Indie Bookstores Unite to Raise Visibility

Despite the recession's impact on the publishing industry, independent booksellers like in Webster Groves are far from throwing in the towel.

In fact, owner Nikki Furrer became a founding member last month of the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance. Formed with the help of in University City, Left Bank Books in the Central West End and in St. Charles, the alliance aims to heighten the profile of independent booksellers in the Greater St. Louis Area.

Furrer has looked forward to working with other local booksellers since opening the store in Webster Groves two years ago. She said there are an impressive number and variety of independent bookstores in the area.

"Instead of bemoaning corporate chain stores or e-books or harmful online stores, we should be celebrating the fact that St. Louis is one of the most literate cities in the country, with a thriving literary arts scene for both children and adults, and an independent bookseller for everyone’s reading tastes," Furrer said in a statement.

Although the businesses are competitors in the niche of brick-and-mortar indie bookstores, especially when it comes to attracting authors for public events, banding together is the best way to raise their visibility, said Kelly von Plonski, the owner of Subterranean Books.

Due to high rents in the Delmar Loop and decreased sales in recent months, von Plonski's store later this year.

"The whole process came about because Jay (Steele) from Left Bank Books sent us an email after he got the survey that we sent out expressing alarm and asking what they could possibly do to help," she said. "It seemed to me that we should up our profile as indies in general, and I had an idea of how to do that."

Since the initial idea ignited earlier this year, the group has convened a few times, established a promotional website and scheduled two events: the Technology Petting Zoo on March 24 and the Bookstore Cruise on May 7.

This month's Petting Zoo event will gather alliance booksellers in Left Bank Books, where they will demonstrate the use of e-readers for the benefit of tech-shy bookworms who may not have had a chance to fiddle with a Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple iPad or Sony Reader.

Reading an electronic book can be as simple as downloading a file to your personal computer and opening it.

"Most e-books are read on laptops," von Plonski said.

Both Subterranean and Left Bank sell e-books on the store websites, and Pudd'nhead Books is considering adding that function, von Plonski said.

For a $35 fare, the Indie Bookstore Cruise will transport up to 49 customers to all four of the stores in a bus. The cruise — which begins at Pudd'nhead Books and travels to Left Bank, Subterranean and Main Street, in that order — features author appearances at each store and includes lunch at Duff's Restaurant in the Central West End.

Tickets for the cruise will be available for sale online and in the participating bookshops starting March 15.

In addition to gaining and retaining customers, members of the alliance also hope their union will help attract attention from New York City-based publicists, who determine where authors visit on book tours.

"If they notice that we have a bigger profile, then they may hopefully start sending more authors to St. Louis," von Plonski said.

Buzz of the alliance has spread across the literary community, and now other stores have expressed interest in joining. Von Plonski said potential new members include The Archive on Cherokee Street, Sue's News in the Galleria, the Book House in Webster Groves and Dunaway Books on South Grand.