Last week I provided some background to this project of learning more about the independent bookstores in our very diverse MWA-NY region. Here is the first of a series of interviews. Meet Asha Sanaker of Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca, New York. Ithaca is a small, lively town in the Finger Lakes region and is home to both Cornell University and Ithaca College. 
BACKGROUND: The store is about 1,600 square feet with 2/3 inventory and an event space. Asha explains that the store had been there since the 1990’s, and had been quite successful but was hit hard by the chains. When it was dying, the community rallied, and as a result in 2010 it became a co-op. They are still finding their way, revamping how they do business. They have book groups, writing seminars, a program to work with colleges for course books, and lively Facebook and web pages. “It is a work in progress,” says Asha.
Their customers come from Ithaca’s large academic population, but not the students. As they improve social media, they see younger traffic, and creating a good children’s section has brought in lots of families. Their customers like general interest books, new books, and books by local authors.
HOW DO MYSTERIES FIT IN: They are quite popular and do well, 10% of sales. An experiment in expanding the mystery shelf space did not increase sales. They would like to get paperback editions more quickly and must be strategic about stocking hard cover mysteries.
What’s selling? Cozies are not so popular but Nordic writers, women, less big names, and the more alternative writers are. There are 10-15 local mystery writers and they are popular. “But Alexander McCall-Smith continues to sell!”
(Interest in local authors might be an opening also for authors who are not local but write about upstate New York.)
Trying new authors? Careful displays and good covers turned out do make a difference, just as most authors have always suspected. The store likes to introduce new authors, and it will take self-published books on consignment, though it is up to the author to promote them.
Events are flexible. E-mail their events co-coordinator or stop in if you are local. Provide a synopsis, ARC, distributor information. Asha notes that the distributor information is very important. The most successful events are with authors who understand that they must be entertaining. The events that turn out best are the ones where authors take PR responsibility. She also notes that it is important not to plan a competing event at one of the colleges.
HOW CAN MWA/INDIVIDUAL MYSTERY WRITERS BE HELPFUL? Asha says that while big names don’t need help to be recognized, less well-known authors need to tell her where they belong. Who are they like? What sub-genre? She suggests MWA could help by providing members with some professional development on how to do it all better: social media, how to become better known in new areas, how to rally readers when they travel to new places. Perhaps how to be more entertaining at a book event?
Watch this space for more bookstore interviews next Monday and over the next few weeks.