Independent Book Sellers

[brianj_hill]

Hi everyone,

Hope you are safe and well. Can anyone tell me if there are any Independent Book Sellers in this forum or does any know if there is a forum for Independent Book Sellers?

Regards,

Brian

 

[kulture]

I used to be an independent bookseller, and my husband currently runs a charity bookshop.

 

[sarky]

Hi everyone,

Hope you are safe and well. Can anyone tell me if there are any Independent Book Sellers in this forum or does any know if there is a forum for Independent Book Sellers?

Regards,

Brian

I don't think this has a forum but there are blogs there: www.thebookseller.com

 

[Mr D]

Usually find a few on the amazon forums too.

 

[brianj_hill]

I used to be an independent bookseller, and my husband currently runs a charity bookshop.

thanks for getting back to me. I'm doing some research into the challenges of running an independent book store. Would you be available for me to pick you brains?

 

[kulture]

I will answer questions here in a public, not off forum.

 

[brianj_hill]

I#m

I will answer questions here in a public, not off forum.

I'm looking to move away from permanent employment and would like to run by own business and since I spent most my time in book shops and reading I thought this could be for me.

I'm interested in knowing what the main challenges are in starting a book store and growing it so that it can pay me a decent wage and then sell at some point to part fund my retirement,

Thanks for your time

 

[brianj_hill]

I don't think this has a forum but there are blogs there: www.thebookseller.com

That link is really useful - thanks

 

[brianj_hill]

Usually find a few on the amazon forums too.

That's interesting. Independents also sell on Amazon? Of course!!!! thanks for this

 

[kulture]

The biggest problems in starting an independent bookshop is premises and stock. You need to invest a lot of money into both. Depending on what range you want to have you will need in excess of £50,000 just to open the door

 

[Deleted member 59730]

As a publisher I have supplied all the bookshops in the southwest from Swindon down. I have known nearly all the owners and managers. Some succeed and some are slow failures. The reason why chains like Waterstones succeed is because they employ staff to WORK. Independents, where the owner sits in a corner reading, often fail because they are not on top of how the shop needs arrangeing.

I've known buyers who make judgements that move books and other who only make a decision when the peak has past.

Opening day for a new bookshop is September. October, November and December account for over 40% of book sales. I would say that £50,000 is on the light side for finance.

 

[Aniela]

There isn't that much profit in physical book stores these days. This is why you see stores like Waterstones moving towards a bookshop/coffee shop model.

Why limit yourself to a physical book store? You could create an online bookstore and have no requirement to hold stock.

Most online bookstores, including the giants like Amazon dropship most of their books these days; they don't stock them directly; Apart from the best selling books. There's one company that dropships the books on behalf of most online stores.

 

[Deleted member 59730]

Most online bookstores, including the giants like Amazon dropship most of their books these days; they don't stock them directly;

Amazon are hopeless at selling books. They rarely sold more than 2 a month of my titles while a single bookshop would sell 20.

 

[alan1302]

Amazon are hopeless at selling books.

I'm pretty sure they have a reasonable grasp at selling books.

 

[fisicx]

There isn't that much profit in physical book stores these days.

The right store in the right place selling the right sort of books can be very profitable. I know two who are doing very well.

 

[Aniela]

The right store in the right place selling the right sort of books can be very profitable. I know two who are doing very well.

So in a rare situation, it may be profitable. Not sure that's what the OP wants.

 

[fisicx]

So in a rare situation, it may be profitable. Not sure that's what the OP wants.

We don't know what they want. Which it why they are doing their research. You just made a blanket statement about profitability that isn't correct. Consider also that profit isn't always a business driver. If they earn enough to pay the bills then some people are quite happy.

 

[Aniela]

We don't know what they want. Which it why they are doing their research. You just made a blanket statement about profitability that isn't correct. Consider also that profit isn't always a business driver. If they earn enough to pay the bills then some people are quite happy.

The blanket statement I made is correct.

I never said they weren't profitable. Just that there isn't that much profit.

If they want to build a job for themselves, a physical bookstore generally isn't worth it as they're not cheap to startup.