Around Indies

Kepler’s launches fundraising campaign; Edgartown under new ownership; Brookline Booksmith recognized; Doylestown Bookshop changes hands; Bob’s Beach Books, Boulder, and Tattered talk self-published authors

Kepler's Launches Fundraising Campaign

This week, Kepler’s in Menlo Park, California, officially launched a public fundraising campaign as the next step in its “Kepler’s 2020” initiative, a hybrid business model that includes both for-profit and nonprofit programs.

With a goal of raising $1 million by the end of the summer, the campaign will let all members of the community invest in the future of Kepler’s to bring it out of debt.

Kepler’s “Transition Team,” which is made up of volunteers, approached all of the bookstore’s creditors, including a number of publishers, and asked them to renegotiate Kepler’s debts. Among the volunteers is Praveen Madan, co-owner of San Francisco's Booksmith.

“The good news is that most of the publishers were willing to work with us for a fraction of what they are owed,” Madan told Mercury News.

Kepler’s 2020 has received national and international recognition, and Madan hopes to inspire other bookstores. “Our plan for Kepler’s could potentially reinvent the entire bookstore industry and spark a renaissance of culture, for a more informed and engaged citizenry,” he said.

Edgartown Under New Ownership

This Friday, Edgartown Books on Martha’s Vineyard will re-open under new ownership, according to the Martha’s Vineyard Times.

Jeffrey and Joyce Sudikoff, who have been summer residents of the island since the 1970s, purchased the business from David and Ann LeBreton, who ran the store for 10 years.

Jeffrey Sudikoff was the founder and chief executive officer of IDB Communications Group Inc., and a former part owner of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team. The Sudikoffs hired Susan Mercier, the former manager of Edgartown Books, as their new manager.

“I'm just so happy for the town and for the Island,” Mercier told the Times. “They are so in tune with the needs of a small community and what an important role an independent bookstore plays in that.”

Brookline Booksmith Recognized

Brookline Booksmith in Brookline Massachusetts, has been named the winner of the Independent Spirit Award by the Book Publishers Representatives of New England (BPRNE). The store was recognized for its devoted staff, nimble buyers, community participation, and impressive schedule of events.

BPRNE will help send a non-owner employee from the store to the New England Independent Booksellers Association fall show, where Brookline Booksmith will be celebrated as Independent Spirit Award winner.

Doylestown Bookshop Changes Hands

Glenda Childs has bought the Doylestown Bookshop, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, from founders Patricia and Philip Gerney, who decided to retire after 14 years of bookselling.

In an open letter to customers on the store’s website, Childs wrote: “I am pleased to tell you the entire staff has agreed to continue working at the bookstore, so we can ensure you will continue to receive their knowledge and expertise in helping you find the perfect book for your needs... I would love to hear from you, our customers, and look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. Your needs, ideas and suggestions will help us to create a bookstore that will be a gathering place in the Doylestown community... a bookstore that is also a place to learn new things, engage in stimulating conversation, be entertained or just relax in a environment that is welcoming and comfortable.”

Childs informed customers that the store’s programs and events will continue and all gift cards and discount programs will also continue and be honored as in the past.

Bob’s Beach Books, Boulder, and Tattered Talk Self-Published Authors

Kirkus Indie recently talked to Diana Portwood of Bob’s Beach Books in Lincoln City, Oregon; Liesl Freudenstein of Boulder Book Store in Boulder, Colorado; and Katie Schmidt of Denver’s Tattered Cover Book Store about working with self-published authors.

Among Portwood’s recommendations: Indie authors should approach their local booksellers before going to press. “You have to study up on what to do before you commit,” she said. “Talk to a couple of different bookstores and ask them what they’re looking for with packaging.”

Boulder’s Freudenstein recommended that authors not skimp on a good editor and support other local authors. “Our most successful authors make a lot of effort to reach out to the community and it shows,” she said.

Tattered Cover’s Schmidt said the way for authors to reach more customers is “to be as business-minded as possible after the writing of the book ends…. If you want to open a jewelry boutique, you’ll need a business plan, a pro forma, a chart that balances your expected costs with your expected revenue, some legal counseling, and a lot of marketing and development. It’s no different for an author selling a book.”