Tag: indie friendly bookstores

Bookstore Spotlight: Tattered Cover Press

Tattered Cover BookstoreNot so long ago, when a reader wanted to get a new book, they would head on down to their local independent bookstore. Then came big-box bookstores like Borders and Barnes & Noble, and local bookstores took a beating. Many of them lost out so badly that they had to close. Now it’s the big-box stores that are struggling (full disclosure: I still miss Borders), and the field is ripe once again for indie bookstores — particularly those that cater to local readers.

One of those is the Tattered Cover in Denver, Colorado, which has been in business since 1971. It’s now a local chain with several stores, including locations at Union Station and Denver International Airport. It has stayed in business by offering great customer service, an interesting selection of books, and, through its Rocky Mountain Authors program, shelf space for local authors. And since 2011, it has offered print-on-demand services through its Tattered Cover Press. Continue reading “Bookstore Spotlight: Tattered Cover Press”

Creating an Indie Author-Bookstore Symbiosis

Author Shaun McLaughlinGuest Post
by Shaun J. McLaughlin

When I began as an indie author early in 2012, I felt an affinity to indie bookstores. After all, we both struggle against the book industry establishment. Because I wanted a hometown outlet for printed versions of my books, I collaborated early with Mill Street Books. It serves Almonte, a town of 4,200 west of Ottawa, Canada, and a surrounding rural community of fewer than 10,000 others. In two years, that one store has sold 115 paperback copies combined of my three books. It is a profitable symbiotic relationship.

Symbiosis n: any interdependent or mutually beneficial relationship

Mill Street Books always supports local authors. Owners Mary and Terry Lumsden showed immediate enthusiasm for the idea of a joint book launch. Continue reading “Creating an Indie Author-Bookstore Symbiosis”

Hastings and Your Print Books

Author Jacqueline Hopkins

Hastings is a chain of brick and mortar book and entertainment  stores. I have found a way to get my paperback books onto the shelves of my local Hastings store.

If you live in an area where there is a Hastings bookstore (scroll down to the bottom of the website and type in a zip code to find a store near you), you are in luck in getting your print book on their bookshelves. By now you are probably asking how this can be done. Well grab your favorite cuppa java (or what have you), sit in your favorite comfy chair in front of your computer and I will tell you.

I walked into my local Hastings store in Lewiston, Idaho, with six of my paperback books and matching bookmarkers, to see if they would sell them. My philosophy has always been that it never hurts to ask—all anyone can say is yes, no, maybe, heck no, you’ve got to be kidding me or @#% no. Continue reading “Hastings and Your Print Books”