Your Perfect Bookshop

I'm a theatre person, so I'd love a bookstore or a cafe with a small but proper stage. A place for local musicians and actors and can be used for author readings, etc. And a decent sound system to go with it. Lights are nice but not necessary. You could also do "holiday readings" (imagine a Victorian re-enactor doing A Christmas Carol at Christmas time) or something.

Bloo said:

You could also do "holiday readings" (imagine a Victorian re-enactor doing A Christmas Carol at Christmas time) or something.

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+1

and you could do the same for other holidays - I'd love to see a greenman face on the front door along with the Christmas tree and non-prickly holly. And the Equinox celebrations - and books for each season.

I read the posts, but being on dial up we don't download books. So I suggest, if they actually made the download kiosks for ebooks, maybe one of those?

I enjoy seeing cats in stores, but only if they get to go home at night or have a cat door and the store isn't on a busy street (which might not be good for business.)

Being in the UK, you're looking for walk by business perhaps more than one would in the US. If you're not wearing a heavy coat you're probably going to spend more time browsing and buying coffee and sweets. So how about a coat room to hand over coats, mufflers, hats etc and get a paper receipt for them so customer could collect them when he/she leaves.

the person in charge of coats could give the customers a map showing where different generes were in the store and separate fliers of coming events and 'specials.'

Oh, I could so love this store.

My perfect bookstore (which exists in my fictional town, wish it existed in real life):
1. Tons of books, in every genre. Tall bookshelves with ladders (because I think that looks cool.) And a few footstools for the children to reach books. Shelves arranged by genre and in alphabetical order by title. (If it has An A, An or the title, go by the first letter of the second word.)
2. Friendly and helpful staff, including one witch who can magically conjure up books in our storage room should we not have the book our customer is looking for.
3. Café in a completely separate part of the building, selling hot and cold coffee-type drinks, plus smoothies, milkshakes, and there's a fountain drink station.
4. A friendly store dog and cat that live with one of the employees when not at work.
Yep, just perfect!
2.

Mr Flibble said:

I have an appointment with the bank tomorrow

Someone hold me.

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Omg, it's happening?

Mr Flibble said:

Someone hold me.

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I thought you'd never ask.

*holds you down*
*cops feel*

Mr Flibble said:

Depends what the bank says. I am cautiously optimistic at this point.

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Fingers will be crossed, then. Keep us updated!

Good Luck!

I'd want more books and less other non-book things (board games and toys). Merchandise pertaining to book related things are okay. A cafe/lounge area is a must If you're going to read the first couple pages of a book, having a place to sit would be great.

I also think it'd be nice if there was an Indie section, separated by genre. More author events is an awesome idea. Though, no one ever comes here. XD

In my ideal Utopian bookshop, we would have a very zen reading room with a giant koi pond, long recliners and attractive humans who revolved around serving beverages on trays ...

Basically I would love a bookshop attached to a spa

But in terms of reality, anywhere with a huge selection and great coffee is good for me!

I think the problem, in the end, is making it pay. Bookstores that try to survive just on book sales tend to have to be small, cramped spaces with just enough room to walk crabwise between the shelves (I'm thinking specifically of White Dwarf Books). Of course, those of us who frequent those kind of places are perfectly willing to put up with that.

If you want to make a better go of it, though, you have to either have an attached restaurant, or have Bob's Book Store and Bait & Tackle Shop, or some other hook.

I've often wondered if a New/Used bookstore would work, where you could sell books back to the store when finished. Used books might be on sale for 50% of list, and you sell them back for 20% of list. Effectively, you're renting books.

I will say that a reading area (accessible only after you've purchased the book -- Chapters learned that the hard way) would go a long way to making a book store more attractive. With a coffee/snack bar a la Starbucks, you could probably make a buck.

Mr Flibble said:

But yes, it needs to offer a little bit more than just books. I was thinking a "Geekery" where you could get your SFF books, comics, t-shirts, sonic screwdrivers, Iron Man PJs...a one stop Geek shop.

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That would work. Chapters, here, sells all kinds of non-book stuff, but it's sort of generic five and dime stuff (albeit better quality). I think goods that are more focused on the types of people who frequent book stores would work better. Watch a couple of episodes of Big Bang Theory, and I think you'd get a lot of ideas.

All books used, rare and special. Nothing digital, unless its a coffee maker. I still dream about the old used book shops in England. There are still a few small ones left here in the States. I go there and buy old hardcover classics or rare books. I especially love illustrated classic hardcover children's books. Books aren't what they used to be. The old ones are precious.

Er... Wut?

Can you get a different bank bloke? If a loan officer know so little of how a bookshop operates how can he effectively analyze your business plan?

Not focused to concentrate on only one author? You'd need to stock nothing but Azimov. Or maybe Gaiman.

You're having us on, yes?

Otherwise, hooooo boy.

Mr Flibble said:

So, in the interest of research for a Sekrit Project (which will be blindingly obvious by the end of this post anyway lol) I thought I'd ask the biggest bunch of readers I know.


What would your perfect bookshop have? Cafe? Free wifi? Lots of author events? Books the normal chains don't carry? Free bacon? What?


And...go!

PS: L-space is a given

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My perfect bookshop is Carmichael's in Louisville, KY. What makes it perfect is not WiFi, the attached coffee shop or the events. What makes it perfect is the very carefully curated selection of books. It is not a large store, but its books I really want to read to books IDGAF about ratio is excellent.

If you want the perfect bookshop, get reading!

Mr Flibble said:

*I am also convinced he has never been in a book shop. He asked what author I would concentrate on. Me..Um. More than one really. Lots. Him: That's not very targeted...

I should just sell GRRM's stuff, clearly! But he did give me lots to think about.

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I... what? Did he mean genre? I too am convinced bookshops have eluded him his whole life. Poor soul.

I love the geek corner idea, though!

Purely in the interests of research, if you haven't been there, maybe you could take a trip to Hay-on-Wye and model your business plan on whichever bookshop most appeals there.

Which will turn out to be Booths, because it's fabulous.

Any more news?