Some Bright Spots in Northern California
by Wendy Werris -- Publishers Weekly, 10/7/2008 7:31:00 AM
When Cody’s Bookstore abruptly closed this summer in Berkeley, it was difficult to imagine any upside to one of the most wrenching events in Northern California bookselling history. At this weekend’s NCIBA trade show in Oakland, however, there were a couple of pieces of good news. Laura Tibbals, senior buyer at Moe’s Books in Berkeley, reported that sales of new books in their store have increased by 25% every month since Cody’s shut its doors. “That’s been great for us, although admittedly at the same time our used books have had flat sales,” Tibbals said. “Of course we never thought this would happen, that sales on the smallest part of our inventory would increase so much, but the economic anxiety is global now. We have to keep changing the formula.” Moe’s carries and is doing well with several Obama titles, and has also increased its sidelines inventory since the economic downturn began.
“We like IndieBound very much,” Tibbals added, “and it’s good to finally be able to spread the word about shopping locally. Hopefully this message will transfer to the consumer.”
Melissa Mytinger, former events director at Cody’s Books, has started a new company that expands on the author events program the store once shared with the Bay Area community. Berkeley Arts & Letters will offer a series of author talks and community issues forums beginning with its inaugural event, The Art of the Memoir, on October 15 at the Berkeley City Club. The other facility that will be used for events is the First Congregational Church of Berkeley. Cody’s partnered with both venues on book events for many years in the past.
Mytinger’s producing colleague in Berkeley Arts & Letters is Praveen Madan, who bought Booksmith in San Francisco a year ago. The two are interested in hosting talks, readings, conversations and other appropriate programs with political affairs writers, historians, progressive social commentators and thinkers, journalists, scientists and novelists from around the world. Their dedicated site is www.berkeleyarts.org. “Cody’s left an events void,” Mytinger explained, “so we’re filling it. Our big launch will be in January 2009.”
Madan, a former corporate consultant who helped grow small businesses, is enjoying his first foray into bookselling. He purchased Booksmith in 2007 and said that sales are up 12% from the time they took over the store. “It’s a prerequisite now to not have a book background,” Madan said. “The old paradigm doesn’t work anymore, and owning Booksmith has given me the opportunity to utilize the ideas I used to give to clients in my former business.” He is looking forward to getting Berkeley Arts & Letters in full swing next year. Booksmith will provide books for the program’s first event; following that there will be a rotating group of indies to take on the responsibility.
Elsewhere on the floor in Oakland, a veteran commission rep bemoaned the fact that publishers that continue to push for big opening orders on new titles are missing the point. “Keeping inventory low is the only way my stores can stay alive,” said the anonymous sales rep. “A lean inventory is essential to maintaining some kind of profit level.” Another rep, whose booth was close to the autographing area, pointed out that the lines for signed books were considerably less crowded than at last year’s show.
At Saturday afternoon’s Rep Picks program, though, it was standing room only. Reps from 12 different publishers were seated next to each other in a half-circle and spoke for one minute each about a title from the requisite categories. NCIBA executive director Hut Landon moderated the fast-paced, often funny ninety minutes. Landon was candid about how the show fared. “It’s not bustling, but it’s steady,” he noted. “We’ve received a lot of compliments about the floor set-up and design this year, and the publishers are happy.” Although the general consensus on the floor was that the economy was at its lowest point in memory, there was a sense of unity and determination among the booksellers and reps. “This is our annual family reunion,” Landon said. “One of the real bonuses of the NCIBA show is in seeing old friends and reconnecting.”
