Tagged bookstore solidarity project

An Interview with Cierra Cook, owner of Spoke & Word Books in Milwaukie, OR. | Bookstore Solidarity Project

Welcome to the next installment of the Bookstore Solidarity Project! Every month, we’ll be highlighting indie bookstore owners and booksellers across the country (and beyond!)

After a little break in July for Zine Month, we are BACK with a new store for the Project!

Meet Spoke & Word Books, one of our local indies right nearby in Milwaukie (Oregon, not Wisconsin.) We got to chat with store owner Cierra on the podcast recently about all things bookselling and community, and here’s our other interview with them about the store itself!

Your name and pronouns?
Cierra Cook (they/them)

Tell us a little bit about the store and your community.
Spoke & Word Books is a new and used community bookshop in Milwaukie, just on the outskirts of Portland, OR.

We’re in historic downtown Milwaukie, which has been a pretty quiet area for a few years. There are some exciting new businesses that’ve opened in the last year or so, including a waste free shop and a new local cafe and grocery. We’re so excited to be a part of a resurgence of activity in downtown Milwaukie. Every community deserves a local bookshop that can curate a selection that serves them specifically.

While we have a broad scope as a community bookshop, including new, used, and children’s, we have a particular focus on genre fiction and queer interest, especially romance. When I was growing up I didn’t see myself in any of the books that were available to me, and now our mission is to make sure everyone has access to books where they can see themselves represented joyfully.

What got you into bookselling?
I started Spoke & Word Books as a pop-up shop, and it operated without a permanent location for about a year and a half before we transitioned to a brick and mortar. The idea for a bookstore came when I was doom scrolling towards the end of the pandemic. I remember feeling so lonely and discouraged, and scrolling endlessly online to try and find something good. One night I realized that I could DO SOMETHING good, since it seemed so hard for me to find a lot of positive things happening in my community at the time. I started Spoke & Word Books from my basement, selling new and used books at pop-up events and community festivals once COVID restrictions began to ease up.

It was honestly the perfect time to start a community based business like this. We had all gone through the collective trauma of COVID and the social justice awakening of 2020, and so many of us were looking for community.

A large part of what we do at the bookstore now is intentional community building. We host 2-3 events a week, including standard bookclubs and storytimes, but also oddball events like a release party for Taylor Swift’s new album, craft nights, and a 90’s Sleepover Party just for fun.

People can buy a book literally anywhere, but our goal is to create authentic connection and community that can’t be replaced by a tech company.

How did you choose your store’s name?
My husband actually came up with the name Spoke & Word Books. He refurbishes old mountain bikes into gravel bikes, and so Spoke & Word is a combination of each of our passions- biking and reading! It has another meaning as well- one of our earliest ways of explaining what kinds of books we wanted to carry was “books people talk about”. We are drawn to books that help drive discussion and community, whether that’s a book about how to get engaged in your local government (Democracy in Retrograde), or the latest spicy romance (The Pairing).

What’s something about your store that you think will surprise people?
In addition to running our bookshop, I’m also a City Councilor in my small city. I think a lot of us came out of 2020 realizing that our time is limited, and that there’s no better time than now to do the work that is important to you. In both my work at the bookshop and as City Councilor, the most important part of the job is making connections and supporting our community.

What are some of you favorite ways your community supports your store?
We have an incredible community of readers who have made our store what it is. Our customer support us by sharing reviews and recommending us to their friends, as well as donating books for our used inventory. We just launched a membership program in July that has already had a HUGE impact on our ability to stay solvent. The Milwaukie community has been so wonderfully supportive of the shop, and I’m grateful literally every day I get to come to work.

What are two books you can’t wait for people to read, or your current favorite handsells?
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston literally came out the day that I’m writing this, and it’s my favorite book of 2024, hands down. McQuiston is the absolute GOAT of romance, and The Pairing is their best work. It’s about two chaotic bisexuals rampaging through Europe on a food and wine tour, and would be my first recommendation for someone who thinks they don’t like romance (and anyone else too!). In addition to being just categorically one of the best written romances of all time (fight me), one of the main characters of The Pairing is non-binary, and their relationship to their gender and sexuality made me feel so seen. Beautifully written, deliciously queer, and just plain lovely.

I’m also really loving talking to folks about Democracy in Retrograde by Sami Sage and Emily Amick. So many of my customers have been anxious, frustrated, and scared about the presidential election this year. Democracy in Retrograde is part civic engagement primer, part self-help book, and helps people get past the anxiety of the national political landscape and learn how to engage where they can actually make a profound difference- in their local communities. We’re hosting a book club for this book, and my hope is that folks leave with a new inspiration and practical tools for getting involved in their local school board, city, or county leadership.

How can customers who aren’t local shop your shelves and support you?
You can support Spoke & Word Books by shopping online at www.spokeandwordbooks.com! We can ship books straight to your home through our partnership with bookshop.org!

Anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you so much for the opportunity to share! <3<3<3

Be sure to follow Spoke & Word on their Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok, and listen to their podcast episode here!

You can read our other Bookstore Solidarity Project posts here!
And click here to get a copy of How to Protect Bookstores and Why.

How do you become a neighborhood bookstore? w/Spoke & Word Books | A People’s Guide to Publishing

This month for the #BookstoreSolidarityProject, we hung out with Cierra, owner of Portland-local bookstore Spoke & Word! We talked about bookselling, strategic romance and genre placement, and how much of a fan Joe’s doctor is of them.

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

What do books and sneakers have in common? w/ CLASS bookstore (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

CLASS bookstore is probably the most talked about bookseller in the U.S. in 2024. They know how to build a hype machine and get people talking about them. Publishers pressure their sales reps to get books in there. What is different about them? And the big question—how do they utilize fashion marketing to make books dope?

Check out our other interview with CLASS here.
And the rest of the Bookstore Solidarity Project posts can be found here.

Can booksellers increase bonding over Corgis? Janet Geddis of Avid Bookshop (People’s Guide to Publishing)

Publishers often think of booksellers as our frontline marketing force; the people who we outsource our jobs to. This week, Janet Geddis of Avid Bookshop does a great job of outlining the actual role that bookstores play in a daily role. It’s more matchmaking than pushing the newest thing on some poor, unsuspecting browser. It’s a deep game of familiarity that ultimately results in hilarity of two people of disparate backgrounds relating to each other in the store at the same time. Publishers interested in taking her up on her “Hang out in my store and learn what bookselling entails” offer, get in touch!

And if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a link to Avid’s Solidarity Project interview.

Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

Bookstore Solidarity Project: An Interview with David & Dara Landry of CLASS Bookstore in Houston, Texas

Welcome to the next installment of the Bookstore Solidarity Project! Every month, we’ll be highlighting indie bookstore owners and booksellers across the country (and beyond!)

For June, we got to chat with David and Dara, the co-owners of CLASS Bookstore in Houston. CLASS started out as an online bookstore in 2020, and they are all about all about consistency, credibility, collaboration, and creativity. Check out our interview with the owners below!

Your name and pronouns?
David (he/him) & Dara (she/her) Landry

Tell us a little bit about the store and your community.
CLASS Bookstore is a Black-owned, family operated, indie bookstore based in Houston, TX. We are based in the Third Ward community and we like the following things about where we are: our proximity to two universities (Texas Southern University and University of Houston) and a high school (Jack Yates High School, the alma mater of George Floyd); the positive relationships that we have built with the members of the community; something good is always going on in Third Ward (Jazz Concerts at Emancipation Park; TSU Homecoming; UH Frontier Fiesta; Third Ward Block Party). We have a pet dog named Catcher, named after J.D. Salinger’s book, Catcher in the Rye.

What got you into bookselling?
The thing that got us into indie bookselling was our desire to actively resist the so-called “decline” of the Black-owned bookstore in America. Books have always been important to us from a young age and we felt that it was a business that we felt passionate about doing. Once we had talked to a few Black-owned bookstores that had been around for awhile and gain some perspective, we decided to make it happen.

How did you choose your store’s name?
The reasons why we named our store CLASS Bookstore are the following: it’s easy to write and remember; the word “CLASS” elicits the idea of literacy, social strata, and how one should view reading all at once. We capitalize the word CLASS so that it will stand out, very much like the late rapper MF DOOM capitalized his name.

What’s something about your store that you think will surprise people?
We are the bookstore that loves streetwear! We consider ourselves part of the sneaker and streetwear community and we love to dress fly and step out for events. We also incorporate elements from the streetwear and sneaker community in everything that we do, from the presentation of our physical space, to the merch that we release in store.

What are some of you favorite ways your community supports your store?
Every first Sunday of the month, we have a growing contingent of people who love poetry and spoken word who come to the store and share their work with each other and have been doing so every month for the past year or so. It is a safe space for people of all types to come to the shop and either spectate or participate. This is totally community organized and CLASS Bookstore just provides the physical space to do the event. Another way that our community comes through and supports us is our monthly event on first Saturdays called “Ladies First Saturdays”, where from 12p – 3p CST, women can come to CLASS Bookstore and have tea, talk, or just be. We have music playing according to a pre-selected theme and we sometimes even have speakers come through and talk on a variety of topics, such as mental health, metaphysics, and naturopathy.

What are two books you can’t wait for people to read, or your current favorite handsells?
Sacred Woman by Queen Afua; Everyone Calls Themselves an Ally Until it Is Time to Do Some Real Ally Shit by Xhopakelxhit

How can customers who aren’t local shop your shelves and support you?
People can shop with us on our website, and if they can’t find what they are looking for on our website, they can shop with us through our Bookshop affiliate link.

Anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you so much, Microcosm! We can’t wait to visit you all in person!

Be sure to follow CLASS Bookstore on their Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Tiktok, and check back in a few weeks for their podcast episode!

You can read our other Bookstore Solidarity Project posts here!
And click here to get a copy of How to Protect Bookstores and Why.

Bookstore Solidarity Project: An Interview with Janet Geddis of Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA

Welcome to the next installment of the Bookstore Solidarity Project! Every month, we’ll be highlighting indie bookstore owners and booksellers across the country (and beyond!)

For May, we’re featuring Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA!

Avid is an iconic indie store who have been up to all kinds of cool things lately, including calling for the University of Georgia to collaborate with local bookstores and businesses for their events, and suing Gwinnett County Jail over their mail policy that prevents Avid and other bookstores from mailing books to incarcerated people.

We spoke to owner and founder Janet Geddis. Check it out below!

Your name and pronouns?
Janet Geddis, she/her

Tell us a little bit about the store and your community.
In 2004, I moved to Athens, Georgia for what was supposed to be a two-year stint during my graduate program. I had grown up in nearby Atlanta but hadn’t lived in Georgia since I was in high school. Because most Athenians I knew back then were students, I figured there wasn’t much going on if you weren’t affiliated with the university; if I wanted to live in Athens, this was my one chance. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Athens is my forever-town, somewhere I can’t imagine leaving for long. I fell in love with this creative enclave, a little blue dot amid the mostly-red state. Even before announcing my plans to open a bookstore, I felt a strong sense of community. Once I started Avid Bookshop, my connection to the community grew ever stronger.

In 2007, a friend and I decided to begin researching the possibility of opening a bookstore in Athens. In 2008, we announced our plans and immediately garnered lots of encouragement and support from the Athens community, our friends, our family (even if they were trepidatious!), and the then-unfamiliar book world. Those of you who weren’t adults in 2008 (or those of you who’ve blocked out that period) might have forgotten that that was the year of a recession that was devastating for millions. Not the ideal time to ask banks and private lenders for capital to help open an independent bookstore, especially as folks [whose feedback I wasn’t actually asking for] openly said what a bad idea it was to open a bookstore, especially with Amazon’s continued dominance and the growing buzz about these “ebooks” that were going to make paper books totally irrelevant.

Because we’re still open now, in the year 2024, you know that I did manage to open a bookstore. In 2011, I finally opened a small shop on Prince Avenue, an 800 sq ft historic space less than half a mile from where I was living at the time. In 2016, we opened a second location in a different neighborhood of town. And, on the last day of 2019, we voluntarily closed our original store. (Within a few months, the decision to pivot back to a one-store business model proved to be an inadvertently genius move, as keeping one store going amidst a pandemic was hard enough.)

I am so proud of my store and of my staff past and present. My current crew is especially tight, and I love how we share with each other, support each other, ask for help when needed, and hold each other accountable. And yes, the “we” includes me even though I’m ostensibly the one who’s in charge of it all. It’s not always easy to hear, but getting my colleagues’ feedback on is instrumental and I am grateful for how well we communicate with respect and appreciation, no matter if we’re praising one another or asking folks to step up.

We look to our mission statement to guide our decision-making, our buying, our decision to speak out (or not), our relationships with customers, and more. Check it out here.

What got you into bookselling?
A lifelong obsession with reading; a BA in English; understanding that, while I was a good teacher, I didn’t feel truly inspired or alive while teaching; my deep love for Athens; the fact that this college town didn’t have the kind of community-focused bookstore it so richly deserved.

How did you choose your store’s name?
My friend Amy, who was my original business partner in the early planning stages, thought of it. While I liked the name, I was vying for “Word.” We had thought of tons of options (crowdsourcing from friends during happy hour was always fun), but Avid and Word were the top two contenders. Then, in 2009 or so, I was visiting a dear friend who lived in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We emerged from the subway and I stopped in my tracks: there, right in front of me, was an eye-catching neighborhood bookstore called WORD. Someone already had the name! “Oh,” my friend said, “This is the bookstore I wanted to show you. Isn’t it cute?” Reader, it was cute. It is cute. And it is the reason I told my friend that we should go with Avid. My one sticking point was that we call it Avid Bookshop, not Avid Bookstore. The emphasis on “shop” conjures a cozier, friendlier, and decidedly indie vibe. (Side note: not long after seeing WORD for the first time, I became buddies with the then-manager and the owner. Fast forward to now, and the founding owner of WORD, Christine Onorati, is one of my dearest friends and confidantes!)

What’s something about your store that you think will surprise people?
Depends on which people you mean.

Those in and outside of the book world might be surprised to know that—despite Avid’s being in a state where employees are not legally entitled to as many rights as they should be—I voluntarily and eagerly offer paid time off, sick leave, and a generous family leave policy. In spring 2022, we redefined “full-time” as working 35 hours per week instead of 40 (without a corresponding decrease in pay).

Those not in the publishing-bookselling ecosystem might not realize that a bookstore can do as well we do yet still struggle mightily to pay our bills each month. In spite of our high sales, accolades, community support, and excellent hand selling skills, it’s profoundly difficult to stay in the black (outside of the holiday season, at least). This industry is a notoriously tough one in which to turn a profit, and it’s getting harder. But we’re still here and I have zero plans to give up trying to find a better way.

What are some of you favorite ways your community supports your store?
I could write a book-length response to this, but I’ll stick with this: I am deeply honored that many in our community share their hearts with us. They come here knowing that this is one place where they will be seen and appreciated by us and by each other.

Amid personal and worldwide crises (post-Election-Day 2016), people feel safe at Avid. In moments of boundless joy (a pregnancy was just confirmed! a marriage proposal went off without a hitch!), they celebrate with us. During hours or months of staggering bewilderment and grief (a life-changing diagnosis; a friend’s death), they know we will welcome them exactly as they are. When significant things happen in their lives, or when they’re dealing with big feelings, Avid is among their first destinations, a place where booksellers and patrons can bear witness to whatever they want to share.

What are two books you can’t wait for people to read, or your current favorite handsells?
Briefly Perfectly Human by Alua Arthur; Liars by Sarah Manguso.

How can customers who aren’t local shop your shelves and support you?
Buy yourself one of our famous subscriptions (a twice-named best gift idea from Wirecutter!), or virtually order just about any book that’s still in print from our website. Check out our staff pages, where you can see what our different booksellers are into. Find a bookseller whose taste jives with yours? Buy a staff pick from their list, or ask if they can be your personal bookseller choosing titles if you do buy one of those subscriptions. You can find us on X & Instagram: @avidbookshop. We’re most active on IG!

Anything else you’d like to share?
We <3 Microcosm!

Be sure to follow Avid Bookshop on their socials, and click here to see their interview on the podcast!

You can read our other Bookstore Solidarity Project posts here!
And click here to get a copy of How to Protect Bookstores and Why.


Bookstore Solidarity Project: King’s Coop Bookstore with Paul MacKay (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

You may know King’s Coop Bookstore as the winner of our How to Resist Amazon display contest a few years back, but they are so much cooler than just that! This week on our continuing Bookstore Solidarity Project, we bring you a deeper dive into the realities of bookselling. From attempting to rip a book in half to walking around campus and seeing everyone reading the same thing, it’s all in here!

For more on King’s Coop Bookstore, check out their Bookstore Solidarity Project interview on the blog.

Independent Bookstore Day is Saturday! Check out the giveaway we’re doing to celebrate.

It’s almost one of our favorite days of the year— Independent Bookstore Day! To celebrate, here’s a roundup of some of the stores we’ll be visiting, why we love indies, and a big ol’ giveaway we’re doing to help share the love.

Independent Bookstore Day is held the last Saturday in April every year as a way for stores to celebrate their communities (and vice versa!). Some stores do special edition releases, merch, signings, and other fun shenanigans, and we’re really hyped to be celebrating the celebration this year!

It’s no secret (we hope) that we love indies. We have books about protecting bookstores, stickers, and a whole project centered around the fact that indie bookstores are an incredible community resource and ally in the fight against a certain online monopoly trying to eradicate them.

We’re going to try and visit some of our local (and not-so-local) stores this Saturday! Kalen, Elly, and Joe are hanging out at IBPA in Denver, but they’re hoping to swing by Shop at MATTER and Munity Information Cafe. Terry and Anna-Lisa are going to try and stop by Spoke & Word and Annie Bloom’s. Abby (me!) is pumped to finally visit Possible Futures on our way to the Connecticut Fiber Festival. Other staff are going to their indies, too! We hope to see you there.

We wish we could check out EVERY STORE because they’re all kickass, but alas, we haven’t invented time travel or perfected our cloning techniques, so you’ll have to go in our stead. Click here to see if an indie near you is joining the party this weekend.

The Big Microcosm IBD Giveaway!

As a fun celebration for IBD, we’re doing a giveaway!

We’re giving one lucky winner a prize pack of Microcosm titles from our first decade of publishing, valued at over $230!

To enter, simply purchase or special order a Microcosm-published title at a US indie on Saturday the 27th. Online orders count, but due to shipping costs the giveaway is only open to folks with an address in the United States.

Then you just upload your receipt or proof of purchase to this Google Form by April 30th to be entered to win. Other details, terms, and conditions about the giveaway can be found on the entry form. Winners will be contacted within the week.

Thanks again for supporting indie publishing and bookstores. We genuinely can’t do any of this without you.

See you at the bookstore!

Bookstore Solidarity Project: An Interview with Paul McKay of King’s Co-op Bookstore in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Welcome to the next installment of the Bookstore Solidarity Project! Every month, we’ll be highlighting indie bookstore owners and booksellers across the country (and beyond!)

For April, we’re featuring King’s Co-op Bookstore, in Halifax!

King’s is a kickass store, which they cheekily claim is “Canada’s hardest to find indie bookstore.” It’s Halifax’s only co-op bookshop, and they’re definitely good friends to the Microcosm community.

Check out our interview with Paul below!

Your name and pronouns?
Paul MacKay, he/him

Tell us a little bit about the store and your community!
Our store was primarily created in 2006 by students who needed an easy and affordable place to buy their coursebook texts. The Foundation Year Programme at the University of King’s College is about 45 books in very specific editions and translations and it could be incredibly hard to find exactly what you needed. A group of students got together and found a free spot on campus which is quite small but special shelves were created that allowed the bookshelves to open and close and lock up so that common areas could still be usable for the bookstore. (This shows an old video showing how it works, I’ve since updated the fixtures and it looks a lot better)

We’re pretty hard to find at first, being in the basement of a building on campus, so I leaned into it and describe us as Canada’s Hardest to Find Bookstore since even google maps will only put you on campus but not right at the store. Since we’re owned by the students we’re not like usual university bookstores and we’re also a regular indie bookstore with fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, etc. We’re also totally open to the public and do special orders all the time either in store or on our website where we promote ourselves as a friendly and easy amazon alternative. We like to engage with things we think are important in the community and we like to champion books and reading, and work hard to bring authors to town who people might not usually have the chance to see.

Our standing in the community grew a lot as word of mouth got out of what we were doing during covid. Since the university closed we had to stay closed too, but I would run books outside for people and also delivered books on my bike. People really liked that idea and also were looking for ways to support local since so many businesses were struggling. Between that and a more personal approach to social media we’ve really become more of a community bookstore which was always my goal when I took over this place (about 6 years ago)

How did you choose your store’s name?
The store name was already chosen by the time I took over the store. I do appreciate it’s specificity, King’s co-op bookstore, a co-op bookstore at King’s. Does what it says on the tin.

What got you into bookselling?
This was never something I ever really intended to do. I’ve always loved books and would often cut classes in school to go hang out at the bookstore and learn things I cared about, but my real career plan was to be a musician and music professor. I picked up the guitar when I was around 18 and really took to it, earning a double major degree in music and psychology shortly after, and then went for more schooling in jazz guitar performance. That was my sole reason for being for years and it was all I cared about but eventually the strain and overuse of my arm caused repetitive strain injury that meant I had to quit playing. When I take to something I get kind of obsessive, so I was practising from about 8am to 10pm every day which my body just kind of revolted against.

I moved back home and needed to get a job quickly so I applied at the same chain bookstore i used to hang out at when I cut classes. I got hired there and would shelve books with my one good arm. I got promoted to being one of the managers of that store after a few years and during that time I met a lot of great people who introduced me to amazing books that really changed my life and that I developed a real passion for books that has only grown over the years

What’s something about your store that you think will surprise people?
I think the most surprising thing about our store is how we fold up and close down every day like we’re a pop-up shop every day. As far as I know we’re the only bookstore in the world like it, and it’s always something I show people when authors come to visit. I wasn’t around at the time the bookstore was started but I do love that it was a very DIY project with a sort of “whatever, we’ll do it ourselves” punk attitude. Bookselling is getting harder and hard nowadays and there’s a huge financial barrier to opening a bookstore or even buying one that’s for sale, so I take pride in what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a weird space without much in the way of money

What are some of you favorite ways your community supports your store?
We recently started a program with Books Beyond Bars which is a local group that works to get books to inmates in the women’s prisons here. I asked them to share their book requests with me and I put them on our website with a promo code so people can buy the books to support the program at a 20% discount.

So far we’ve managed to get them close to 100 books and we’re all really happy about it. The people supporting the program get to pay less, we help give the prisoners books they actually want to read, and the money stays the community instead of going you know where. You never know how a certain initiative will land with people and I’ve been really happy with the response this has gotten.

Outside of that, I manage all the social media for the store and people taking the time to make posts about how much they like the store or recommending us to others is always nice. They absolutely don’t need to do anything like that so if they feel the desire to do something like that you know they mean it 🙂

What are two books you can’t wait for people to read, or your current favorite handsells?
I’m really stoked for the new Hanif Abdurraqib book There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension. I read an advanced copy of it and like everything he does it’s just amazing. I’m not a big sports fan at all and even I was taking breaks from reading it to watch slam dunk contents from like 30 years ago because the way he writes about them is so incredible.

Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is easily one of my favourite fiction books in the last year too. It’s his first novel after some poetry collections, and his writing is just beautiful. Another one that I just devoured and want everybody to read.

How can customers who aren’t local shop your shelves?
Our website kingsbookstore.ca has everything on it that we have in store and we offer a flat $5 fee for shipping whether it’s 1 book or 20 books. we can also order in anything we don’t currently have also, so instead of going to the evil A they can just go to our website instead 🙂

twitter and facebook are: kingsbookstore , instagram is kingscoopbookstore , my personal instagram is @talentedruins

(Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance. – James Baldwin)

Anything else you want to share?
I won the contest for Danny Caine’s How to Resist Amazon and Why a while back which was great. I sold tons of them and also left copies at busy places in the city for people to find. Danny mentions us in the book which was a nice surprise when I was first reading it 🙂

Be sure to follow King’s Co-Op on their socials, and check back in a few weeks for their podcast episode!

You can read our other Bookstore Solidarity Project posts here!
And click here to get a copy of How to Protect Bookstores and Why.

Bookstore Solidarity Project: Charlie’s Queer Books (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

In 2013, we predicted that the bookstore model would shift to more specialized indie stores that offered a narrower offering around their own curated interests and values, with more books face-out and unabashedly clear messaging about who the store is and is not for. And here are we are in 2024, with Charlie’s Queer Books of Seattle, Washington offering a perfect example. This week on the pod, we interview Charlie, who has awesome stories about the importance of creating a safer space to demonstrate that there are, in fact, happy queer people.

Check out our other interview with Charlie here.

Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!