owners are adapting to their customers’ demands, which include requests for more poetry, memoirs, and literary nonfiction.

“Before we opened, our mentality was to please everybody because there wasn’t a general bookstore aside from Barnes & Noble,” said Cohen “So we did a little of everything. But we found that we weren’t selling a lot of the more popular genre fiction.”

The Writer’s Block is also aiming to bring authors to Las Vegas for a robust events program at the shop. “It’s tough, because Vegas is not on the author’s circuit, but hopefully we’ll be able to cajole some people,” said Cohen. “Any authors that wind up here, we’re trying to reel them in.”

Third Place Books Owner Ron Sher Featured

Third Place Books owner Ron Sher talked with Crosscut about the books on his nightstand, his favorite titles from childhood and now, and the business model that has served as the foundation for two community-focused Third Place Books locations in Washington — plus one scheduled to open this fall.

Sher noted that the “third place” model gives retailers a better opportunity for success, as shops operate within a retail community and support one another. “I felt that locating a new and used bookstore, a coffee shop, and the restaurants and cafes along with other services and amenities would attract customers and enrich a community,” he said.

In terms of the future of books and independent bookstores, Sher commented, “The book as we now know it will be with us for a very long time. Other forms of reading and listening will most likely continue to grow as a percentage of sales, but I feel growth will be much slower than in the past. It will be interesting to see what happens when my generation passes on. Will we be replaced by book readers or digital readers? For me, browsing in a bookstore will always be much more thrilling than browsing online.”

California’s Bay Books Offers Personal Touch

Coronado, California’s Bay Books was highlighted by eCoronado for its classic charm and personal touch that make shopping there an experience, down to the soft music, comfy seating, and knowledgeable and friendly staff members that share their favorites through the store’s Staff Selects section.

Bay Books co-owner Angelica Muller explained, “We are very fortunate to have a very supportive community.” The bookstore, which has been family owned and operated since its opening in 1990, caters to that community by providing titles from an array of genres, high quality greeting cards, and plenty of items in the children’s section, including books, puzzles, and craft supplies. “We try to encourage young readers from a very early age, and that is a very important part of our store,” said Muller.

Muller also stressed the uniqueness and importance of independent booksellers nationwide. “If we lose independent bookstores, we lose a way of really learning about our society and about the culture of our community. You can buy a book for a dollar cheaper on Amazon, but then you lose the ability to browse and touch and see what you are buying and hear our recommendations from people who have read the books,” she said. “Independent bookstores need to be preserved and cherished!”