It’s the week of Thanksgiving and I welcome the opportunity to take a deep breath from the long list of things that still need to be done before launching Story & Song Neighborhood Bookstore Bistro. Today I was at the … Continue reading →

Booksellers who know we’ve helped people in the start-up phase for years have asked what we are discovering about the process now that we’re in the midst of our own start-up. Mark and I comment every day, “why is this … Continue reading →

We’ve been quiet because we’ve been busy. After giving up all hope of ever being able to find a suitable and affordable space for our very own bookstore, a space went on the market in July. This month we purchased … Continue reading →

First is was just the business news, now, the general media is covering the struggles of the retail sector. Retailers are struggling. Stories of corporate restructuring and store closings and the impact on employment figures have, for good reason, caused … Continue reading →

If you’ve been following the business news on the many retail store and chain closings in this first part of the year, it may seem like good news for start-ups, but not so much. The closings still appear to be … Continue reading →

Whether I’m reading the news from the National Retail Federation or listening to the nightly business news, it seems so many retailers are struggling. Blame the internet, overhead, or too much space, but retail is challenged. Yet the news coverage … Continue reading →

You, too might be getting these calls … they begin with a woman who, for the first few seconds, seems real, even likable. She has a little giggle and wants to know if you’re on the line. She sounds like … Continue reading →

This week’s headlines in the book business is Simon & Schuster’s cancellation of Milo Yiannopoulos book. Some cheer, others uphold the First Amendment. It’s messy. While our First Amendment protects free speech, publishers are faced with way more submissions than … Continue reading →

While the headline is positive, dig into the details and you’ll see the nuances. While many of us are reading (even reading more as we age), there are a significant number of people who are not reading books at all. … Continue reading →

With the U.S. presidential election now decided, many of us have witnessed the protests across the country, learned that schools have called in counselors to help students cope with the results, and ourselves felt heightened emotions of sadness and concern … Continue reading →