TheB Buddiesook is a highly motivatedBuddies group of booksellers/friends that offers advice and know-how to new booksellers and booksellers looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. The Mid-Atlantic based group is a joint project between Bookazine and NAIBA and consists of both store owners and professional booksellers. They encourage communication and social networking between booksellers. While the group offers valu- able consultation, it is also very much a social group seeking to make connections so that book people can feel more comfortable calling on each other to exchange ideas and information. The Book Buddies will often travel to stores if they are within an appropriate distance to meet with owners. The group is ever expanding with new members joining at will in order to offer more perspectives and increase its geographic coverage. For information about joining, please contact Ron Rice at 800.354.9475 or email rrice@ bookazine.com. See below for news articles with more details about the program. Anthology: New Bookstore Moving Forward with Old Scranton Shelf Awareness Sep 23, 2009

Two weeks ago, the Book Buddies, sponsored by Bookazine and the New Atlantic Independent Booksell- ers Association, headed to Scranton, Pa., for their latest bookstore visit. The group of bookstore owners, employees and other book industry folks went to Anthology, a two-year-old new and used bookstore run by Andrea Talarico.

Anthology, with just under 3,000 square feet, is located on the second floor of a building that was the laundry facility for the Hotel Casey--in its day, a famous hotel in the Northeast. The building, in disrepair after years of non-use, was bought from the city and renovated by the owner, who later began renting it to Talarico (and her partner in an LLC who owns the downstairs business, a jewelry store and café).

“I just went to them with my business plan and said, ‘You need a bookstore. Here’s what I can do,’” An- drea told the group. Scranton, under the watchful eye of a three-term mayor who has been dedicated to rebuilding the city and who is very supportive of small businesses, lent Andrea the start-up money for her business after she presented what she envisioned for the store.

Talarico had worked for chain bookstores in the area for eight years, which inspired her to open her own bookstore. “There was no common space for people to gather, and I wanted to change that,” she said. She did research, contacted the ABA, went to Paz & Associates’ school and attended the Winter Institute before diving into the creation of the store. Now Anthology offers many events--improv nights, story hours, lectures on local history and, of course, author signings.

Most of the Book Buddies were surprised by what sells and what doesn’t at Anthology. Talarico took out the political science, business and animal sections after she noticed few people were shopping them, but noted that poetry and philosophy are two of her strongest sections. Students, who love the selection of used (and the ample seating in the store that complements the café downstairs), are a core part of Anthology’s customer base. Local college students “come in and buy used philosophy books by the armload,” she said. The other main group her store currently serves is young professionals, particularly women in their late 20s and early 30s.

The current mix of books at Anthology is approximately 85% used, 15% new. Talarico does not buy used books from customers, finding them instead primarily in bulk lots through events like estate sales. And though the selection of used books is outstanding--Jason Rice of Bookazine noted that “you can find some real gems here”--Talarico said she plans to keep the current selection while adjusting the ratio of new to used to 50-50. Her other two goals for the store are bigger signage, to make the placement of the store more evident, and acquiring and using an inventory system, which will be especially important as more new books come into the store.

Right now, Anthology’s immediate focus is Scranton’s first-ever book festival, which Talarico organized. The Pages & Places Book Fest will be held Saturday, October 3, and will host 30 authors and nine panels.

“Scranton has a forward-moving energy,” Talarico told us, and it’s clear that she, Anthology, and the book festival are all crucial parts of a town that is sprouting new businesses left and right. To keep an eye on this up-and-coming bookstore, become a fan on Facebook or follow it on Twitter. Or you can just visit them the old-fashioned way, in their beautiful store and see why the Book Buddies were so impressed by Anthology.--Stephanie Anderson At 80, Bookazine Remains Young at Heart Bookselling This Week August 05, 2009 Indie wholesaler Bookazine is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year “with a renewed commitment to the basics of bookselling and to our customers,” said Ron Rice, the company’s sales manager. “Our company was founded during the Great Depression, and we are thankful to have survived and thrived all these years. And, at 80, our idea of a party is curling up with a good book sometime before 8:00 p.m.” This 80-year-old is full of life, however, with plans to expand Book Buddies, the popular bookseller peer review program run jointly with New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA); the launch of Bookazine Living Room, a new video series; and other projects in the works.

Founded in 1929 by Ruwin and Jacob Kallman, Bookazine remains a family-owned business, now run by the third-generation of Kallmans, brothers Robert and Richard. The company began by exporting magazines to Europe and then focused on and sales throughout the U.S. Its first location was on West 10th Street in Manhattan, where booksellers could browse the shelves. Now located in Bayonne, New Jersey, not far from Manhattan, Bookazine distributes to bookstores all over the country as well as interna- tionally. The wholesaler maintains a deep inventory of new and backlist titles and specializes in children’s books, small press and regional titles, gay and lesbian books and magazines, and pop culture. Its sales staff is comprised of former bookstore owners and managers.

The Book Buddies program started two years ago as a way for Bookazine and NAIBA to coordinate peer consultation among booksellers in the New Atlantic region. “The Buddies are a group of bookseller/friends that visit bookstores, mostly new ones, to offer help and consultation,” explained Rice. “Aside from the business aspect, the Book Buddies are a social group. We love to make new friends. Store owners who did not know each other previously have become quite close. Everyone has something to offer.” The program is based primarily in the mid-Atlantic region, but plans are in the works to branch out into the South.

The first Book Buddies meeting was held at the Sparta Book Shop in Sparta, New Jersey, which had been re- cently sold. “I had been very close to the original owner,” Rice said. “I had the idea that perhaps I could get some of my bookseller friends from the area to visit and offer help.... We had a big lunch, which Bookazine paid for, and the ideas just started to flow. Great friendships were made. The interest and feedback has been great. Very positive. People seem to love the idea.”

NAIBA Executive Director Eileen Dengler concurs. “It is really a fun program,” she said. “I’m so happy with the dedication of the core group that takes the time out of their own store and busy lives to come and visit other stores. Even though the intention is to answer questions, everybody is learning and getting ideas. It’s such a good day. It’s a really great program, and we hope to be doing a lot more farther afield.”

As “almost an extension of Book Buddies,” in the next few weeks, the wholesaler will be launching a video series called the Living Room on its website, www.bookazine.com, said Rice. “It’s a sort of Swingin’ Six- ties living room set with a big, old TV screen. The screen features video book reviews, store tours, and lots of other things all contributed by indie bookstores. Each one of the regional trade groups will also receive a channel, as well as ABA. All of these folks can create videos between two and three minutes long. It’s a meeting place where booksellers can sit down, relax, and watch some Indie TV.”

Also in the works is Bookazine’s fourth annual Kids’ Spring Arrivals event next March. The program features Heather Doss, the company’s children’s book buyer, highlighting some of her favorite titles of the season.

Booksellers interested in learning more about Book Buddies, or other Bookazine programs, can e-mail Ron Rice at [email protected]. --Karen Schechner Bookstore Road Trip:

Brooklyn’s WORD Shelf Awareness Feb 23, 2009 The third Book Buddies visit, the program sponsored by Bookazine and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, differed somewhat from its predecessors in that the host bookstore was not primarily seeking help and advice. Instead, WORD bookstore in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, N.Y., was more of a gathering place for some energized booksellers, who were introduced to the store by Christine Onorati, who opened WORD almost two years ago after owning a bookstore on Long Island for six years (Shelf Awareness, May 1, 2007).

Greenpoint has been traditionally a Polish neighborhood, so much so that many storefronts have signs in English and Polish, and there are two Polish-language bookstores. (WORD advertises itself locally as an “English store.”) Sometimes people come in the store and begin speaking Polish with the staff.

But Greenpoint has also attracted “lots of people in their 20s and 30s,” many of whom have young chil- dren--these are the bulk of WORD’s customers. They like hip, edgy titles. One well-stocked section near the front is called “Pop Culture, Sex and Humor.” There are also plenty of board books and picture books but few YA titles. Bookazine’s Ron Rice, an authority on the subject, called WORD “a hip, cool place.”

The store’s decor is a comfortable blend of tasteful and friendly. The hardwood floor is beautiful; the col- ors of the walls and details are nicely coordinated. There is an ample supply of exposed brick. Scattered about the matching shelves are clean, elegant Shelfwiz shelf talkers--but all notes in them are handwrit- ten. Margot Sage-EL, owner of Watchung Booksellers, Montclair, N.J., said that WORD had “done in- credibly well with the space.”

The store has a “book of the month” club, with a 10% discount. February’s pick is Charlatan: America’s Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam by Pope Brock, now out in paperback. WORD also has a loyalty program offering $5 for every $100 spent, which it is currently promoting as its very own “bailout plan.”

Since opening, the store has doubled the number of books in inventory as it learned more about the cus- tomers and their tastes. “We grew into the space,” Onorati said. Still, “we can’t be everything to every- one,” she continued. “We’re small, so selection is key.” WORD carries “just enough to face out every single one.” The store does many special orders. The store on Long Island was larger, so “it was bad if we didn’t have what they wanted,” Onorati said, adding that customers at that store “couldn’t be any more different” from the ones in Greenpoint.

Stationery is the store’s major sideline. Onorati orders from “small, independent card companies,” and sell lots of journals, too. “Moleskine is king.”

The main floor has about 1,000 square feet of space. The basement, which is for events and book club meetings, has about 850 square feet. The renovated building had not been used for retail in 40 years, so Onorati did all the work--”flooring, walls, partition, the basement.”

The basement features a small stage with theater lighting that was built by a local comedian who puts on shows in the space twice a month. It’s his own show that he promotes, but “it’s good PR,” Onorati said, adding that she “loves having a dedicated space,” and that authors “like having any space.” Eventually she might stock books in the basement, too. Manager Stephanie Anderson, who started earlier this month and is also a columnist for Shelf Awareness, will “work on the children’s business,” as part of her myriad duties, Onorati said, because so far, WORD “has not done much with schools.”

Like the book selection, events have evolved at the store. “At first, we were not so picky,” Onorati said. Now the store is “trying not to have single-author events,” preferring to host two authors at a time or as a panel. She noted that in the past six months, attendance at events has declined somewhat, “but the fact we have events seems to help the reputation of the store.”

Margot Sage-EL described a bit of a “malaise” about events and said her store focuses on local author events. “It’s our responsibility,” she said. “It’s their night to shine.”

WORD is on Facebook and recently began tweeting. Onorati noted that Facebook invitations to events seem to mean more than store newsletter invitations.

Among a few other topics that arose:

Clinton Book Shop, Clinton, N.J., uses plain old-fashioned Post-It notes for shelf talkers.

Some booksellers don’t like to use the phrase special orders with customers. Anderson said she likes to say, “We’re placing an order today” or “We’ve ordered it.” Rita Maggio, owner of BookTowne, Manasquan, N.J., said she says, “It’s not here now, but will be here tomorrow.”

Bookazine’s Ron Rice said that the Book Buddies group (the most recent participants pictured in the WORD event space above) is looking to set up more meetings soon and hopes they will become a kind of “mini Winter Institute. It’s a grain of something that could be a bigger sense of community.” He’s also had discussions about having book buddy meetings in Southern Independent Booksellers Association territory.--John Mutter Book Group Buddies Up 7/14/2008

If the Book Buddies had a theme song, it could be James Taylor’s hit “You’ve Got a Friend.” The semi- formal group of booksellers organized by Ron Rice, sales manager of Bookazine, and Eileen Dengler, executive director of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, has so far convened twice at bookstores for a walk-through and store critique, followed by a lunch to talk through issues facing new booksellers and their stores.

“The group was formed with the idea of sharing concepts and techniques, as well as to foster friendships among booksellers and encourage a feeling of solidarity,” explained Rice. “It’s important on a grassroots level for local booksellers to talk to each other.” Donna Fell, who took over ownership of Sparta Books in Sparta, N.J., last November, received the first Buddies visit in February. It was, said Fell, “perfect tim- ing.”

“When I bought the store, the previous owner just handed me the keys and said, ‘phone if you have any questions,’ ” recalled Fell, “I was brand new to bookselling and owning my own business, so meeting the Book Buddies made me feel like I wasn’t so crazy after all.”

One of the Buddies, Jason Rice, Bookazine buyer/sales rep, solicited publishers to provide marketing materials and posters on Fell’s behalf. Others offered advice on everything from making best use of the ABA to how to host a story time for children. “It was the best experience I could have asked for,” Fell said.

The Book Buddies include booksellers, store owners and journalists, most of who work in the New York/ Philadelphia/Washington, D.C., corridor. The second gathering of the Buddies took place June 13 at the recently opened Idlewild Books in New York City. Idlewild owner David Del Vecchio called the group “helpful and solution oriented,” and added, “We made numerous changes based on things they said, such as adding shelftalkers and some additional signage, and using smaller tables for displays.”

Rice intends to plan further Book Buddies outings in the future, though none are as yet scheduled. In ad- dition, Rice would like to expand the program to other parts of the country, and has spoken with Wanda Jewell of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (where Rice is on the advisory council) about doing something further south.

Margo Sage-El, owner of Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, N.J., said what she most appreciates about her outings with the Book Buddies is the opportunity to pass along some of her own hard-earned wis- dom: “When I first bought my bookstore, I worked in a vacuum, except for visits from publishers reps, who I would always bug for information about other stores. So my feeling about the Book Buddies is, if anyone can learn from my struggle, that’s great.” Book Buddies Land at Idlewild Books Shelf Awareness Jun 15, 2008

Located in an airy, elegant space, David Del Vecchio’s Idlewild Books, on 19th Street just off Fifth Ave- nue in New York City, which opened officially several weeks ago, has great potential as a site for events- -for book and author and signings as well as publisher parties. (Manhattan houses please take note!) And the store’s emphasis on travel and literature “with a strong sense of place” will allow Idlewild to build an unusual and broad sense of community in a city with such an international accent.

Such were some of the observations made last week when Book Buddies, organized by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association and Bookazine, made its second foray to consult on and critique bookstores and help their owners. The group--about a dozen booksellers and Shelf Awareness--took its first trip earlier this year to Sparta Books, Sparta, N.J. (Shelf Awareness, February 8, 2008).

Del Vecchio, who was a media officer at the U.N. for many years, said he does not think of Idlewild, named after the original name of Kennedy Airport, as a travel bookstore. (He also said that opening a bookstore was not a lifelong dream--instead the idea came several years ago as a way to combine sever- al major interests.) The 1,000-sq.-ft. store is organized geographically: each region or country has travel guides, language books, literature and historical works, even cookbooks “if they tell a little bit about the place.” Sidelines include maps, globes, plug adapters, journals, and more. The only other stores that have a similar organizational style are in London and Barcelona, he said.

In the first few weeks of business, one of the biggest surprises for DelVecchio was finding that customers did not move around the store as he had anticipated. He had stocked new books in the front, assuming that after coming in the door that is part way down the rectangular space, they would turn toward the front window and then work their way back. “But people come in, look at the middle, go back, and then go to the front.” (The store has dramatic floor-to-ceiling front windows that offer great views both looking out and from the street looking in.)

Because of the traffic pattern, Del Vecchio is “scrambling to reorganize” sections. For example, New York, “a destination” in more ways than one, is now in the very front. New books are closer to the mid- dle. And he is stocking a display table--risers are on their way--with new releases.

He’s also been surprised by what’s selling. “Nobody’s buying anything new,” he said. Rather, “they’re buying a lot of classic, little-known titles. It’s very exciting that customers are finding the things we spent a lot of time finding.” But he expressed some concern because he expected frontlist to “pay the rent.” Some of the booksellers thought backlist did a better job of that. Now Del Vecchio believes that “guide- books will be our frontlist,” he said. So far, the most popular guidebooks are Rough Guides, Footprints and “one-off guides”--the more unusual guides.

Del Vecchio said that customers are buying more “big, oversized $40 books than $24.95 hardcovers,” and that some are buying 10 at a time. Toby Cox of Three Lives & Co., New York City, where Del Vecchio worked parttime to help learn the trade, said that sales were strong at his store now, too: many of his customers are stocking up for summer , so much so that June has become his sec- ond-largest month.

Idlewild Books has a very limited selection of foreign-language titles--just a few in Spanish, but Del Vec- chio is considering adding other languages, likely French, German, Portuguese and Italian. Booksellers encouraged him to do so, especially considering the many international tourists who flock to New York and the Big Apple’s many multilingual residents. Rita Maggio of BookTowne, Manasquan, N.J., pointed out, too, that some customers seek children’s titles in foreign languages for their own children. (Interest- ingly until about 15 years ago, the blocks on Fifth Avenue near Idlewild featured several of the biggest French-, Spanish-, German- and Russian-language booksellers in the country.)

Idlewild has hosted several events, and in each case, the store was approached by an organization. Last Thursday, for example, a book launch, discussion and cocktail reception, co-sponsored by the Mexican Cultural Institute for First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, Capital of the 21st Century by David Lida (Riverhead), drew 100 people--”we’ve never had fewer than 60 people at any event”--and resulted in sales of 30 copies of the book. The co-sponsors bring wine and send e-mails to all their lists, Del Vecchio noted.

Stephanie Anderson of Moravian Book Shop, Bethlehem, Pa., encouraged Del Vecchio to continue to have regular events. “It’s important for people to have a sense things are happening at the store. We have one event a week. It’s great to tell customers, ‘I can’t believe you missed it.’ “

Similarly Margot Sage-EL, Watchung Booksellers, Montclair, N.J., said “people want events and parties, and [Idlewild’s] space allows that.”

Booksellers recommended Del Vecchio hold open houses for various publishers, and Jason Rice of Boo- kazine emphasized that he should approach local and trade media and get on their radar. “Get in touch with Galley Cat,” he said. (Ron and Andy, if you’re reading…)

Del Vecchio said he was considering a lunchtime reading series and having reps talk about forthcoming books, ideas that the booksellers greeted enthusiastically.

Noting that he has a background in public relations, Del Vecchio said he has less experience in market- ing and advertising. So far he is trying to get mentioned in the media based “on products and the store concept” beyond the idea of the travel store as well as mentioned in any place that might cover a store opening.

Ron Rice of Bookazine emphasized the role of the bookstore in the community, noting that “after 9/11, bookstores played a role in the healing process. People were shocked and wanted information. They wanted books of history about the Middle East, Islam, atlases. They wanted to find out why ‘they hated us so much.’ Bookstores were a magnetic draw; people didn’t run to Ann Taylor.”

Picking up on that theme, several booksellers likened their stores’ function to that of the traditional bar. Harvey Finkel of Clinton Book Shop, Clinton, N.J., said, “We say we’re the bar without the liquor: they tell us their life stories.” And Toby Cox said, “We’re Cheers with books instead of beer.”

Harvey Finkel recommended Del Vecchio look into spreading the word via FaceBook and YouTube, which have worked well for his store. “They’re another new way of getting hold of people,” he said.

Booksellers suggested Idlewild put more emphasis on staff picks and consider posting shelf talkers. Mar- got Sage-EL said that “people are overwhelmed by books and want to know what to buy.” And Stephanie Anderson said shelf talkers “help sell backlist really well.”--John Mutter

Idlewild Books is located at 12 W. 19th St., New York, N.Y. 10011; 212-414-8888; idlewildbooks.com. Book Buddies Swarm Over Sparta Shelf Awareness Feb 8, 2008 Last Thursday, a dozen booksellers and other people in the book business--including Shelf Awareness-- spent about four hours talking with new bookseller Donna Fell, who bought Sparta Books, Sparta, N.J., in late November and wanted advice about the store. Organized by wholesaler Bookazine and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, the Book Buddies visit will likely be the first of many such consultations.

Bookazine sales manager Ron Rice, who has worked extensively with Fell, said booksellers tend to help each other “as business owners” and he hoped the Book Buddies program will help booksellers feel ever more “comfortable calling up each other and asking questions.”

When Carol Viall owned Sparta Books from 1985 to 2006, the store had done well. But it suffered under its next owner and was in danger of closing when Fell stepped in, buying the store “for the community,” she said. Fell added the store still has some residual goodwill from the Viall era and that demographics in the area are good: a onetime summer town, Sparta now has a year-round population of about 17,000, a substantial number of whom commute to New York City, and there are many upper-middle income fami- lies with young children.

After a baptism by fire--taking over the store just as the holiday season started--Fell focused in January on reconciling and building inventory. Now she said, she’s ready to do more.

The visitors immediately suggested that the store, located in a shopping center, needs some esthetic changes. As Margot Sage-El of Watchung Booksellers, Montclair, N.J., put it: “You should add your per- sonality.” One quick fix the group recommended: Fells could decorate and fill the space above around the 2,400-sq.-ft. store with publishers’ posters of authors and book covers or artwork by local artists (who would come and bring friends) or even artwork by students in local schools (who would also visit).

The store could also be distinguished by its sections as well. As Tom Williams of Mendham Books, Mend- ham, N.J., noted, “You could have a big poetry section that doesn’t earn out but could be an important part of your image.”

The booksellers recommended Fell set up a website soon and that instead of sending out newsletters via snail mail, which she has been planning, she ought to use Constant Contact or another service to send e- mail newsletters, which are much less expensive, faster and more effective.

The group also recommended Fell join the ABA and NAIBA and begin attending events and meeting other booksellers.

Fell was holding the first meeting of her book club that night, and booksellers suggested that Fell hold many more events--even if they don’t draw many people--because customers like to sense that some- thing’s happening at bookstores.

The group promoted authorless events, and Tom Williams of Mendham Books counseled that “when ask- ing for authors, be relentless, and never rest on your laurels. At an event you could sells three times as many books as a Barnes & Noble down the road, but the next time the publisher is setting up an author event, it will go to a B&N down the road.”

The booksellers seemed to approve of Fell’s approach to discounting and her loyalty program. The store discounts hardcover 10%, and Fell did away with a loyalty program with its own card and now gives out a $5 coupon on computer on purchases of $100.

Fell expressed some frustration with the advertising she has run in a local paper, but booksellers encouraged her to continue, and Margot Sage-EL suggested she submit information to the paper and get to know staff at the paper.

The booksellers encouraged Fell, who taught in the local school system for many years, in her efforts to develop school and educational business, with special events for teachers and book fairs. At Moravian Book Shop, Bethlehem, Pa., “schools keep you going during the slow months,” Stephanie Anderson said. Fell al- ready offers teachers 10% off on book purchases.

With just a couple of part-time people helping her, Fell said she felt that she did and had to do most every- thing in the store, which is open seven days a week. Rita Maggio, who opened BookTowne, Manasquan, N.J., just last year, sympathized, noting that she has two people who work 20 and 10 hours a week, respec- tively, but has them doing all that she does except ordering.

Sage-EL, who has owned Watchung Booksellers for 12 years, said that it took a while to grow to a staff of five nearly full-timers and various part-time help. “You do everything at first, and you do it a lot longer than you want,” she said. As for the type of staff to hire, NAIBA’s Eileen Dengler put it succinctly: “Hire the smile; train the skill.”

The group also gave Fell tips on returns, keeping track of inventory and the importance of doing regular stock checks in various sections on a rotating basis, something that Harvey Finkel of Clinton Book Shop, Clinton, N.J., called “a good downtime project.” Bookazine’s Ron Rice added that the store should “let the commu- nity determine a store’s inventory. Don’t buy what you think the community wants.” At Watchung Booksell- ers, the staff writes down in a book the titles people ask for that the store doesn’t have. “We don’t necessarily order those titles right away,” Margot Sage-EL said. “But we keep track of them.”

Stephanie Anderson of the Moravian Book Shop said that after six months, decisions about buying and re- turns will become “intuitive” for Fell.

Many of the attendees had been at the ABA’s Winter Institute two weeks ago and mentioned presentations there. Restaurateur Danny Meyer was quoted several times, particularly concerning trying to create a place that has “the incredibly rare combination of feeling like a place where you are going out and coming home at the same time,” as he stated it in Louisville. (Harvey Finkel of Clinton Book Shop said that he was so im- pressed with Meyer’s book on hospitality, Setting the Table, that he is requiring his staff to read and digest it.)

Margot Sage-EL noted that “all a customer wants is for a book to be validated,” which is easy to do with staff pick cards, reviews and even reviews and recommendations by customers. Eileen Dengler said that she and others like to buy what book clubs buy.

Stephanie Anderson of the Moravian Book Shop suggested that Fell could draw more younger people by publicizing that there is wi-fi in the store. She recommended making it a free service--”I carry a laptop with me all the time and love places that have free wi-fi,” she said--but create a password that would change monthly. “Make customers ask for the password at the main desk,” she commented. “Then they’re much more likely to buy a book.”

Anderson also suggested creating a store profile on FaceBook, which has become much more popular than MySpace.

At the end of the visit, Fell said that she had picked up a range of tips she wanted to put into effect. Perhaps most im- portant, she felt that “she wasn’t in this alone.”--John Mutter

Sparta Books is located at 41 Theatre Center, Sparta, N.J. 07871; 973-729-6200.