Prospective Booksellers Benefit From Pairing With ABA Board Mentors

Of the 500 booksellers who attended ABA's second annual Winter Institute in Portland, Oregon, in early February, 30 were prospective booksellers. They came to take advantage of some of the 16 educational seminars, to gather resources, and to network with seasoned booksellers. Several prospective booksellers who are planning to open stores this year also participated in a mentorship program that paired each with an ABA Board member. Bookselling This Week recently had the opportunity to speak with a few of them about their experiences.

"It was extremely helpful to meet other prospective booksellers, as well as veteran booksellers and Board members," said Jennifer Toussaint, who plans to open Reading Out Loud Bookstore and Caf, a children's bookstore, in Georgia this fall.

At the Winter Institute, Toussaint partnered with ABA Board member Carla Jimenez of Inkwood Books in Tampa, Florida. Toussaint told BTW that Jimenez answered an avalanche of questions, including one about censorship. The new bookseller wondered how best to respond to possible attempts to ban the Harry Potter series in certain Georgia school districts once she opens Reading Out Loud. "I wanted to know what the advantages and disadvantages would be of selling the book in a district where it was banned," she explained and then noted that, among other advice, Jimenez directed her to the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression as an advocate of free speech and an information source.

After finding that veteran booksellers at the Winter Institute repeatedly emphasized ongoing education, Toussaint registered for Paz & Associates' March Booksellers School and made plans to attend BookExpo America in June. She is also thinking about visiting Jimenez at Inkwood Books. "[Carla] invited me to stay with her for a week or so," said Toussaint. "I'm thinking about doing just that."

Jimenez, for her part, was "thrilled to be matched with someone so eager to learn" and to take part in the tradition of helping newcomers within the "fellowship of booksellers." She recalled how helpful Richard Howorth of Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi, and Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books in Miami and Coral Gables, Florida, had been when she and her business partner, Leslie Reiner, opened Inkwood Books in 1991.

"There are a few things I tell every new bookseller," said Jimenez. "One is to make sure that they understand that there are no stupid questions. I encourage them to take full advantage of every educational program offered by their regional association and by ABA. I tell them to get involved with Book Sense and to regularly visit BookWeb. I also tell them to emphasize their bookstore's cultural and economic importance to their community."

Sue Lynn, who this summer will be opening Confluence, a general bookstore with a café and wine lounge, in Bellevue, Nebraska, was paired with ABA Board member Becky Anderson of Anderson's Bookshops in Naperville, Illinois. For Lynn, networking was an institute highlight. "It was so interesting to hear other booksellers' stories," she said. "I was matched with Becky, and she was a wealth of information. I bounced a lot of ideas off her."

Among Anderson's suggestions was that Lynn connect with her local school system. "Since that discussion, I've done that," said Lynn. "I've met with the superintendent and then met with people he recommended."

For all of Anderson's comments, tips, and encouragement, Lynn said, "I owe Becky."

Anderson, however, said she was the one who owed a debt of gratitude to Lynn. "Sue was so enthusiastic it rubbed off on me," Anderson said. "She was just so excited that she'd be breaking ground after the Winter Institute. She showed me her architectural drawings, told me about the wine bar. I saw that she was already working all of the angles."

Anderson said that in addition to giving Lynn some helpful ideas for creating local school connections, she also offered tips on convincing publishers to send authors to her store. "I told her to start small and build an audience. That way, she can garner interest in getting bigger authors. But it sounded like she already had some great connections.... She definitely has her foot in the door."

Working closely with her regional association and with ABA and making use of all of their educational offerings is also something that Anderson advised Lynn to do.

To make her bookstore competitive, and to fill a need in her city, Lynn told BTW that she is working to position Confluence as a "community hub." Towards that end, she will host a busy events calendar with a goal of 200 a year and will offer the use of meeting rooms on the second floor of the store's 7,600-square-foot space in a mini-mall that is currently under construction.

Mike Bond and Vicki Zimmer are returning to Zimmer's hometown in Torrington, Wyoming, to open Prairie Creek Books & Tea this June. Bond attended the ABACUS lunch at the institute, along with other programs, and met with Board member Cathy Langer of the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver. Bond told BTW that Langer introduced him to Lisa Knudsen, the executive director of the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA), ABA President Russ Lawrence, and others at the institute.

"Cathy was very helpful," said Bond. "Opening a bookstore is such an intimidating thing, and she made it seem easier. I haven't been in touch with [Cathy] since the institute, but when I left, I got the impression that if I had a puzzlement, I could contact her or any of the people I met there."

Langer was happy to help and said that her most important role as a mentor was to connect Bond and Zimmer with booksellers and others in the industry, although she did share the sort of practical tips Bond would need to get the store off the ground. "We talked about a lot of things that we who have been in the business for a long time may feel are common knowledge, but that are really valuable to prospective booksellers," said Langer, who noted that included choosing inventory and using Above the Treeline.

Zimmer and Bond plan to sell new and used books in their 1,500-square-foot space. The general bookstore will have an emphasis on the history of the West, colonial history, and crafts. In addition to a tea shop, where desserts will be served, the store will also sell chocolates.

Noting that she often answers questions from new booksellers, Langer summed up the mentorship experience. "That's the culture of bookselling," she said, "to take people under your wing." --Karen Schechner