Spike? It's you. It's really you! My therapist thought I was holding on to false hope, but…I knew you'd come back. You're like…you're like Gandalf the White, resurrected from the pit of the Balrog, more beautiful than ever. Oh…he's alive Frodo. He's alive.

Andrew ,'Damage'


Natter 53: We could just avoid making tortured puns  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Sue - Sep 02, 2007 4:32:52 pm PDT #8183 of 10001
hip deep in pie

Jesse, that's very exciting. I totally have opening my own business fantasies lately. Either some kind of bakery/pie shop or my real dream would be a rep. cinema.


Jesse - Sep 02, 2007 4:34:58 pm PDT #8184 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Well, there's only one (weird) bookstore in my neighborhood and beyond into Queens, which is why I think it could work, but it does mean there's no way to find out about actual local tastes other than by demographics and guessing.


Jesse - Sep 02, 2007 4:36:04 pm PDT #8185 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

It's really just a pipe dream at this point, but I'm starting to read about business planning and stuff, so taking Actual Steps. Kind of.


Scrappy - Sep 02, 2007 4:36:38 pm PDT #8186 of 10001
Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

It was over 100 for the third day on a row today. The good side of this is that the DH has an expensive review car this week, a Land Rover--and it has much better AC than our house. It even has air-conditionoed seats! We were out running errands and then to a dinner yesterday, and out all day today, going to EVERY FURNITURE STORE IN CALIFORNIA to look for a chair which doesn't cost a zillion bucks and trying to find a non-hideous wall sconce for our living room. Didn't find either, but we did stay cool.


Kathy A - Sep 02, 2007 4:41:12 pm PDT #8187 of 10001
We're very stretchy. - Connie Neil

Jesse, if you're really looking into your own bookstore in an area that's underserved in that field, try chatting with other stores in the area you're interested in; they'll be able to let you know what kind of customers come in (young professionals, families, blue-collar), and you can finesse your selection after opening. In the area around the mall when I worked there, we had a lot of immigrant families, so history and business wasn't really in demand, but fiction, kids, and self-improvement were hot topics, with the genre fiction being the biggest (romance, mystery, and sci-fi). At my current store, it's much more widespread, but business and current affairs are very popular.


Jesse - Sep 02, 2007 4:46:39 pm PDT #8188 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

In the area around the mall when I worked there, we had a lot of immigrant families, so history and business wasn't really in demand, but fiction, kids, and self-improvement were hot topics, with the genre fiction being the biggest (romance, mystery, and sci-fi).

That is so awesome, because that is totally what I was thinking -- we have a lot of immigrant families, too, and increasing (as far as I can see) people like me -- young professional types. Conveniently, those are also the kind of books I would want to buy!

Fuck, the more I think about this the more awesome it feels. The whole idea is so out of character for me, but I don't know -- maybe it could happen.

I mean, I've always loved books and bookstores, and I've probably paid more attention to them than the typical person, because I've always thought, "If I were in charge, here's how this would work" about everything.


Kathy A - Sep 02, 2007 4:51:47 pm PDT #8189 of 10001
We're very stretchy. - Connie Neil

Good for you, Jesse!! I hope you can get it to work! If you don't have big-box competition, even better. Definitely do a lot of research by checking out all different bookstores, all different clientele and sizes, and talk to the managers, especially those with indie stores. Do a little websurfing and see if you can find an LJ indie-bookstore-owner group, and contact the ABA (American Booksellers Association) for support groups and networking. Research the hell out of your field and neighborhood before committing to a business plan and loan.


Jesse - Sep 02, 2007 4:53:31 pm PDT #8190 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Joining the ABA costs like $350, which I figure I should earn working in a bookstore to show myself good faith. And then there's so many resources! There's really a ton of shit out there. Of course, there are also small bookstores closing all the freaking time, but still.


Kathy A - Sep 02, 2007 4:56:54 pm PDT #8191 of 10001
We're very stretchy. - Connie Neil

In today's bookselling world, I'd definitely back up your IRL store with a decent website--online orders, especially if a local customer can order at midnight for pickup in a few days at your store is a big plus over Amazon.


Jesse - Sep 02, 2007 5:04:50 pm PDT #8192 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

So many things to think about!