Outside the Box Ideas for Small Indie Bookstores

The publishing industry is changing. This we all know, and I articulated a bit in my recent blog post "Let's All Wear Our Grown Up Pants." The series continues with today's post, in which we discuss methods of how Indie bookstores can move forward successfully, rather than trying to fight the tides.

If I may interject: In addition to being an author, journalist, and columnist,  I've been a small business consultant and teaching seminars on small business marketing for 15+ years... a sideline which was developed after a multitude of requests from sources who got to know me through my own business successes.

So, here are some of my ideas for Indie bookstore success in the changing marketplace. You may agree or disagree; you may implement them or not. But rest assured of one thing--If you do not move in stride with industry changes, you could be left in the dust.

1. Acceptance: Let go of the idea that you don't like things a new way. Let go of insisting on continuing to do things an old way (unless, of course, it's working for you). Instead, accept that times are changing and make the decision that you are going to reap the rewards of success instead of staging a sit-in from which you may never get up.
2. Embrace the Internet: "But I don't like e-mail!" "But I don't like websites!" "Social networking is a waste of time!" Stop. Just stop. It doesn't matter if you like it... it's the new way of doing business and to refuse to participate is to refuse to grow your business. Notice that I said embrace the Internet. This means don't just set up a website, Facebook page, e-mail, and Twitter account. It means actually check them several times a day, interact with people, and use them to their greatest benefit.
3. Welcome Customers in a Different Way: Ever been to a Subaru service department? If not, it would be a worthwhile research trip. Every customer is treated as valuable. Every customer is treated as a VIP. Additional services are offered, but not pushed. There is no undertone of desperation of any kind. You arrive there, they know who you are, and they're ready for you.
4. What Do You Have To Offer That Large Chains & Online Stores Don't? (Capitalize on them!) Here are some things off the top of my head:

• Personal interaction: "Hi! I'm not sure if we've met before but my name is (Joe) and I'd be happy to help you find something. What's your name? Great to meet you (Wendy). Thanks for coming in!" (See below about a staff notebook to help you remember your new acquaintances!)
• An interesting attraction: Store cat? Store bird? Don't like animals?... How about a wheel of fortune that customers can spin to win something? A huge bulletin board with pictures of events, or even just happy customers with their purchases? A community bulletin board where your fellow business owners can thumbtack their info? Free coffee, including actual milk instead of the powdered stuff? A frequent buyer club where they eventually get a free book?
• Build a community: Get every customer's e-mail address. (Have a jar at the register where they enter their name & e-mail address to win a monthly drawing for a $15. gift card to your store.) Send out a weekly e-mail that includes a section that says, "We'd like to give an extra warm welcome to our new customers: Wendy, Mike, etc." (Don't include last names and you won't have to worry about privacy). "We'd also like to extend our thanks to other customers who came in this week, including: Mary, Tom, etc."
• Invite the community: Go to Meetup.com and sign up to offer a "Perk," offering your location for Meetup groups to gather. Spread the word amongst local groups: Book Groups, Women's Clubs, Men's Clubs, Rotary, Knights of Columbus, Veteran's Groups, Classic Car Lovers, Animal Rescue Group meetings... anyone who needs a place to meet!
• Make customers aware: You may be surprised how many people don't realize that you CAN get them any book they want! Let them know that you can order it for them. Make it easy. Consider even having a computer for customers to use so they can (gasp!) look it up online to let you know exactly which book it is. Is it cheaper online than you can offer it? Fine! Be confident: "I see it is $10 online and would normally be $15 in our store. I can do it for $14, and I hope that's okay. We really appreciate you shopping with us, but it's up to you." (Note the lack of any tone of desperation or resentment.) Try it... it works!
• Keep a staff notebook: So now you've met Wendy, right? Put her in the notebook! Jot down any things that will help you remember her and any personal things you may have learned (eg; she has a snake named Literati). Next time she comes in, try and remember her name. Or at least greet her and then go look up her name. Ask how Literati is doing, etc. This is not manipulative... you're building a community/family-like atmosphere in your store. You genuinely do care for her, because she comes there! And, it's what will keep people coming back.
• Think like a business person: I doesn't matter if Vinny makes the greatest pizza in the universe--if he doesn't do a good job running his pizza business, it is not going to be successful. The same goes for your store. Having an event? Don't just book it! Send a press release to your local paper, list it in every online directory you can find, submit it to all community event listings, tell people verbally, etc. Invite your Facebook and Twitter fans, your e-mail contacts, your Goodreads friends. Let the person/speaker/author know that you expect them to market the event from their end too.
• Set up incentives that keep people returning: Consider things like a book buy-back program (Perhaps you offer 25% of the book's price back when they return it to you in good condition? This will be in the form of a store credit of course.) Then set up a used book shelf where you can resell those books to profit from them again.
• Get involved with your local schools: Even if you don't deal in textbooks, you can find out what's on the agenda for your local schools and then offer discounts, incentives, and your buy-back program. My eighth grader was notified at meet-the-teacher day of the three works they'd be studying this year. Last year they read "The Outsiders." ALL of them! The entire seventh grade! Consider offering a discount on the book, then hosting a school field trip where you'll lead a discussion event about it. Prepare special things that you give out to the schools (maybe bookmarks) that include discounts, offers, special programs, etc. This can work with every school, from preschool through college. It also puts you in very good graces with the teachers, and guess what... teachers tend to be readers, and they work near your store!
• Get crazy with e-books and the Internet: E-books. They're killing you, right? Wrong! It doesn't have to be that way! No, it's not the same. Personally, I enjoy reading good, old-fashioned physical books. But the world is changing and to deny it would be to deny yourself the income. Instead, set up an online branch of your store. Make sure your customers know that they can order through your website online, or even in your store! Set up an e-book station (set only  to your store's online shopping) where people can purchase their e-books using your computer in your store while sitting in your comfy chair, sipping the free coffee you've hooked them up with, and enjoyed your advice ("Didn't you buy a Jodi Picoult book last time you were here? Well, let me tell you about Elizabeth Berg!").

At risk of going on and on, I hope you enjoy some of these tips. Maybe you're already doing them. Maybe you found some good new ideas. But owning a bookstore can't be as entirely romantic as we'd like it to be. It has to be a business too, and that's the angle of this article.

Why did I write this? Not because I'm selling my business consulting services. I'm not. It's because I love you--Indie bookstores--and selfishly, I want you to continue to be around.

And if you decide that you'd like to stock my upcoming novel, "Momnesia," which will be released 3/16/2012 by Brickstone Publishing, that would be fantastic! Plus, fabulous, fun, helps-with-marketing Me, is available for events! Here is the link to their website and there is currently a fantastic Advance Title Program going on that includes great savings! www.BrickstonePublishing.com.

Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been a freelance writer, journalist, columnist, and seminar speaker for 15+ years. Her debut novel, "Momnesia" will be released in spring 2012, and she is the author of the nonfiction book, "Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs," which has been widely acclaimed in its genre. Verni-Fogarsi is a happily married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. She invites you to learn more at www.LoriVerniFogarsi.com, join her on Facebook at LoriTheAuthor, and follow her tweets at @LVerniFogarsi.

Let’s All Wear Our Grown-Up Pants: An author speaks frankly about the publishing industry.

The publishing industry is changing. This is not news. Well... it is news, but in my opinion, old news by now. So what’s the “new news?” It’s what we’re all going to do about it.

Let’s face it the facts:

• More people are reading e-books than ever before.
• Many still enjoy reading physical books.
• Consumers (including readers) are shopping online more.
• Every “Joe Schmo” can self-publish, making it difficult to ascertain what’s good.
• Literary agents (and by extension, publishers) are taking on fewer and fewer projects, thereby making it nearly impossible for actual skilled writers to get their books into the marketplace through traditional channels.

“But it’s not fair!” we all chorus. “We don’t like it this way!” “How  are we supposed to do our jobs and make any money with all this craziness?”

The answer is simple: Move forward. Find ways. Embrace change. Be creative. Or not. But if you choose “not,” then don’t be surprised to discover that you’re lagging behind at the tail end of a forward-moving march. Make no mistake--the march is not going to stop just because you refuse to join in.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not crazy about some of the changes either. As an actual skilled writer, (who remembers how much simpler it was when you simply queried and got hired because you’re good), I can personally attest to the frustrations. Having been self-employed my entire life, I understand the peril experienced by bookstore owners. And as a consumer, who has purchased a book that made me say, “Seriously? How did this book ever get printed when the author doesn’t know the difference between there, their, and they’re?” I have experienced those frustrations too.

However, I decided a while back that either I can let my work languish in my laptop never to be read by anyone, or I can move forward within the parameters of today’s reality. After receiving dozens of personally written e-mails from top literary agents saying how strong my writing is and how much they love my book, yet lamenting that they just can’t take my project because of their ever-shrinking list, it became apparent that I may need to think outside the box. Yet I didn’t want to self-publish and be perceived as a “Joe Schmo” either. Time to get creative.

A close friend who owns a small, local bookstore, was nearly going out of business. Yes, he had the three-legged store cat, beloved by visitors. He had a crackling fireplace and cozy sofas. He also had a shrinking clientele that basically consisted of a few moms, far outnumbered by their kids, who would run wild, destroy things, and scare his cat, while the moms would sit in their coffee klatch, drinking their $1 cup and making no other purchases. Time to get creative.

Interested? Stay tuned for Part Two of this series: Outside the Box Ideas for Small Independent Book Stores.


I welcome you to comment, share, or even repost on your own blog or website. I do ask that you include the following information about me: Lori Verni-Fogarsi is a writer whose novel, “Momnesia,” is being released 3/16/2012 by Brickstone Publishing. She is also the author of one nonfiction book, and has worked as a seminar speaker and small business consultant. She invites you to visit www.LoriVerniFogarsi.com.

Is the Amazon Scandal Backfiring?

This holiday season, Amazon is getting a lot of press coverage... and not in a good way. There's a huge backlash from the book industry regarding Amazon's Price Check App, which allows people to scan barcodes with their mobile device (on books for example), compare the price on Amazon, and then decide where to buy. Not surprisingly, brick-and-mortar bookstores--already suffering in a changing industry--are often unable to compete with Amazon's prices.

Now, I do have to say that the thought of walking into a bookstore, leafing through their books, and using their free wi-fi to put the items in my cart elsewhere is a concept that I find disgusting. I would never do it--not before knowing about the App and not after. My entrepreneurial spirit and personal ethics would simply not allow such a thing.

However, with all the media coverage (although negative),  I can't help but wonder: How many people are reading these articles and thinking, "Wow, I didn't know about that App! What a great idea! Let me download it right now."

Further, store owners who are "catching" people doing this are asking customers to leave, warning them as they arrive, and doing other things to try and prevent this from happening in their stores. And to some extent I respect them for it.

On the other hand, asking customers (perhaps some of their only customers) to leave, or alienating them as soon as they walk in, is likely not the best way to maintain a client base in an already struggling situation.

Are there any alternatives? Maybe. Having been self-employed for more than 20 years, including as a small business consultant, I have found that befriending the competition is far more effective than fighting them. (Just because you wish it, does not make them go away.) What if stores were to set up a computer, open to Amazon's page, for customers to use? And what if they were to post a sign next to the computer welcoming patrons to compare and providing a short list of reasons why it's worth it to pay a couple of bucks more here in their store? What if, instead of "warning" customers as they arrive, they were to welcome them warmly, thank them for patronizing their store, and hand them a small flyer listing the reasons why it's wonderful to buy here? (Free coffee? Helpful staff? Free gift wrapping? Cozy sofas? A 5% coupon? The store cat? Genuine appreciation?)

I understand how frustrating it is for a small business person to try and go up against a "giant." Believe me... I'm in the middle of launching a book release as a debut novelist, faced with obstacles due to my "smallness" at every turn! But just as the huge publishing houses are not going to back off just because I wish they would, neither will Amazon.

It is my hope that this holiday season, some of the brick-and-mortar stores will find ways to turn the tides in their favor. I hope this article gives them some great ideas. And I look forward to meeting some of them in person when I'm on my old-fashioned, in-person book tour!... At their actual store!


To learn more about my upcoming release, "Momnesia," I invite you to visit my website, www.LoriVerniFogarsi.com, my publisher's website, www.BrickstonePublishing.com, and join me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LoriTheAuthor.

A Relaxing Holiday? Gasp!

I come from a big family. And when I say big, I mean BIG. Growing up with my parents divorced and both remarried, I basically had four sets of families... And that was before I got married!

Which all translates to mean that I am accustomed to working VERY hard at the holidays. I have hosted Thanksgiving feasts at my home with 23+ people on an annual basis. I have had 18 friends and family stay at my home for five consecutive days (and had the satellite TV decide that's the perfect time to NOT display the football game or any other programming--yikes!).

Which is why this year is such a novelty. As you can see, I am writing a blog post two days before Thanksgiving! I do not need to do any shopping, cooking, or cleaning. Last night I did laundry and watched Criminal Minds, interspersed with playing my Words With Friends moves while lying on the couch.

Why all this relaxing, you might ask? Because I am not hostessing this year! My mom, oh-so-kind as she is, has decided to have Thanksgiving at her house! Rather than having a giant to-do list, I have a small pink sticky note reminding me to bring a pumpkin roll (purchased home made by someone else), a bottle of wine, and one pan of roasted squash with brown sugar (which will take me less time to make than a normal weeknight dinner would have).

Plus, my mom is a good cook. It's all just so wonderful, it feels almost surreal. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Library is Now For Running and Screaming

Times have changed so that it is now acceptable to run and scream in the library. Also, make and receive phone calls, shout across to others, and utilize the public computers to chat on Facebook for hours while people who need to do actual research wait in line.

Either that, or I’m getting old and crochety. Probably both.

I do love my library, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t enjoy actually being inside it as much as I used to.

For example, when my kids were babies (they are only 10 and 13 now), I used to take them to Story Time at the library. All of the mommies and toddlers would respectfully walk to the children’s area, where we would use our quiet voices. Even after the story, when we would sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider, it was done in hushed tones.

Of course, there were plenty of times when my kids or others started crying, screaming, or trying to run around. However, we mommies did our best to stop them and I can recall more than one occasion when I carried them out… with them kicking and screaming, and me apologizing.

Not so today. Nowadays (see, I told you I’m getting old) the Story Time songs are sung at top volume, regardless of the fact that the other 4/5 of the library contains adults trying to concentrate. Afterward, the kids are literally running everywhere, while their parents either ignore them altogether, chatting as if in a coffee clatch, or roll their eyes and shrug as if there’s not a thing they could do about it.

This phenomenon carries through to other times of the day too. Loud conversations on cell phones, toddlers having screaming tantrums while the mom decides this would be the perfect time to chat with the librarian for twenty minutes, etc.

While the library is an extreme example, I have also noticed this in other places, such as restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Which makes me wonder, Was I too strict when my kids were babies? Or are people just letting them run haywire now?

Do you notice this too? I’d be curious to know what you think!

Tiny Businesses Really Matter

Small businesses. Big businesses. We know that they all make an impact on the economy, jobs, and ultimately, our communities.

However, it's one thing to say that and it's another to experience it firsthand. This being an election year, there's a lot of talk about whether to tax corporations less (or more), the regulations that apply to (and often impede) small businesses, etc. But I'm not here to talk about any of that because--let's face it--I want us to stay friends and it's best not to talk politics.

What I would like to share is this: As the mom of two daughters, 10 & 13, I spend a lot of time at their dancing school. And when I say a lot, I don't mean a quick jaunt for one hour here and there. I mean that I've considered selling my house and simply living in my car in the parking lot of Studio Five Dance Company, because I might as well.

It's a great dancing school and I love my kids participating in their classes and events, but that's not the point. The point is, this very small business makes a pretty decent impact on the local economy!

Since I am, by far, not the only parent who spends so much time there, we see one another throughout the hours while we're waiting for our kids: At the local gas station, pharmacy, Wendy's, BoJangles, nail place, etc. We're everywhere! And not only do I see the people I know, but I also notice the cars of additional families (because of course we all have a S5DC magnet proudly displayed on our vehicles).

Now, it is true that we would all still food shop even if our kids weren't at the dancing school. But the fact is, we wouldn't food shop there... we'd shop near our homes! Instead, the surrounding community benefits from the purchases we all make because we're there, waiting anyhow, and might as well get some errands done.

Thankfully, most towns have many of these small businesses, so it all works out in the end. But the thought process I have--especially in this election year, and also because I've always owned by own business--is this: If small businesses make such a great impact, why is everything made so difficult for them? They're not allowed to have significant signage, they have to get a permit to put up a banner during registration season, they have to pay extra for everything, and the red tape involved with seemingly every small task is nearly insurmountable!

All I have to say is, Thank goodness they and all the other small businesses are willing to go through all that. Because we all benefit in big ways.

Oh yeah, I guess I do have more to say... don't forget to vote!

Opposite Authors; Equally Astounding

I've been reading a lot lately. I'm not sure if you do the same, but I tend to go through phases with reading; I read either a lot or a little (but I never don't read at all).

Sometimes I have two books, a magazine, and a pile of recipes--all going at once. Other times I am deeply engrossed in just one book, or even a particular author, voraciously requesting book after book from my library's online request system. (The library, by the way, is a magnificent, state-of-the-art facility, located just blocks from my house. Walking distance. Although I drive, because it's at the top of a big hill and I am sometimes lazy. Okay, often lazy. But that's not the point).

The point is, are you familiar with Harlan Coben? And Elizabeth Berg? Each are wildly successful authors whose styles and subject matter are polar opposites, yet are equally, astoundingly, skillful in their craft.

Coben's are mysteries. Sometimes gruesome, sometimes not so gruesome, but always exciting. And, well, mysterious. But not just any level of mysterious. If you'd asked me ten years ago why I love his books, I'd have said "because they're gripping." Now, (having given up the notion that I can read as a reader, rather than reading as a writer) I will tell you it's because he moves the story forward with literally every single word. Literally! (Yes, I pun, but it's also true.)

There is an unexpected, yet entirely plausible twist in every chapter. Page. Paragraph. Sentence, for heaven's sake! I don't know how he does it, but I am continually amazed and truly thankful that a person with such skills exists, and chooses to share this gift with us, his readers.

Then there's Elizabeth Berg. Who is not at all a mystery author, but rather a women's author. She writes on matters of the heart, of life, of women. You would think she knows you; either the you that you are now, the you that you used to be, or the you that you know (from reading her books) you are very likely to become.

You wish she was your friend. Or at the very least, your therapist. Or both. Her understanding of the human condition is--again I must use this word--astounding. It makes you wonder how she could possibly know all of this. Has she lived it? Learned it? Does she just somehow magically have an intuition that allows her to share all of this, with us, her fortunate readers?

I would recommend some titles, but that is not necessary. Pick up any book by Coben or Berg; every one is a sure thing. Just don't start one at night if you need to be up in the morning--you're sure to be up late, reading, and hopefully astounded, as I am.