Help me build a bookshop...

[Arlanymor]

Say you were going to be made redundant in two years. And say you are at the midpoint in your career. And say maybe it's kind of now or never to really commit to your own business... and that business is an independent bookshop.

What would you like to see? What would make it stand apart? Other than bookshop obvious things... like the sales of books! Author events/signings/etc.

Early ideas:

• Monthly book prescription/subscription service
• Friday/Saturday later opening with a 'quiet wine' space (for those who don't want to read books in pubs) - or can be beer, just doesn't rhyme...
• Community room to be booked for DnD, Stitch and Bitch, etc. low rates
• Monthly book session - not a book club, but more of a thematic thing, like: The line in literature that stuck with you the most - so people can share their own preferences and not have to read the same thing every month
• Collaboration with local city farm
• Read and Relax - book and spa experience

No idea too 'out there'... they wanted to open up a cat café in my city not so long ago but I am so unsure about the ethics of that and would want to take them all home to my flat at the end of the day anyway... not practical.

I often imagine opening a bookshop, but it would look like an old fashioned private library, with leather high backed arm chairs in nooks ... bookshops with places to sit and read rarely actually have enough places to sit without having to sit next to someone...

My bookshop wouldn't be profitable though, so I'd only be able to open it as a hobby if I implausibly became ridiculously rich and could run it at a loss...

I wouldn't want most of the things you suggest tbh except the late opening, maybe occasionally the wine perhaps and the bookable room for vaguely aligned clubs.

I would want a source of coffee and water, and this would be an income stream - not necessarily even a cafe, a good high quality vending machine would be fine (they do exist - not the kind you get in unattended locations but the kind with china mugs...).

Although I dislike the subscription idea, I might not be wholly opposed to a small membership fee to access extended hours for sitting and reading and unlimited coffee/ water (hot and soft drinks) - a bit like a gym membership... There'd need to be toilet facilities if people are staying a while (could be accessed with membership card and other customers ask staff for the code...).

There's a fabulous bookshop in Bristol called The Haunted Bookshop. They do all kinds of events including witchy nights and singles nights.

Have you read Shaun Bythell's books OP? They're a brilliant and very funny account of the good, bad and ugly of running a bookshop in Scotland's book town. Literary festivals, a book shop band and even a bed in the shop that you can stay in overnight.

Folde in Shaftesbury and Sherlock and Pages in Frome are worth a follow in Instagram. They're always doing incredible stuff.

Really, all this sitting and reading space, with coffee and cosy sodas etc , wouldn’t work so well as a bookshop… bookshops are there to sell books, not to have people sitting and reading in your heated comfy space for free, potentially spilling drinks over the stock!
If you actually want a profitable business, you need somewhere where people can browse but where there’s an incentive to buy. If you want a library, that’s a different kettle of fish. I don’t know if you can combine the two, but encouraging people to hang around comfortably without spending money is not going to support a business. Also think about the practicalities of staffing for late night openings and hiring out space, how will you manage that?
Personally, I d want to work in a bookshop first to get an idea of the challenges involved. I don’t think there are big profit margins.

Collaboration with local city farm

Dying to know what this would involve!

Love the idea of a wine evening. Otherwise I wouldn’t encourage people to read the books for free, you need to sell them. So I’d serve coffee if room, have a bookable space for events,
maybe hold a rhyme time type toddler morning and just have a great selection of books and friendly service. Oh and a loyalty card

That's what I was coming to ask!

It makes me feel sick thinking about how much all the books would cost and there’s no guarantee anyone will buy them all

There’s a successful bookshop where I live. They offer lots of events and work closely with schools.
i know my ex boss owns one too and spent a lot of time visiting other bookshops, I think it’s a good place to start.

I agree that you need to work in a bookshop first. Not just on the shop floor but doing the book keeping. And work November to February...Christmas is physically and mentally challenging. A wet Tuesday in February can be lonely.

There's a bookshop near me that has a small theatre in the back room. They also offer rehearsal space (similar to your community room). You could do reading, poetry nights etc. as well.

They also have a couple of cats for those who are interested. It's not a cat cafe experience, it's just the guy who runs it cats, but people do like that they're there (not me, I'm allergic!).

Something child centered will always be popular. You could do story time, craft activities.or just rent the community room to a kids activity type person.

I don't think there is huge money in bookshops these days, renting your space is a good a way to cover the shortfall.

Don’t think that you’re necessarily going to like this but……
Visiting local authors if you have them
Collaboration with publishers to review books, yes, I know, basically a book club.
Regular story time
Children’s writing competitions
(Parents buy books while kids are happily occupied)

I live very near Hay on Wye (town of books!) and I'm certain all the lovely shops only make money because of the tourist tag and the festival. They are all lovely though, the old fashioned ones are the best.
DH and I actually got married in one (they had a 6pm only, max 20 guests, bring the registrar type arrangement, not like a wedding package but we paid for drinks etc). Maybe explore getting a wedding license?

All of your ideas sound like lovely lifestyle ideas with little commercial value. "City farm collaboration" is barely an idea. "Spa experience" WTF?

Running a bookshop is intense and difficult and unlikely to succeed. Retail is in crisis.

Best way to stand out? Find a location with lots of potential book buyers and no bookshop.

But if there's lots of potential book buyers why isn't there a bookshop?

Have you run a bookshop before with someone else's money? Don't risk your own cash on this pipedream until you have.

Silent book clubs where people gather to have a brief chat then read their own books are v popular at a new bookshop here!

@MasterBeth...I have been doing it for years with someone else's money. Large academic city and small town. No way would I do it with my own money!

Are you posting to day dream? If so I am happy to indulge..
Or is this a serious business idea? In which case are you hoping to make money from it or more for a hobby job?

Our local bookshops are always doing appeals because they struggle to make any money most of the time

Owning a bookshop is my "if I won the lottery" fantasy. And it would have to be a big win at that

I would love to have a beautiful comfortable quiet space where I can sit and read in peace. Ideally with excellent coffee and beautiful views and where I can't hear anyone else talking

Noone recommend a library to me! Last time I went in one hoping for peace there was a" baby rhyme time" going on very loudly in the middle of it.

Or an indulgent spouse with a permanent high paid job is useful.
Especially if you have health issues that mean even a few days off...because paying someone like me eats into the profits.

One like Black Books

@cakebreak why would you be quietly reading in a bookshop...the owner needs people to buy and go. Not take up shelfspace and potential sales.

I know lots of people who would pay a (reasonable) fee for somewhere quiet to work/study which co-working spaces don't fill. Depends on the space and whether you've got a room you could designate for silent browsing with a table.

I also love the gently used book club, and think anyway you can help people make choices on books is great. E.g. Wrapped books with brief descriptions but that are award nominees/ 3 of the latest best sellers chosen for you

Because there arent any spaces in cities to read quietly any more. Libraries are full of toddler groups and knit and natters.
I would happily pay a fair bit to rent a comfy chair in a quiet space for an hour or two on a regular basis

"I would want a source of coffee and water, and this would be an income stream - not necessarily even a cafe, a good high quality vending machine would be fine (they do exist - not the kind you get in unattended locations but the kind with china mugs...).
Although I dislike the subscription idea, I might not be wholly opposed to a small membership fee to access extended hours for sitting and reading and unlimited coffee/ water (hot and soft drinks) - a bit like a gym membership... There'd need to be toilet facilities if people are staying a while (could be accessed with membership card and other customers ask staff for the code...)."

Come to Leeds - there is a private subscription library which has all of the above!

This may sound daft but lots and lots of books. We had a bookshop that failed near us as that seemed to want to be more of a community space/arts events but you couldn’t buy the basics of children’s literature like Peepo/Peter Rabbit/Roald Dahl/Julia Donaldson. I did actually discover some wonderful other books through them but definitely would have spent more actual money on things like christening or baby presents if they’d have had the basics.

I would also see if you can do some kind of service to provide book clubs with multiple copies of things for some kind of discount or link up/benefit.

Ooh amazing!