Indie-to-Indie Ideas

Here are a few examples of how independent booksellers and independent publishers can prioritize one another to each's mutual benefit.

Under the Umbrella Bookstore, Salt Lake City
Indie Playlist Display

The winner of the 2023 Playlist Display Contest for Pride Month was Under the Umbrella Bookstore, a queer little bookstore in Salt Lake City, who put together a wonderful and inviting display (and Instagram post). Thank you, Umbrella, for making these indie pride titles shine! ​

Powell's Books, Portland Oregon
Small Press Section

Kevin Sampsell from Powell's Books walks through their Small Press Section, detailing what genres and formats live here and how they source their inventory, in an instagram reel. If you don't have a small press section, maybe this could work in your store! And if you do, talking about it with your customers is a great way to show your commitment to independent literature and the larger literary community.

Downbound Books, Cincinnati OH
Indie Press Takeover

On Saturday, March 11th 2023, Downbound Books invited indie publisher Two Dollar Radio to bring their their wares and wisdom to to the store for a pop-up event. “The idea with this takeover is just to keep spreading the word about them, and to give Cincinnati-area readers a chance to meet the press and take a deeper dive into their list," says Downbound founder Gregory Kornbluh. The event resulted in a good crowd in the shop pretty much all afternoon. The publisher sold a bunch of books, and the folks who came bought plenty of other stuff, too. The event also received attention from the local NPR station, which ran a spot featuring Two Dollar Radio and Belt Publishing about a discussion of indie publishing in Ohio that ran a few days in advance of the event, which was a big help with turnout.

Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor MI
Literati   Insisto   Subscription Program

Literati Insisto is a monthly subscription program whose subscribers receive paperback originals published by small, independent presses, specially selected by the bookstore's curator. Each month's selection is shipped directly to customers, or can be picked up in-store. Insisto, which can be translated from Latin as "press on" or "persevere," exists to celebrate the beautiful, unusual, original books that make indie presses so vital to the literary world. 

​Insisto selections include fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Every month, subscribers receive a letter of introduction, typed on one of our antique typewriters, along with a Literati bookmark. Ongoing subscribers are charged for the price of the book, generally $15 to $20, plus tax. Shipping is an additional $4. 

Insisto is offered in 3-, 6-, and 12-month packages, whose price includes tax and shipping. Where ongoing subscribers are charged monthly, gift subscriptions are charged through one-time payment.

Politics and Prose, Washington D.C.
Small Press Month newsletter and list

In honor of Independent Publisher Month (aka Small Press Month, taking place every March), Politics and Prose sent out a curated list of their indie press favorites via email newsletter.

Exile in Bookville, Chicago IL
"Meet the Press" display

Picture
Stolen from Instagram
Exile in Bookville's "Meet the Press" wall is a permanent display where the bookstore rotates out indie publishers. It has featured Charco Press, New Directions, and Two Dollar Radio (pictured above). The display features a variety of the press's frontlist and backlist titles, as well as information about the press's aesthetics and history. This builds familiarity with the press's brand and develops a connection between customers, indie presses, and indie bookstores.

North Figueroa Bookshop, Los Angeles CA
Indie Press Sections

Another in the burgeoning tradition of publishers opening bookstores, North Figueroa Bookshop was founded by LA-based publishers Unnamed Press and Rare Bird Lit, with financial assistance from Grove/Atlantic and MCD (an imprint of FSG, owned by Macmillan). While the bookstore's funding is not wholly derived from independent presses, the bookstore's model prioritizes indie presses by creating sections devoted to them, as pictured above.