Here is a terrific post from a new contributor to The Bookshop Blog - Roberta Nevares
If you have some time take a look at her blog The Poet In You
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I am a relative newbie in the world of book selling, my dear friend Nora who encouraged me to travel down this path is not. In fact, book selling is nearly all she has ever known save for a very short stint as a barista with a well-known coffee chain. This brief foray of hers was put to an end with an intervention by loved ones. Nora finally relented to their fervent entreaties to, “be done with this torturous career path”, an occupation that had resulted in a traumatic and recurring nightmare in which she found herself seated opposite the half-rabid coffee swilling author Balzac wagering on the ever popular card game, Piquet. In this dream Balzac could not be restrained from leaping up and shouting, “Carte Blanche!”. Nora would then be obliged to prepare yet another demitasse full of brew by manipulating a very complicated piece of 19th century machinery, glass tubes and metal parts would sputter forth a few pungent and very black drops of a full bodied dark roast for the never sated author. Ah, the stuff nightmares are made of. Intervention behind her, she shrugged off her apron and stepped back into the world of book selling.
This dear woman was my first and primary teacher, a mentor if you would have it so. We’ve lived in different cities now for more than a decade. My “tutelage” has been by phone and email. In the beginning, the only experience I had was as a customer and fan of used bookstores, their decline was a subject we spoke about often. I loved finding an out of print or hard to fine title, even one with a dedication in a flowery script would have me buzzing. As a bookseller, I had no experience. I had a barrage of questions, all of the most obvious ones: what to buy, where to buy it, how to sell it. Five years later the book related calls are fewer and the need for consolation much less. When I feel that I’ve let something get away from me I remember the signed Kerouac that she let go for a song. Now we commiserate more than anything but she is still my go to girl in times of crisis.
There are so many sources of information, the key is to be open to them and to value them especially when they come from the first hand experience of your book selling peers. I know that most booksellers don’t like to give away their hard earned lessons because those lessons, they’ve come at a price.
Book selling blogs have also been a great source of information. Sometimes I will find answers to questions that I didn’t even realize needed answering. One of the blog posts that I am most grateful for having found was right here on this site. It’s Tom Nealon’s post titled, Don’t Get Hung Up On Your Buying Mistakes - Sell And Move On. I swear, I think he wrote it just for me. After reading the article I finally started purging boxes of books. It has made a huge difference, both psychologically (I no longer have those foul books taunting me) and physically, it’s opened up a lot of shelf-space. Also, The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books
has recently made a comeback and has some pertinent posts for booksellers.
Book selling blogs have an appeal that the forums on ABE and Alibris do not. I am looking for and value constructive first hand experience, not doom and gloom.
My sources of motivation aren’t always other booksellers and they are not always online. I sometimes think of a veterinarian I once worked for who ranted when he found a box of product that was not on the shelf. “These aren’t going to sell sitting in this box in the office,” he railed. And he was right. When I see a box of books that I have yet to post I think of him in all of his annoyance. When I really need motivation I think of a Coach Bob Hurley at St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City, NJ. He challenges his basketball players to give it their all and be their best. When my husband and I first watched this on CBS I laughed and said, “Can you imagine if I had that guy here coaching me on book selling? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WATCHING TV????? POST THOSE BOOKS. POST ‘EM!!!!!”
In my very short history as a bookseller I have found that advice, inspiration and motivation can come from almost anywhere. If I have any advice to give it is to love what you do, do it well, and get those books out of the box and on your shelves!
Roberta Nevares
Bertski Books
The Poet In You
Ciao and happy 2008! Come sta? I've just picked up Mary and Robin's smoke signals and come as quickly as my client's tired little jet could get here. I've been under wraps for weeks-- nearly undercover-- up to my newly tatooed eyebrows with an impossible client. (Without divulging any beans, I am happy to report that Dr. Phil is OFF the case.)
But enough about them! What do you think of my New Year Makeover? Si? No? I've had my lips done-- gawd, no, not botox, but a little shaping and reduction. I was born with enough lip to plump up the entire cast of Desperate Housewives. And, I've gone permanent make-up. Look! I've just rolled out of bed. No fuss, no muss, glamour to go. Do tell me what you think! I love Ms. Viola's New/Old Look! Each of you that reply will have a chance to be entered into a drawing to win a fabulous book called Plug Your Book: Online Book Marketing for Authors, by Steve Weber.
I've just sucked down my third skinny latte and I'm ready to work on Book Launch 2008. Oh, this will be such mad fun! My brain is already starting to spark and smoke.
First off, I do want to point out that even before Mary officially launched her campaign this month, there are some things she's done already to start plowing the proverbial field. She set up a few speaking engagements for the Winter and Spring to give herself venues to start chatting up her new book. Even though she won't have Ten Lucky Things in her little mitts to sign or sell, she can show an ARC and plant some cover and name recognition.
Secondly, as Robin will chat about later, the launching doesn't end on the day your new book comes out the chute. There is a very potent two-month window after your release date. We are going to have Mary busy-busy-busy hot on the Buzz Beat. More on that later. No rest for ze wicked!
And speaking of buzz, here is Mary's Ms. Viola Homework for the week.
1) Set up a Facebook Account
The latest industry research touts that Facebook is climbing up and over MySpace in terms of utility and popularity, and we want to take advantage of every networking opportunity we can. What do you think? Given that the users have to be 13 and up, I still think there are some good arguments for children's writers setting up their accounts. Robin? Mary? Either of you want to chime in here?
Gawd, those crazy Violets-- they are busy toasting each and doing some odd little dance over this being their 100th SVP entry!
Addio!
Ms. Viola
Manuel Ramos
EL CENTRO SU TEATRO
El Centro Su Teatro celebrates 35 years as a Chicano theater company in 2007. The acclaimed and award-winning artistic center and theater troupe has enriched and portrayed Chicano culture and life for more than three decades with highly original plays, poetry slams, music festivals, outdoor movies, a youth art institute, and an ongoing commitment to community involvement and awareness. Here are two upcoming events at this very busy intersection of theater, politics, and creativity.
Bowl of Beings
July 20 -28, Su Teatro presents its adaptation of A Bowl of Beings, written by Culture Class and directed by Hugo Carbajal. Here's what the Cal State Northridge Oviatt Library Culture Class website says about this play:
"The creation of A Bowl of Beings represented another turning point for Culture Clash. On September 7, 1989, Ric Salinas was shot and another actor, George Galvan, was injured in front of Ric's apartment while trying to break up a fight. Salinas sustained near-fatal injuries to his neck, chest, and abdomen, and remained in intensive care for five days. Family, friends, and fans held several benefits to raise money to help pay for Ric's medical expenses. Out of this experience came Culture Clash's A Bowl of Beings, based around themes of Chicano identity, wit, and wisdom. A Bowl of Beings ran for six months at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, and Culture Clash adapted it for television for a 1992 episode of PBS's Great Performances series."
11th Annual Chicano Music Festival and Auction
El Centro Su Teatro presenta the 11th Annual Chicano Music Festival and Auction, August 2 – 5 at El Centro’s North playground, 4725 High Street, Denver. This year’s festival promises to be the most exciting yet, featuring a spread of diverse sounds that have defined the Chicano experience in the American Southwest. It will also mark the Denver return of television and screen star Jesse Borrego (Fame, Con Air, Blood In Blood Out, 24), who will sing alongside his father and their blazing San Antonio band, Conjunto Borrego.
Thursday’s Noche Alternativa will be a late night kickoff event celebrating the new and innovative work of rising stars such as Yuzo Nieto, Joaquin Liebert, and Valarie Castillo.
Friday night’s Noche Tradicional is a commemoration of 19th Century music and a salute to the fifth class of the Musica de Colorado Hall of Fame. Featured performers are San Antonio five-button accordion master Nicolas Valdez presenting his unique style of traditional music and spoken word, from Fort Collins the legendary Grupo Aztlán, with a special acoustic set by Conjunto Borrego.
Saturday’s Pachanga will feature local Colorado roquirolas Jon Romero y Amanecer and headliners Conjunto Borrego. These guys are serving up a spicy South Texas sound straight out of San Antonio’s Westside. And what better way to wrap up the weekend than with a Mariachi celebration featuring the finest mariachis this side of the border? And that’s just the music.
The festival is also home to one of the biggest and best auctions in the Rocky Mountain region. New items are arriving daily, including Broncos (vs. Raiders) tickets, hotel getaways, spa treatments, free dinners, museum passes and more—all in addition to the handpicked selection of stunning visual art by some of the finest artists in the Southwest. Come dance under the stars at the 11th Annual Chicano Music Festival and Auction.
Please call El Centro Su Teatro at (303) 296-0219, or email [email protected] for tickets and schedule information. Also visit www.suteatro.org and www.myspace.com/elcentrosuteatro.
LA AVON LADY READING
Lorraine López will read from Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories (Curbstone, 2002) at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee, on Tuesday July 17th from 7pm-8pm. Author and Professor Lorraine López will speak at APSU during the Tennesee Young Writers’ Workshop. The reading will be held in the Morgan University Center in room 303. This event is co-sponsored by Humanities Tennessee and the Center for Creative Arts at Austin Peay State University. Lopez also is the author of Call Me Henri, an award-winning young adult novel released by Curbstone in 2006.
presents
its summer exhibition,
Con Confection, featuring three contemporary artists who have drawn from the traditional art of embroidery to create innovative results.
Artists:
Lia Menna Barreto (Brazil),
Ana Maria Hernando (Colorado),
Carlos Arturo Arias Vicuna (Mexico) and traditional artists from throughout Latin America. Also included in the exhibition is a special documentary video about Brazilian artist
Arthur Bispo de Rosario.
Confection, usually defined as an elaborate creation or a sweet combination of materials, is the key to this grouping of artists who use embellishment and decoration in their work. Mixing minimalist values with post-colonial visualizations, the artists of Con Confection thread the memories of tradition with fresh materials and layered meanings.
ARTIST TALK MONDAY
JULY 16, 7PM
Lia Menna Barreto, visiting artist from Brazil, presents her past work and new projects.
The Museo is located at 861 Santa Fe Drive, Denver 303.571.4401 Members Free, General $5
¡ASK A MEXICAN!
Gustavo Arellano brought his unique brand of humor and satire to Denver's Tattered Cover on July 11 -- he won over the crowd and sold plent
y of books. I liked that he confirmed that all of his facts really are facts based on actual studies, government reports, etc. He also explained that he gets more than thirty questions a week and has more than 180 pages of unused questions, enough to keep his column going for six more years, and that not all of his questions come from racists. Buy his book (¡Ask A Mexican!, Scribner 2007) or read his nationally syndicated column, and learn why Mexicans are known as greasers (page 19); whether menudo really cures hangovers (page 148); and why Mexican cholos call white girls güeras (page 183).
Later.
