Making room for books.

I consolidated some of my graphic novels sections, to make room for new books.

I've got about 500 new books coming in the next ten days.

I eliminated a shelf dedicated to "Suggestions" from me and my employees; it didn't seem to have much impact, and even if it did, such efforts need constant updating which requires good planning which means I have to have a procedure which means....that the shelf is no more.

I'll have two shelves together which contain the mainstream type graphic novels like Maus and Persepolis, instead of the two shelves separated by half the store.

The biggest change is that I have turned a bookcase over the "Horror" novels; mostly because I need the room in the S.F. and Fantasy section. I already have a 'paranormal romance' section -- all purple and black (the publishers love that purple and black color scheme) -- but there is a lot of cross over between regular horror, paranormal romance (I wish they'd come up with a better description...), and dark fantasy, so I decided it needed it's own section.

Mostly, it was just moving the same genres closer together.

So -- I gained 3 shelves for S.F. Fantasy, 3 shelves for Young Adult, 5 shelves for horror, 1 shelf for independent graphic novels, 1 shelf for classic novels.

I lost -- my "Suggestion" shelf, a couple of shelves for "art toys" (no loss -- I was able to use other parts of the store, and probably actually improved the display), and probably 15 or 20 "face-out" book possibilities.

I'm in a Catch-22 due to my lack of space. I still see potential books to buy -- but I have no way of displaying them except spine out. I'm trying the trick of propping the books in front of other books, which isn't ideal either.

It all comes down to a lack of space.

I've trying to cram 6 to 8 product lines in my store, where I could probably do 1 or 2.

But bottom line -- it works. Maybe not ideally, but better than not doing it at all. I've proven to my own satisfaction over and over again, that more display and less product doesn't work as well as less display and more product. Sure, it isn't as cost-effective -- but I'm not concerned about cost as long as I can pay for it within cash-flow, and I am concerned about pushing sales up.

I think this is the choice most (surviving) independent bookstores are going to have to make -- to have a very wide diversity of product lines. Doing, in effect, what B & N were doing in a larger space, in a smaller space.

Such a strategy requires a small business owner who is paying attention to his inventory -- instead of a huge chain using computers. Because Amazon can do that better.

My biggest problem right now, is finding a way to categorize. I've been doing graphic novels, cartoon books, and art books by theme and age levels -- also by publisher. But I've had too many times lately, when even I -- the owner -- could not find a book I was pretty sure I had in stock, because I didn't have time to run my eyes over every shelf.

I think might retail all the above strategies, but try to alphabetize by TITLE on each Bookcase -- except where I alphabetize by author. Oh, it's a mess. A big jumbled mess of goodness.

Talking to brick walls.

Books currently on display in the window of Pegasus Books:

My Year of Meats, Ruth L. Ozeki
The Giant's House, Elizabeth McCracken
Motherless Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem
The Pilot's Wife, Anita Shreve
Dead Sexy, Tate Hallaway
The Dogs of Babel, Carolyn Parkhurst
Jewell, Bret Lott
Sea Glass, Anita Shreve
The Map of the World, Jane Hamilton
Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt
Night Moves, Tom Clancy
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See



Comment of woman walking by, "Oh, it's mostly science fiction...."

Sigh.


Comment of regular blog reader. "Oh, you have so much more stuff than I expected. You have lots of books!"

Double sigh.

See here's the thing.

Advertising and promotion is all well and good. Signs, and displays, and talking and blogging and jumping up and down in a monkey suit are all fine ideas.

But they can't overcome the mightiest hurdle of all.

Preconception.

A set mind.

When I brought in new books, I knew that it wouldn't matter to just about anyone who had been in my store in the last 25 years. They would continue to think of Pegasus as what they made up their mind about Pegasus when they first visited. Whether it be comics or cards or toys or science fiction or whatever.

On the other hand, the majority of new visitors are open to the idea that I'm a bookstore because they actually believe the evidence before their very eyes.

That's great. I can build on that.

Here's another situation that arises ten or fifteen times a day.

Customer walks in and asks, "Do you have Native Plants of North America?"

"We carry almost exclusively fiction," I say.

Completely blank look. Not the answer they expected. No, would suffice. Yes, would be good. Don't know, is what they expected.

"So you don't have it?"

"Probably not. We do fiction...you know -- novels...."

Slowly, perceptively, the understanding of what I'm saying enters their mind.

But I don't want to just say No. This is my opportunity to do a little marketing, one on one, the most valuable kind. So I make the effort. If I just say, "No," they leave and are never the any wiser about my store. Sometimes, they'll brighten up and say, "Oh, great. I've been looking for a good read!" and actually walk over and start looking around.

But it can be frustrating.