ask a bookseller

Hey! You’re Here. Thank you!

Now more than ever we need spaces where we feel safe and valid and connected to the world around us. For me, the two places that fit the bill every single time are bookstores and libraries. Always.

I work in a small, independent bookstore here in Northampton, Massachusetts, and one of the best parts of the job is how often people walk into the shop, take a deep breath, and say something to the effect of, ahhh I love the smell of a bookstore.

I’ll let you in on a little trade secret. There is no special smell. I think that smell so many people remark upon is just the way it feels to step into a space so connected to peace and connection and joy. At least that’s what I tell myself. And that’s certainly what I feel.

With that in mind, I thought maybe I would try to recreate that feeling in this little newsletter and answer some bookselling questions. I put out a call on my instagram for folks to send me any burning questions they have for an indie bookseller - book recommendation requests, advice for their reading life, questions about bookselling, anything goes!

Here are my answers to some of those questions. If you have a question of your own, leave it in the comments! Talking about books and bookstores isn’t going to solve all our problems, but I have to believe it’s some small part of imagining and creating a better world.

Do you ever have time to read at the bookstore?

Not as much as I would like I can tell you that! Before I started bookselling I certainly I harbored the fantasy that booksellers mostly sit at the register reading through as many of the books in the store as they possibly can. Sadly this is not the case. The odds and ends of keeping things running in the shop take up most of my time, but I am always on the lookout for pockets of time when I can spend a little time with my book. Who doesn’t like to walk into a bookstore and see a happy bookseller modeling the joy of reading? Right? Right????

how I think I look reading at the counter at Broadside

What’s a cute interaction you had at the store?

There are so many! As anyone with experience can tell you, working in customer service is not easy. That said, the relationships I have built and am building with some of our regular customers is a true surprise and delight. It’s the one thing that really sets our shop apart and it’s what keeps me going on the hard days. And I’m not just talking about our dog customers. But actually let’s talk about the dogs for a minute.

Last year, I wrote about one of my favorite doggie bookstore visitors - Inigo. Inigo and his mom came in the store multiple times a week for years. Inigo would amble right up to the counter on those impossibly tiny legs and we would give him a biscuit, scratch him behind his ears, and reassure him that he is the best boy to ever live. It was a thing. Inigo’s Mom told us that he was on something of a victory lap in his life. He didn’t have much time left and according to her his little bookstore visits were high on the list of things keeping him going. She might have just been saying that to make us feel good, but you better believe I took my role seriously.

We loved Inigo endlessly and my heart sank the day I saw Inigo’s mom come in on her own.

I only knew Inigo through our brief, exuberant exchanges of head scratches and treats, but I am so much better for it.

Just the other day Inigo’s mom brought her new puppy into the shop. Frankie is a gorgeous rescue dog from Tennessee and she wiggled her butt all over the store. I just know she could smell Inigo everywhere.

I showed Inigo’s Mom where we have Inigo’s picture hanging up by the register and she said, “Oh good he would love that. He loved to be beloved.”

Inigo forever.

And this is not the point of the story but you know…… you don’t see Jeff Bezos out here giving Inigo biscuits!

What’s a book you wish people would stop buying?

Far be it from me to stop anyone from buying a book, especially from an independent bookstore. But since you asked… maybe we can stop giving J.K. Rowling money? The good news is if you simply must buy a Harry Potter book (I get it) there are approximately one billion used copies out in the world. I once ordered a used copy for a customer for who wanted to buy it for a young reader but couldn’t stomach lining a transphobe’s pockets. Plus any indie bookseller can recommend Harry Potter alternatives by queer authors.

Also, since you asked, sometimes I think we should have a rule that if you are buying a doom and gloom book that attempts to explain Trump’s rise to power (again, I get it) you should also be required to buy a collection of poetry.

I don’t make the rules, but if I did I would definitely make that a rule.

How do you choose what books face forward on the shelves / are displayed on special tables?

If you’ve ever been to Broadside you know our approach is to squeeze as many books into our small space as the laws of physics will allow. The one downside to this is that we don’t get to display as many books as I would like. That said, in Broadside and in any bookstore you can assume that if a book is face out there is a reason for that prime placement.

The titles a store chooses to spotlight give you important data about what’s new, what’s popular, and what the booksellers in that particular store want you to see and engage with.

At Broadside it’s a constant negotiation over the display real estate and you already know I am a fierce advocate for the books I love.

If you want to make someone’s day, ask your local bookseller to recommend a book they love. It’s why we’re here. I promise.

Okay that’s all I’ve got room for today, but I loved answering your bookselling questions. I am going to do this again, so please send your questions my way.

There is so much in the world that makes no sense. Today I hope you get to spend some time in a space that feels safe and simple and good. And if that’s an independent bookstore? All the better.

I’m so glad you’re here.

Love,

Rosamond