Author Owned Bookstores
I knew about a few of them but I learned about more through my research
Hi readers,
As readers, I think we see owning a bookstore as a fantasy job, similar to working or volunteering in a library seems like a fantasy job. The fantasy becomes a reality when you read articles about the slim margins they operate on. It’s hard to expand on the inventory as the purpose of a bookstore is to sell books. The store can add bookish gifts, trinkets, etc., but those items are not usually what people are in a bookstore to buy. Some bookstores have added coffee shops, wine bars, and dessert shops to help increase the profit margins. I don’t think any bookstore owner goes into it thinking that they will get rich, quickly or not. I commend anyone with the desire, money, and fortitude to open an independent bookstore. It is truly a labor of love.
I wrote about independent bookstores here related to book subscription boxes. Most of the independent bookstores are owned by regular people. People who love books and want to promote reading, books, and the authors that write those books. Some bookstores are owned by authors, the authors of the books we love to read. When I started researching this, I knew of a few author-owned bookstores, but there were more than I realized. I haven’t been to any of these yet, but all have been added to my “what I’m going to do when I retire” list, and I can’t wait. Here is a look at several; maybe one of these will become a day trip for you or the book lover in your life:
Wimpy Kid books author Jeff Kinney and his wife Julie opened An Unlikely Story in Plainville, MA, in 2015 as a bookstore, cafe, and event space. Along with books, the bookstore has a cafe that serves breakfast and lunch and a venue for author events and book signings. The Second Story hosts community events such as readings, workshops, yoga, music lessons, book clubs, trivia nights, and more.
Books and Books @ The Studios of Key West
Children’s book author Judy Blume and her husband opened the Key West location of Mitchell Kaplan’s independent bookstore franchise in 2016 on the bottom floor of The Studios of Key West. Books and Books is a non-profit organization dedicated to the literary arts and hosts author events and book signings. Also located on the upper floors of the building is an auditorium that hosts classes, lectures, and performances.
Author Louise Erdrich opened Birchbark Books, located in Minneapolis, MN, in 2001, and her bookstore specializes in Native American books, art, and native language resources. Check out the about page here to learn more about how this bookstore came to be and what makes it so unique.
Modern Lovers author Emma Straub says that she decided to open Books Are Magic in 2017 after the beloved Book Court, where she worked from 2009-2013, closed its doors in 2016. The store runs an active blog called The Magic Word and hosts multiple in-store and virtual author events.
Author, activist, and TV personality Marc Lamont Hill opened Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books in 2017 to provide underserved communities access to books. The cafe serves coffee and an assortment of treats and sweets. Along with books, the bookstore sells apparel and children’s toys. It has held events in the past; however, I checked the schedule, and there are no events currently on the schedule.
Let’s Pretend this Never Happened author and creator of the wildly popular blog, The Bloggess, Jenny Lawson, was initially scheduled to open her bookstore in April 2020, but then Covid happened. She opened during 2020 for curbside and online orders and had the official grand opening to in-store traffic in July 2021. The bookstore has a large backroom for hosting author events, book clubs, and other community activities.
Located in the historic downtown courthouse building, The Arrangement author Ashley Warlick, co-owner of the bookstore, opened M. Judson Booksellers in 2015. The bookstore is named in honor of Mary Camilla Judson, the founder of the Judson Literary Society, and offers specialty beverages, sweet treats, and goodies galore. There are a variety of bookish events, including page pairings (books and wine tastings), lunch and lit with an author, and author talks and book signings.
Historical fiction author Alex George opened Skylark Books in 2018. Upon opening, George launched Skylark Reading Spas. It’s not in any way related to a traditional spa, but interesting still. There is a bookstore book club, author events, and book lovers can rent out the bookstore for a child’s birthday party and private parties. Animal lover and marathon runner, he is also an attorney and is the director of the Unbound Book Festival in Columbia, MO, in April 2022.
I love independent bookstores. Each one I’ve ever visited is unique and different from every other independent bookstore I’ve visited. It is the “independent” that allows each bookstore to look and feel different and meet the needs of its community. Most of the bookstores mentioned above have robust and informative websites, all have active IG accounts with posts about new books and the happenings at the bookstore, and most also offer subscription boxes. If you know of any independent bookstores you think I should visit, I’d love to know which ones and why—what makes them special enough to recommend.
I hope last weekend was relaxing, and if you are a football fan, hopefully, your team won. I don’t watch football, but I read instead, and it was the perfect way to end my weekend. Have a great week and happy reading!
Cannot say enough good things about Birchbark Books -- it's a magical place.
Thanks for sharing all those bookstores! I'd like to visit every last one! There's a lovely little bookstore called Pages in our town, Manhattan Beach, CA, just a couple of blocks from the sand and surf. It was started by three women 12 years ago. Avid readers, local support, author events and many book clubs have kept it afloat. Here's the link: https://www.pagesabookstore.com.