Around Indies

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version

Here’s what’s happening in the world of indie bookstores this week:

Morgan Miller, Kate Stern, and Melissa Negelspach
Morgan Miller, Kate Stern, and Melissa Negelspach

In May, Antigone Books in Tucson, Arizona, will be sold to three employees, Morgan Miller, Kate Stern, and Melissa Negelspach, who raised more than $34,000 and won a loan from the Small Business Administration to purchase the store. “Honestly, this has completely blown away my expectations,” said Negelspach. “We are overwhelmed with gratitude.”

Watermark Book Company in Anacortes, Washington, has been sold to Brandy and Ben Bowen. “The Bowens will bring fresh energy, ideas, and events to Watermark, and I am confident that it will flourish in their hands,” said bookstore co-founder Patti Pattee.

After posting on social media about slow sales, Common Language Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which specializes in queer and feminist books, received a wave of support (more than 700 online orders) when a Tumblr user’s post went viral: “I saw a sad Facebook post from the gay bookstore back in Ann Arbor where I used to live about how they hadn’t sold any books that day so I went on their online store and bought a couple, and while you don’t get #deals like elsewhere online, I’d love it if y’all would consider buying your next gay book from them instead of like, Amazon.”

Janet Geddis delivering TEDx TalkJanet Geddis, owner of Avid Bookshop, which has two locations in Athens, Georgia, delivered a TEDx Talk about the opening of her bookstore to an audience of 1,500 people.

Cleveland-area bookstores got a shout-out by the local newspaper, which highlighted “16 great independent bookstores,” including ABA members Loganberry Books, Mac’s Backs - Books On Coventry, Appletree Books, Learned Owl Book Shop, Fireside Book Shop, and MindFair.

Hour Detroit listed “9 Independent Book Stores Worth a Visit in Metro Detroit​,” such as Book Nook, Bookbound, Literati Bookstore, The Book Beat, Source Booksellers, and Pages Bookshop.

Milwaukee Magazine featured five great Milwaukee bookstores, among them Boswell Book Company.

Hobart Book Village town sign

The Albuquerque Journal highlighted thriving New Mexico booksellers, including Albuquerque stores Page 1 Books, Title Wave Books, and Bookworks, which is also planning an expansion.

The numerous bookstores in the book village of Hobart, New York, were featured in a segment on the Today show.


Share your news in Around Indies! E-mail [email protected] with photos and details of what’s new at your store, whether it’s opening for business, moving to a new location, expanding, changing ownership, hosting a special event, or celebrating a milestone anniversary.