A Look into the Literary Life of Local Bookstores

Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and there’s no sign that that’s going to change anytime soon. As Austin grows, many businesses have had to adjust and adapt in order to stay open. Bookstores are an important part of any community, and they have faced many challenges over the past few years. From the challenges of operating during and after the pandemic to rising real estate prices, bookstore owners and managers have had to be innovative and adjust to overcome these challenges. Learn firsthand about the challenges bookstores face from bookstore owners and managers from all over Austin. There are many local bookstores in Austin, and each one is unique. Reverie Books is a bookstore in South Austin that opened in late 2021. Its main goal is to serve the community around it and to represent marginalized voices. “Because it’s so small, I can curate it very tightly…

I can pick and choose what it is to put in there really carefully. And it gives it a unique feel, because you don’t necessarily see all of the things you’d see in other places.” said Thais Perkins, owner of Reverie Books. Perkins tries to curate the selection of books according to the needs of the South Austin community around her store.

Vintage Books and Wine is a bookstore and wine bar combined that opened in late 2022. “There also usually aren’t lots of spaces to encourage people to get comfortable and stay… We have lounge seating and leather sofas and lounge chairs, and we really tried to create an environment that encourages people to come hang out and stay and linger,” said Jean Buckner, owner of Vintage Books and Wine.

Vintage Books and Wine is very focused on the experience of going to a bookstore and has created an inviting atmosphere for people to enjoy while they’re there.

Austin Books and Comics is an Austin bookstore that has been around since 1977 and is a local Austin staple. “We [Austin Books and Comics] have the largest inventory of comics and graphic novels for hundreds of miles. We’ve been around for 45 years, so people that have been here for a long time know us and they tell the new people who move here,” said Ty Denton, general manager of Austin Books and Comics. All of these bookstores are part of what makes Austin unique, but running a small business is very difficult.

Throughout the year, bookstores try to connect with the community and local authors by hosting special events. “We have events like our LGBTQIA+ nights and Ladies nights to create and maintain safe spaces for those that need it,” said Denton. This helps elevate the voices of underrepresented groups and gives them a place to gather. Events like these can also be used to put a spotlight on Austin authors. For example, Vintage Books and Wine has a local author series that runs most Thursday evenings.

Local bookstores spread the word about their businesses in several ways, but one of the most common and effective ways is by using social media. “We’re on all the major [social media platforms] and this is how we get the word out on our sales, events, and signings,” said Denton.

Buckner also said that social media was the main driver of awareness about her bookstore, Vintage Books and Wine. Another outreach strategy these bookstores use is creating partnerships with other companies. “We work with other local businesses like Alamo Draft House and the Austin Public Library as are fairly purchased and give the profits from the books they sell back to independent bookstores. Partnering with companies like bookshop.org allows these bookstores to support a cause they believe in and improve their publicity all at once. All of these strategies help the bookstores gain more publicity and attract more customers. well as universities and schools to maximize the potential outreach,” said Denton. “We use social media actively. And I have a newsletter on the website and we have partner affiliations with bookshop.org,” said Perkins while explaining how they advertise Reverie Books. Bookshop.org is a nonprofit alternative to Amazon where the books they sell

When the COVID pandemic first hit in March of 2020, everyone went into lockdown. This had a huge impact on in-person businesses, like bookstores. “We took this time to then install a new point of sale program into our store that would also allow people to see and order from our inventory [online] for the first time ever,” said Denton about what adjustments they had to make because of the pandemic. Some bookstores, like Vintage Books and Wine and Reverie Books, opened during or right after the pandemic and had to think through what their plan would be if there was another pandemic or lockdown. “We had to have a backup plan to see if, when push comes to shove, if we have another lockdown, how much outdoor space do we have? What kind of protocols will be put in place to maintain the health and safety of our staff and employees and customers?” said Buckner.

Many people have moved to Austin in recent years which has caused real estate prices to rise, increased competition between businesses, and has caused a shift in the community’s interests. Local bookstores have had to adjust to the influx of people and businesses. Some people, like Denton, enjoy meeting the new people who move to Austin from other places. Others are struggling to make ends meet with the combination of rising prices and the low profitability of bookstores. In fact, because of the challenges of keeping a bookstore open in Austin, Thais Perkins, owner of Reverie

Books, is looking to turn her bookstore into a non-profit organization. Others have found ways to increase their profits while still being able to function as a bookstore. “Because we serve food and beverages, that helps us out a lot from a revenue standpoint. So I don’t stress as much as I would if we only sold books and that was our only revenue stream,” said Buckner. Buckner spoke about how having a bookstore that also sold other products like alcohol and food has lessened the financial burden of owning a bookstore.

As Austin has grown, real estate prices have gotten more expensive as well. This has proven to be one of the greatest challenges for many businesses in the Austin area.

“The story of Austin right now is small businesses being driven out and out further and further… because the rents are too high,” said Perkins. Buckner said that finding a good and affordable location to put her bookstore in was the hardest part of opening her bookstore. It was even more complex for her because she had to find a building that had the correct zoning that allowed for the sale of alcohol and food. “The problem is not competing with other local bookstores, the problem is competing with Amazon and Barnes and Noble,” said Perkins. Buckner explained what she believes is the appeal of a small bookstore over a larger chain: “So, my thought process is, if you’re going to a big box store… then you likely know what you want and you’re just going to pick it up and go. So hopefully, when people come [to our bookstore] they’re getting the enjoyment of learning what’s new, what has recently been published, what new authors have been writing.” Despite this, more and more local and independent businesses are being replaced by larger companies and chain stores. “A lot of these small independently owned businesses seem to be getting pushed out by a lot of the larger chain restaurants and businesses that are franchised or financially supported by large corporations. And, so that makes it hard, especially when you’re talking about real estate for small independent owners who are self-financed, to be able to compete with them,” said Buckner. Many people’s dream is to be able to expand their business to multiple locations, but many people seem to also believe there is a certain charm to stores with only one location. “No, the joy in this comes from me having my feet on the ground. It’s a community endeavor. It’s not really seeking to establish a network of stores.” said Perkins when asked if she would like to expand to multiple locations in the future. Buckner expressed a similar sentiment, stating ,“I think I want to stay in one location. I’m doing this more for the love of bookselling than really having a really significant cash flow opportunity. So, I think if we were to try to franchise I would be nervous of losing some of our character and our fun”.

Owning a bookstore means getting to meet all different kinds of people and having to immerse yourself in the community. For many, this is one of the best parts of owning a bookstore. “The people, the connection. Just what I was talking about. I love being surrounded by books.” said Perkins. “My favorite thing about owning a bookstore would be engaging with the community, the people that you meet at the store every day, they are so much fun, the people who are traveling out of town, or people who live in the neighborhood,” said Buckner.

Owning a bookstore is certainly hard work, but many people believe the hard work pays off, if you do it correctly. Some current owners of bookstores passed on some advice about what they would recommend to do or think about if you are looking to open a bookstore.

“My advice would be to get as creative as you can because books will bring people in, and that’s always the heart and soul of your store. But as many people have probably told you, and as you’ve probably figured out, the margins on selling books are just not very high,” said Buckner. “Don’t do it for the money. Know why it is you’re doing it. And know what you want its meaning to be.” said Perkins. Both Buckner and Perkins talked about how book prices are set by the publisher, making it very difficult for bookstores to generate a profit as they already have a fixed price at which they must sell their books.

Austin is constantly growing and changing, but local bookstores remain an important part of the city. Local bookstores have had to deal with the pandemic, rising real estate prices, and a city that never seeks to stop growing. This is especially difficult since they do not have the funding of bigger businesses. It is important that we support our local bookstores in order to preserve a very important part of Austin’s culture.