Description of Family at Booknook

The description of Family at Booknook is way, way, back on older posts, and since this blog is supposed to be about the novel, I've repeated the description.

A traumatized teenage mother, a cantankerous older man and a precocious child create an unlikely family. Sixteen-year-old Sparrow is pregnant. Banished from her home, she is deposited at Dave Stanley’s bookshop. Withdrawn and seemingly unaware of her pregnancy, Sparrow remains and works at Booknook. With the birth of her daughter, Finch, she awakens and is determined to keep her baby. Dave becomes a surrogate grandfather, protector of mother and daughter. Longing for her mysterious, absent father who, she mistakenly believes can complete her family; Finch grows up feeling the sting of being illegitimate. This is a story of relationships and of hope, in which a reclusive single mother and a feisty girl come of age.

Ms. Meisels Writes: As a psychotherapist I have heard many personal narratives and have been privileged to play a part in helping people like Sparrow. I wanted to show authentic characters that make mistakes, hurt and bleed but learn to trust, love and find resolution. The novel is set in Michigan: Milan, Adrian, Clinton, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, places I am familiar with and fond of. I’m excited to meet and talk with people about the novel and the process of writing and publishing.

Michigan Independent Book Store Survey

In the past two days I have called twenty-five independent books stores to pitch Family at Booknook. Ten phones had been disconnected and several stores with limited hours had answering machines. All ten of the proprietors that I reached were welcoming and expressed a desire to support Michigan Authors.

When the owners had a moment, I asked them about business—my little survey.
Carolyn at Squirreled Away Books in Armada, a farming community of 600 families, told me that she has been in the business for years and has loyal clientele. “I don’t have to compete with the big guys and we offer service.”She also sells on line, and during fall colors tourists stop in.

Amy at Horizon Books in Petoskey indicated that she and her husband opened their shop in 1960 and own their building. Thus they are well established and have low overhead. “We don’t depend on best sellers. We sell books one at a time. We pay attention to the nuts and bolts and are involved with the community.” she said.

The Island Bookstore in Mackinaw City will close for the winter. The pleasant young woman who spoke with me indicated that their book store caters to seasonal tourists. They are interested in any books by Michigan authors about Michigan.

These successful businesses seemed to have several things in common: longevity, low overhead, desirable location, service, carving out a niche and, most important, a love of books. I’d love to have comments from independent book store owners. How are you succeeding?

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I just found a button that indicates that anyone can post without signing in. I clicked it. I hope this makes it easier for people to comment.

INDEPENDENT BOOK STORES STRUGGLE

Since Family at Booknook is a novel by a Michigan author set in Michigan, I’ve been marketing to the states independent bookstores, four named Book Nook. When I mention that Booknook is set in Michigan the comment is, “We like to support local Authors.”

Yesterday I talked with Gene, owner of The Book Nook in Allen Park. When I told him I was calling independent book stores he laughed and said, “How many are still in business?” He told me that his store has been in business since the sixties and that, due to recent industries changes, he focuses mainly on magazines, but that I should go ahead and send him information. It was clear that he was a book lover and that limiting his stock to magazines was not his first choice.

I did not like the idea of charming, neighborhood book stores going under. And I was relieved when I called Janet Berns at The Book Nook in Monroe, who was busy with a huge shipment of text books. My next call was to the Book Nook and Java Shop in Montague, where McKenzie Smith told me that she ordered from Ingram and to send her information. Both women were upbeat.

But, on my next call the book store phone had been disconnected. I got to thinking about what Gene had said. I had been invited to do a signing at Cranesbill Books in Chelsea, a quaint shop packed with great books. Recently the owner, Janet Loveland, emailed me that she was sorry she could not host a signing. She was closing her book shop and getting on with her life. This woman has devoted her professional life to the world of books. Her simple statement seemed sad, as though she were leaving a failed love. Walking down the street in towns and cities I see shops with a closed or out of business signs. How many of these were once book stores?

I have little understanding of the print industry and how technology is changing it. I know technological advances are changing the way we access books, newspapers and magazines. Much information reaches us via the internet. Here I sit typing away. I will send this out to space where it could be read by millions but realistically will be read by a handful. (Still, I get to express myself and I will save a tree.) Books are read on line, and books that you hold in your hand are bought on line and often for less than a bookstore with its overhead can sell them for. My little novel is listed on Amazon and on occasion is less expensive there than it is in book stores. Thankfully the buyer must pay postage when he orders over the internet. But it’s tough out there. Even Borders is having difficulty.

Hopefully small bookstores will find inventive ways to survive. Strolling into a book store with its smell of fresh print, browsing through the shelves and having a book lover, someone that I may know, help me make a selection is an experience to be cherished.

I’m making more calls to book stores today and will post about them. It would be interesting to hear from book store owners or managers. You just have to sign in to comment. Thanks

This Comment Made My Day

Ms. Meisels,

I just wanted to say that yesterday a friend bought your book from the local Walden books store and I decided to read the first chapter while riding in her care. Reluctant to give it up she finally caved in and said, "Amanda you are such a fast reader so go ahead and borrow it and I will read it later." I must say that this is the first really amazing book I have read in a long time. From the moment I picked it up and started reading it I couldn't put it down. I have already finished it and I was wondering if by chance you will write and publish another book that follows up on Finch's life? I am so interested in knowing what happens! I wish you the best of luck in any future novels that you write. I also know that I am going to have to go out and purchase this book and any others you may have published in the future. You are an amazing and captivating author. Congrats on a book well written!

Sincerely,

Amanda Blaire Krawetzke

Susan Bach emails from Waldenbooks in Adrian

I wanted to share Susan's email with all those authors who are tryinkg to get their books read.

Brenda,
What a lovely blog about your signing at the bookstore! Thank you for that and for coming to spend time with us. We have now sold 15 copies of the book and the most fun one was today. A young woman came in to buy a copy because her English teacher at Jackson Community College read the first chapter to the class today! The word spreads on books that way and your visit increased interest in the book. I gave the student your book club questions and the information about your library program and I asked her to share with the teacher. Please stay in touch.
Susan

Novice Writer Trys to Sign

Coming Event: Talk and Read at Adrian Library Saturday, Noveber 21st, 2:00pm

On my way to Waldenbooks in Adrian, I stopped at the Clinton Inn to chat with Laurie and Mark, who are selling Family at Booknook. We talked about the Fall Festival. I complimented Mark on his delicate, cheesy broccoli soup that he made for the Festival. Mark told me that he makes five gallon vats of it continuously for the three days of the fair.

When the Inn is open, Laurie and Mark are there, and that is six days a week. When I asked how many hours they work, Laurie promptly replied, “Eighty hours a week.” That makes thirteen hours a day. They did vacation for a week this summer, their first in nineteen years.

Laurie had sold a book. I high-fived her. We celebrate the little things.

For a couple of hours on Saturday I hung out at Waldenbooks in the Adrian mall, a social destination on a Saturday afternoon. The book store is small, but with shelves from floor to ceiling it houses a wealth of good reading—best sellers, staff picks, local authors, and a display of discounted books. There was a steady stream of lookers and buyers. Manager Susan Bach is a reader, knows her patrons and what they like. She ordered nine Family at Booknook novels a couple of weeks ago, sold them and reordered. When I asked how she did this, she said, “I make recommendations based on the kind of book I think each person would like.”

Sitting at a table just outside the entrance to Waldenbooks was a bit daunting. If I was a favorite author, readers would have been excited to stop and chat. But I am unknown and was sitting at a table like one of those people selling windows or doors at the county fair, except that I had no prizes to give out and had not thought to bring a bowl of tootsie rolls. And unlike Susan Bach, her customers do not know me, nor do they trust my judgment.

Still, some people did stop and chat. A mother, with four stair-step children and two at home, agreed that she was a very busy woman. An older man, with a carved wooden cane, talked about his canes. A woman, who told me she had moved twenty-five times but that Adrian was her home, thanked me for writing a local book.

I’ve been told that an author should mingle and be approachable at a signing. So I took Family, held the cover in a way that it could be seen and wandered around the store, smiling and trying to be helpful. No luck! Then, Susan rescued me, introduced me to Lois Speed, a member of the Morenci Library Board. Lois purchased a book and I gave her one to take to the library. A woman from a book club in Onsted picked up a list of discussion questions. A lovely older woman purchased Family for a Christmas present. This all happened in about five minutes, and then it was three o’clock. Over.

From there I swung by the Adrian library and visited with Director Carol Shouchock about my talk on November 21st. Every time I’ve been to the library, evening or day, she has been there. She indicated that in two weeks the library renovations would be complete. And the space is lovely--warm carpeting, high ceilings, two lofts, natural lighting and lots and lots of books. Carol is another person who is always working. It seems that in order to be successful, one must keep at it. One step at a time.

Blogging Class

I'm at the library learning how to blog. This blog does accept comments! So, please do try and post. If you succeed let others know. If you don't succeed let me know. Thanks!