Page 1 of Battle of the Bookstores

1

Josie

When I tellpeople I’m a bookseller, I’m sure they imagine me curled up in a cozy chair reading for hours, sipping coffee and discussing books, or hobnobbing with famous authors at literary events. You know, living the ultimate bookish dream, every breath filled with that intoxicating tang of fresh ink and crisp paper.

What theydon’timagine are the endless hours on my feet, my back aching from hefting twenty-pound boxes of books, or my stomach knotting from the constant stress over razor-thin profit margins and climbing overhead expenses.

Still, there’s nothing else I’d rather do. I love flicking on the lights each morning and gazing at the shelves and stacks, all neat lines and sharp corners. I love unpacking shipments of glossy new hardcovers and recommending my favorites to customers.

But the best part—the absolute, hands-down, best part of running a bookstore—is getting to read books before they come out.

Several months before publication, publishers send galleys to booksellers, advance reading copies that arrive in brownpaper packages, covers adorned with glowing blurbs, in the hopes that we’ll read and recommend (and hopefully stock multiple copies of) this new title.

A while back, a publicist at one of my favorite imprints emailed to ask if I’d consider reading an upcoming release and providing a quote, if I liked it. And did I? Well, I stayed up until three o’clock in the morning reading, and my tears left damp spots on the final pages. I spent days writing and rewriting the perfect paragraph to encapsulate the essence of this epic, heart-wrenching story.

Last week, I got an email from said publicist telling me that advance copies were being sent out, and oh, by the way, they’d used my quote on the back cover (cue internal squeeing!). This morning, that package arrived. My hands shake as I rip open the brown paper, my eyes scanning until—

“A stunning meditation on grief and betrayal…. Worth reading and cherishing for years to come.”

—Josie Klein, bookseller

Tabula Inscripta, Somerville, MA

My breath rushes out. They only used a fraction of the paragraph I sent.

But: It’s my quote. My name. I’ve spent the past five years becoming the best bookseller I can be, determined to prove that a college dropout can make something of her life. I may be a bookish little introvert, but I’ve got ideas and opinions to share. Someday, I hope readers throughout the city—maybe even the country—will turn to me for book recommendations.

Someday, my voice will matter.

Desperate to share my excitement, I grab my phone andpull up BookFriends, a website with discussion forums for booksellers across the country.

BookshopGirl:Guess who got an ARC with her first blurb printed on it?!

I post it in the Celebration subforum, where any user can read it, but I’m hoping to reach one specific person. Biting my lip in anticipation, I wait—and when I see the username I’m looking for, my heart soars.

RJ.Reads:What?? Congratulations! That’s amazing! Just wish you could tell us the title so I could see it.

I wish I could, too, but the forums are strictly anonymous. That way, booksellers can share honest opinions about publishers and authors without fear of negative blowback.

Grinning, I switch over to our DM thread.

BookshopGirl:There’s only one other bookseller quoted on the back of this ARC and guess who it is?

RJ.Reads:PAW?

BookshopGirl:You got it!

RJ knows all about my adoration of Penelope Adler-Wolf, owner of Wolf Books in Providence, Rhode Island. PAW is a bookseller of impeccable taste and vast influence. If she endorses a book, it’s gonna beBig. My goal in life is to be just like her.

My phone lights up again with a reminder: MEETING WITH XANDER.

I sigh. Xander Laing has spent the past few years buying up the entire block, including the coffee shop next door, though he doesn’t care about books or coffee—just his bottom line. When he bought Tabula Inscripta, Xander questioned if “a girl with nothing but a high school diploma” could handle being the manager. I convinced him to give me a shot, and since I pull a profit each month, he keeps me around. Still, I always feel like I’m on thin ice.

I send a message to RJ, wishing I could chat longer.

BookshopGirl:Gotta go—have a great morning!

RJ.Reads:You too. And congrats again. I’m so happy for you.

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