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crowdfunding2011-09-27 04:01 pm
ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com) wrote in crowdfunding2011-09-27 04:01 pm
Let's Make Some Bookstores
I've been disappointed by the recent collapse of Borders, which took Waldenbooks down with it, after they helped demolish the independent bookstores. So now a lot of towns have no bookstore, chain or otherwise. I don't like this, and I've noticed a lot of other people expressing similar sentiments. I'm not an entrepreneur, so starting a bookstore is not really my thing.
What I am is a wordsmith and a very enthusiastic crowdfunder. So, I propose creating bookstores in fictional settings, and writing/illustrating/portraying bookstores (which may be fictional or real ones). You can do this in your own setting or someone else's. Some crowdfunded projects allow patrons to share in the worldbuilding. Others have prompt calls where you can request something you want to see.
For example,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kajones_writing offers opportunities to name characters or permanent structures in her various series. I established the bookshop Echoes of Alexandria in the Donor House setting. There will be a story to introduce it eventually.
Let's remind people why bookstores are wonderful. They have selections where you can browse the whole book. They often have knowledgable staff who will help you find what you need. They tend to be full of other people who love books. They may host author signings, book club meetings, and other literary activities.
If you've got a bookstore in your crowdfunded setting, or you're up for featuring them in a crowdfunding session, or you've requested one in somebody else's setting, or you've put one in your recent writing/art/whatever, please comment with details and a link if the material is online.
[EDIT 9/29/11] If you own or work at a bookstore, or still know of a local one that you love, please feel free to join the fun. Supporting extant bookstores is easier than building whole new ones! Thanks top_m_cryan for speaking up about her bookstore.
“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
What I am is a wordsmith and a very enthusiastic crowdfunder. So, I propose creating bookstores in fictional settings, and writing/illustrating/portraying bookstores (which may be fictional or real ones). You can do this in your own setting or someone else's. Some crowdfunded projects allow patrons to share in the worldbuilding. Others have prompt calls where you can request something you want to see.
For example,
kajones_writing offers opportunities to name characters or permanent structures in her various series. I established the bookshop Echoes of Alexandria in the Donor House setting. There will be a story to introduce it eventually.Let's remind people why bookstores are wonderful. They have selections where you can browse the whole book. They often have knowledgable staff who will help you find what you need. They tend to be full of other people who love books. They may host author signings, book club meetings, and other literary activities.
If you've got a bookstore in your crowdfunded setting, or you're up for featuring them in a crowdfunding session, or you've requested one in somebody else's setting, or you've put one in your recent writing/art/whatever, please comment with details and a link if the material is online.
[EDIT 9/29/11] If you own or work at a bookstore, or still know of a local one that you love, please feel free to join the fun. Supporting extant bookstores is easier than building whole new ones! Thanks to
p_m_cryan for speaking up about her bookstore.“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
no subject
I actually OWN a bookstore in meatspace, and need to set up a crowdfunding project in the next few weeks to keep it afloat. Let's talk.
W00T!
Thank you.
>>I actually OWN a bookstore in meatspace, and need to set up a crowdfunding project in the next few weeks to keep it afloat. Let's talk.<<
Yes, let's!
Silly me, I should have thought to include "support your local indie bookstore" in this. I'll add that.
Are you thinking about an online crowdfunding project set up on IndieGogo or a similar site, or a local project aimed at your foot traffic customers, or some combination of both? I think both could be useful as a way to encourage more activity overall and maybe some interaction across the two groups.
In particular, you might try hosting some kind of live activity, like a reading (Broad Universe does rapid-fire readings at cons with multiple authors, attracting more attention than a single person would) or a writer working in public (as Harlan Ellison has done). Hand out flyers that explain the idea of crowdfunding and your project, and have a tip jar.