Love this Anna. And I LOVE the window you created for your bookshop!! So sad that it closed down. AND AND AND it's no surprise you feature in the Mail on Sunday... you are brilliant as is your newsletter (but how, oh how??)
I will come to your bookshop! There are not enough bookshops in the world.
I have a bookshop dream...and my perfect venue in my local town was recently vacated. It is over 2 floors, with a quirky layout - side rooms and real fireplaces. It's an absolute treasure. I have the shop in my mind. It's a bookshop with a difference. There is a cafe element, but not 'just another' cafe. It is a place of coming together, of welcome and community. There are quiet areas, and areas for gathering. Books for sale that aren't on the 'best seller' lists - shelves full of new gems to be discovered. There are comfy chairs and writing tables. Real tea is served in teapots. Mugs of just the right size to fill a hand with warmth and comfort alongside home made cakes and biscuits. Perhaps bowls of soup and jacket potatoes in the winter to sit with alongside the fire. There are evening events, poetry readings, book clubs, spoken word nights. It is a place of belonging. That's my dream.
My local bookshop has bought the cafe above and runs that as well, which is a great idea, but must take a lot of money. I also agree that older people are the ones who buy books - because I'm one of them!
Yes, interestingly when I did a bookshop course the cost of setting up and running the coffee shop doesn’t make a huge difference to profit and of course needing staff to manage it.
Congratulations on the Sunday Mail plug! And I couldn't agree more that it’s about time publishers noticed the book-selling power of Substack newsletters. Good luck with your bookstore. (I wonder, could your Substack operate as a kind of mail order or book club, along the lines of Rare Birds?)
Thanks Anne, yes I did try a few things at the time but nothing took off. It’s hard to convince the majority to ‘not get it cheaper off Amazon’ … but I won’t give up just yet! 💪🏻
LOVE this! I'm in Austin and there's a bookstore/ wine bar that's in an old renovated Victorian house...Friday nights someone plays the piano. I'll share photos on Notes.
Congratulations! And I especially love how your mention is next to a photo of a Victoria's Secret model. (I think--I had to make the photo bigger and I couldn't quite see.) That should get a few more eyes on it. Seriously, I loved reading about the process of opening the bookstore and I so hope you find another space for yours.
it's definitely a sign that you should write about books there if nothing else.
my other thought (apologies but this is because I'm an artist and we do this instead of having our own shops), have you thought of doing a book cart? and just taking it places? farmer's markets and the like? I know of an artist who did an art cart that she put all over town with her art hanging from it.
Love this Anna. And I LOVE the window you created for your bookshop!! So sad that it closed down. AND AND AND it's no surprise you feature in the Mail on Sunday... you are brilliant as is your newsletter (but how, oh how??)
Thank you Lily, I know the mention was such a surprise. I have no idea how!
Just the words book tok are enough. Book tok 🙉
I will come to your bookshop! There are not enough bookshops in the world.
I have a bookshop dream...and my perfect venue in my local town was recently vacated. It is over 2 floors, with a quirky layout - side rooms and real fireplaces. It's an absolute treasure. I have the shop in my mind. It's a bookshop with a difference. There is a cafe element, but not 'just another' cafe. It is a place of coming together, of welcome and community. There are quiet areas, and areas for gathering. Books for sale that aren't on the 'best seller' lists - shelves full of new gems to be discovered. There are comfy chairs and writing tables. Real tea is served in teapots. Mugs of just the right size to fill a hand with warmth and comfort alongside home made cakes and biscuits. Perhaps bowls of soup and jacket potatoes in the winter to sit with alongside the fire. There are evening events, poetry readings, book clubs, spoken word nights. It is a place of belonging. That's my dream.
Sounds perfect, Emma! Realise your dream! I will come to YOUR bookshop!
Congratulations 🥳
Sounds fabulous 💕
My local bookshop has bought the cafe above and runs that as well, which is a great idea, but must take a lot of money. I also agree that older people are the ones who buy books - because I'm one of them!
Yes, interestingly when I did a bookshop course the cost of setting up and running the coffee shop doesn’t make a huge difference to profit and of course needing staff to manage it.
Congratulations on the Sunday Mail plug! And I couldn't agree more that it’s about time publishers noticed the book-selling power of Substack newsletters. Good luck with your bookstore. (I wonder, could your Substack operate as a kind of mail order or book club, along the lines of Rare Birds?)
Thanks Anne, yes I did try a few things at the time but nothing took off. It’s hard to convince the majority to ‘not get it cheaper off Amazon’ … but I won’t give up just yet! 💪🏻
LOVE this! I'm in Austin and there's a bookstore/ wine bar that's in an old renovated Victorian house...Friday nights someone plays the piano. I'll share photos on Notes.
It's such a good idea!
Thanks Jen and yes, share pics! Sounds amazing!
Wonderful news! All of it, how fun and brilliant to be featured. Best of luck for finding your dream book shop space xx
Thank you, Lyndsay! 🙏🏼❤️
Congratulations! And I especially love how your mention is next to a photo of a Victoria's Secret model. (I think--I had to make the photo bigger and I couldn't quite see.) That should get a few more eyes on it. Seriously, I loved reading about the process of opening the bookstore and I so hope you find another space for yours.
Oh thank you Charlotte! And I hadn’t noticed the Victoria Secrets model! 👀
I love the idea of a multitasking bookshop with cakes, wine and cheese, art and events! It sounds like such an inviting proposition!
I know right? Just to find the right space!
AMAZING. Just amazing
Thanks Jo!
it's definitely a sign that you should write about books there if nothing else.
my other thought (apologies but this is because I'm an artist and we do this instead of having our own shops), have you thought of doing a book cart? and just taking it places? farmer's markets and the like? I know of an artist who did an art cart that she put all over town with her art hanging from it.
anyway, it's a thought.
That’s great news for Substack and excellent news for you! I hope you do get to open another bookshop with cakes, very soon. ✨
Thank you Trudi! 🥰