What the hell am I doing?

I love books, but have never sold one. Now I'm trying to open a bookshop.

Can a bookshop be opened in 6 weeks?

Let’s start way back at the beginning. Eight days ago. When I found out our local bookshop in Melbourne’s Inner North was closing.

Naturally it’s a space I’ve dropped cash in. It’s added to my bookshelves, has been a place I turn to in search of rhyming stories and loveable creatures who’ll solve my children’s behavioural problems, and has sorted me out for many gifts, last minute or otherwise. It’s where one of my boys chose and bought his first book gift, a birthday present for his brother (the excellent Almost a Fish by Julianne Negri, that’s taught us all what the frig an axolotl is, if not how to pronounce it.)

It’s also been a space I’ve sought more from. I noticed they reduced their opening hours and reached out for a job in case staffing was the issue. And before that, craving bookish connection, I gave my email address over to be informed when the bookclub fired back up. It never did.

So, while I was sad to see the doors close, I was also somewhat curious about what could be. And with a vacant spot, literal and opportunity-wise, hell, I’d be pretty jealous if someone else got to it before me.

We’ve been (me and Anthony, my biz-brained husband) on a week of fact-finding. We’ve connected with the current owners, who also run a very successful and lovely bookstore, specialising in children’s books, a couple of suburbs over. They’re off to focus their efforts fully there. And let’s be real - this is retail in a cost of living crisis and that takes its toll. They want/need to take their foot off the gas a bit. Hat tip to them.

So yeah, I guess we’re getting real-ish about this:

This is what we’ve done so far:

1. I’ve struck up conversations with booksellers, who I always knew to be warm and open folk. But I’ve been so grateful to see how generous and encouraging they have been in entertaining a complete noob’s questions.

2. Late into the night we’re running the numbers. Which means learning everything from scratch. The mark-up on books. The sale-or-return critical 12 month window.

3. We’ve reached out to Chiara, an architect/interiors mastermind who worked on our home renovation and who I gelled so well with, I knew there’d be another chance to work with down the track.

4. I’ve applied to join the industry association, Book People, here in Australia which could unlock mentorship and a community.

5. I’ve flung together a brand brief and reached out to agencies to help us build out our logo and identity.

6. We’re in touch with Circle, the software all independent booksellers use here to run their POS, for training and support.

Next up:

1. Negotiating the lease, on terms that are sustainable for the business.

2. Building relationships with reps, the critical path to getting our hands on books.

3. Launching something on social so that locals can see we’re working on it.

4. I’m also heading to London on Thursday for one week, a trip to see family and friends that has now turned into a high-speed bookshop tour. Recommendations please!!

What’s the rush?

Well, in the running of numbers, we uncovered something pretty key. Like most retail, December is boom town for the book biz. Like ⅕ th of the yearly revenue in the Christmas run-up. That’s not cash we want to leave on the table, coz this isn’t a business where cash comes easy.

And two, well, I’m 4.5 months pregnant with boy number 3. And actually, if I know you, this might be how you’re finding that piece of news out. Soz, I’ve not been too good on the whole ‘announce’ front. Kid three, etc, etc.

So yeah, curveball! The plan? (LOL.) To open fast and incredibly soft, get the community warmed up and onside, take some Christmas $ for cashflow and then close down for 6 weeks when the baby arrives to properly renovate. When that’s done, and when I’m good with walking again, we’ll hard launch with all the gear.

My vision is a space that’s all about community - somewhere warm and friendly to pop in for a chat, to discover something unexpected and to talk about what you’ve been enjoying. An entirely judgement free space. You’re a 43 year old woman who loves YA? Cool, tell us more.

It’s got to be an inclusive space, and my particular sweet spot is literary fiction, the weirder the better, female writers and British/Irish contemporary authors. I want to host bookclubs, local author chats, storytimes and writers groups.

And somewhere gentle that maybe I can escape a little from all the he/hims at home. Though shit, it’s gotta be breastfeeding and newborn-burping friendly too, as that unlucky third is getting strapped on and cash register trained at 2 months.

Along the way I’m going to share what I learn, the peaks and the troughs, the nitty gritty of the financials and the sexier stuff like branding. Through this newsletter and, gulp, on TikTok. If nothing else, it should make for good content and no one will need to make the mistakes I make again.

Can we even get stock in six weeks? Let’s find out!

What can you do to help?

Of course, in due time I’ll be making a case for you buying your books through me. But first I need to earn your R.E.S.P.E.C.T., and tackle the grim piece of machinery that is Circle.

What I really need help with now is stocking the shop. At a wildly novice estimate I need 1,000 titles in the shop on soft launch. I’ve got a spreadsheet running of stuff I’ve loved and can enthuse about ‘til the sun goes down. My husband reads about 2 books a year. So that leaves about a 933 book deficit on the shelves.

So please, can you tell me your favourite books? Whether it’s an all time great love of yours or the hottest thing you read this year. Fiction or non-fiction. Little kids or bigger ones.

Hit the button below and I’ll be eternally grateful to have crowdsourced a place filled with your favourites. On quiet days, it’ll be like you’re there with me.

THANK YOU in advance.

You’ll also help me out massively if you can forward this to a friend who might enjoy the ride, or who has strong bookish opinions.

Until next time…

Fun! Potentially insanely dumb! But come with me, it’s probably going to be hella stressful and pretty funny.

Bye for now,

Katie

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What I’m reading: The Echoes by Evie Wylds. Recommended to me by Ali over at Ladyhawke in Ivanhoe. This is brilliant on a sentence-by-sentence level. An account of family trauma and grief that’s somehow beautifully light and relatable. Spanning Australia and London, it’s got a frustrated ghost, a fair few baby goats and plenty of laugh-aloud moments. I’ll be digging further back in Wyld’s stack after this.

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