Until the last few years, I sometimes doubted my dream of owning a small bookstore. The book business seemed to be on the downturn, and much has been made of digital books replacing physical ones entirely. Thankfully, as the New York Times goes into, small, independent bookstores are currently undergoing a major revival. There are several reasons for this trend, but the main one, according to the article, is that these small bookstores are viewed as “anchors of authenticity” in people’s communities, a “part of the local fabric.” Successful bookstores achieve this by offering more than simply books – they offer book readings, author meet-ups, open-mic nights, and fresh-brewed coffee, as well as comfy spaces to peruse their selection.
Asheville is the perfect place for such a location. There are a few used bookshops there already, of course, including the excellent “Battery Park Book Exchange” which, in line with the article, offers a champagne bar. But there is still room for more in this art-oriented town – “sales at independent bookstores rose nearly 5% in 2018.” I plan to offer tea and coffee to my customers, and set up regular book readings at the small location. My unique name could even lend itself to a reasonable amount of merchandise sales, like t-shirts and mugs. Due to thin profit margins on the books themselves, the modern successful bookstore makes a sizable amount of their money through things like this.
Blotto Von Sozzle Books 