More Than Just Beach Books

If new bookseller Karen Emmerling could go back in time and listen to three words of advice before launching her general bookstore, Beach Books, in the small coastal town of Seaside, Oregon, she would want someone to tell her, "Do more research." After being open for two months, she confessed, "There's an awful lot more to think about than I probably considered, not having had a background in retail or books." But despite the warp-speed learning process, "everything has really fallen into place," she said. "I'm really pleased."

Opening a bookstore had "always been in the back of my mind," said Emmerling. "My daughter left for college, and it was a way to combat the emptiness syndrome. My husband and I make custom iron furniture. He's a blacksmith. I do the painted finishes. I thought it was time to do something of my own."

Her experience in the furniture business proved to be of some help in creating Beach Books, said Emmerling; however, she wished she had been able to attend a Paz & Associates Booksellers School beforehand (she plans to attend in the spring or summer). But when she found the perfect 1,000-square-foot location in Seaside, she didn't want to miss out. And "once you've started paying rent it's really hard to not want to get the doors open right away," she explained.

What she did find especially useful was The FabJob Guide to Becoming a Bookstore Owner (FabJob, Inc.), which led her to the American Booksellers Association, which led her to Bookselling for Dummies (Wiley), and many other resources, including ABA's Book Sense marketing program. (Emmerling displays the weekly top ten bestsellers list near the store's front door.) And Booklog, she said, is invaluable for managing inventory.

Her tips for others new to the business? "I would tell them to ... research sidelines, which can be a great addition." And for those just about to open, Emmerling advised, "Marketing is really important. Let people know you're there and what you're doing. I've done some direct mail and that has been the most efficient and cost effective."

It took two-and-a-half months for Emmerling to turn bare space into a comfortable bookstore with a "beachy feel." Carpets are sand colored, and the entry is paved with river rocks. The bookshelves are light maple. "I want it to be an inviting place, where people can linger," Emmerling said. "It's all pretty peaceful."

The store has been open since mid-November, and Emmerling offered a tentative evaluation. "I think it's going pretty well. We get great feedback, and people are starting to come back. Tourists in town seem to be finding us. I have nothing to compare it to, but our Christmas was pretty successful.

"I hope we'll get a core group of local people who will look to us for book clubs, special orders, and to come in and just feel comfortable spending time here. I would like to come up with a way to have something like a 'rainy day' readers group, which would just come to talk about the books they are reading. We do have a traditional book club, but it seems like in the rainy months it would be nice to come and talk about whatever you happen to be reading. There's a craft store nearby that has a Thursday night knitting group, and [the participants] work on whatever they want to. I'd like to develop something like that for books." --Karen Schechner