New and Prospective Booksellers Find Inspiration, Camaraderie at Winter Institute

At this year’s Winter Institute in Denver, more than 25 new and prospective booksellers who are planning to open bookstores in all corners of the country in the coming months experienced their first author receptions, rep picks lunches, and education sessions.

Rebecca George, whose Chicago store, Volumes Bookcafé, will open in about four to six weeks, said her time at Winter Institute was exciting and inspiring, in addition to being a welcome respite as her store’s opening day looms.

“I’m kind of recharging and getting my brain in the right place before we open,” said George, a former educator with retail and publishing experience who is co-owner of the new bookstore in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood with her sister Kimberly, who has a background in early childhood education.

The 2,800-square-foot space at 1474 N. Milwaukee Avenue will offer a mixture of mostly new books as well as used books, and a large children’s collection. It will also have a café featuring local coffee, baked goods and craft beer and wine.

Winter Institute 11 in Denver was actually George’s second Winter Institute; her first was in 2015 in Asheville. She has also attended a BookExpo America trade show in New York City and two Heartland Fall Forum regional events, and is a 2009 graduate of the University of Denver Publishing Institute run by Joyce Meskis. George said that one of her big take-homes from her first Winter Institute was the idea to purchase movable shelves, which will allow Volumes Bookcafé to create an open and adjustable space for community events of different sizes.

At this year’s Institute, George said she gleaned some interesting ideas from the bookseller discussions after the opening keynote by branding expert and author Martin Lindstrom, including the concept of creating more spot displays integrated with plush.

“At Winter Institute, above all things, I enjoy the one-on-one conversations with booksellers. It’s great for talking to other booksellers from densely populated areas, which helps a lot with planning for me,” said George. “There were a few sessions this year where I got a better handle on what to expect for organizing returns and, overall, organizing a great deal of other things. I feel like I can learn from others’ mistakes on this, and forge ahead with a greater sense of what is needed to get it right on the first try.”

George also returned home with more than 25 books from the Wi11’s Galley Alley, including one favorite, Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russo. “A lot of books are coming out right after we open,” she said. “So I’m excited to take a look at all the books I got and make a list to order from Ingram.”

The Georges had actually planned to open Volumes’ doors in June 2015, but after a city building inspection the sisters were told they needed to fund a secondary heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system for the space as well as an upgrade to the main water line to the building, which was originally constructed in 1883. To raise money for the improvements, Volumes Bookcafé rolled out an Indiegogo campaign in November, which raised $9,400 in one month, and they are now on track to open in a little over a month.

Maggie and Wes Hansen, who are planning to open a new bookstore in Austin, Texas, later this year, said they are eyeing the neighborhoods of Rosedale or Hyde Park for their future general-interest store.

While the couple has yet to begin scouting out storefronts, the goal of their new venture is clear: to be a go-to neighborhood bookstore for all ages and types of readers. Depending on funding and retail space options, the Hansens hope to open a hip, clean, 2,000-square-foot shop at the end of this summer or the beginning of fall.

Playing off the outdoorsy vibe of Austin and the idea that reading is an adventure, the Hansens plan to name the bookstore The Paper Trail and to infuse the shop with themes of exploration. The name also pays homage to the importance of the physical, paper book.

“Everyone’s bookcase is their own paper trail,” said Wes Hansen. “It’s a reflection on their past and their future.”

Both Hansens have bookselling experience from stints at Books & Company in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Maggie Hansen, who currently works for a communications firm in Austin, previously worked in publicity for Simon & Schuster in New York. Wes Hansen, formerly a pro golfer with a background in art and merchandising, just completed fire academy training and will divide his time between firefighting and bookselling.

After attending a Paz & Associates workshop last year and last week’s Winter Institute, the Hansens said they feel like they are on the right track with their business plan for the bookstore.

“We feel like this is a viable venture,” said Maggie Hansen, noting the huge technology boom happening in Austin right now. “We feel like there’s this forward momentum.”

The Hansens know about the many well-loved indie booksellers rooted in Austin — BookPeople, Malvern Books, and Bookwoman, among others — but they feel that there’s plenty of room for another community-oriented space. “We’ve noticed that some parts of Austin don’t have just a small, neighborhood bookstore,” said Maggie Hansen.

With no prior food and beverage retail experience, the Hansens have decided to stick strictly to books for now, but they hope to find a location that easily allows for a mouth-watering rotation of food trucks to be parked in front of the store during business hours.

Events at The Paper Trail will lean toward education and social issues and will capitalize on new relationships with area colleges and nonprofits. The Hansens hope that the bookstore becomes a community forum and events will be an important educational resource for neighborhood residents.

At their first Winter Institute in Denver, Maggie Hansen noted how wonderful it was to be in an environment with so many other people who were excited and optimistic about bookselling. Wes Hansen said, “The relationship building has been priceless.” —Liz Button and Sydney Jarrard