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So You Want to Own Your Own Bookstore
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items Thinking of starting a small independent bookstore? Here are videos encouraging you, giving you tips, sharing cautionary tales, and being real honest about the process, struggles and challenges. I've also included some books and resources in this lis...
The owner of The Curious Cat Bookshop gives us a reality check (bookstore owners don't just sit around reading books all day) and tells us six things we should know before starting a bookstore.
So you want to start a bookstore! Six things you need to know when starting your bookstore business
CJ Reads shares everything she's learned while owning a bookstore. She talks about perfecting your greeting, shelf talkers, picking new books, building a community, taxes and accounting, and choosing a point of sale system.
everything i've learned owning a bookstore + q&a
This 2024 book from the BusinessBookstore publisher provides expert tips, real-life examples and practical advice. It helps you learn how to choose your location, design your store layout, curate your selection of books, and create a welcoming atmosp...
How to Start Your Own Bookstore
This self-published book came out in 2025. It shares tips for launching a bookshop business, guidance on small business startup essentials, creative ideas for your bookshop events and window displays, honest tips and warnings from other bookshop owne...
How to Open A Bookshop: Becoming a Bookseller
Here's a self-published guide from 2022 on how to start your own used bookstore. There are tips on getting your bookshop up and running, marketing your store, how to price books, and where to go to source your used books.
How to Start a Used Bookstore: Online & Physical
While you're in the planning stages of your dream bookstore, I suggest you read this book on how to market your bookstore. It offers worksheets, tips on branding and product pricing, and guidance on doing market research. This book was published by t...
How to Write a Marketing Plan for Your Bookstore
Here's a self-published book from 2025 on starting a mobile bookshop business. If you want to bring your mobile bookshop to neighborhoods, fairs, or as a pop-up, read this guide with tips on building a loyal customer base, choosing and converting the...
How to Start a Mobile Bookshop: Launch & Grow
As part of your due diligence and research you'll do long before opening the bookshop of your dreams, read "The Bookshop: A History." You'll learn about the history of the American bookstore and it's impact on our culture.
The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore
Here's another must-read, thought provoking read for anyone thinking seriously about opening a bookstore: "How to Protect Bookstores and Why: The Present and Future of Bookselling."
How to Protect Bookstores: Present & Future
The Cottage Fairy shares a glimpse into a day in her life working as a bookseller at a small rural bookshop. (She works there but does not own the bookstore). This is a romanticized version of what a day in a bookshop might look like.
a day working at my rural bookshop - my routine as a bookseller
CJ Reads generously does a deep dive and shows her actual numbers from her bookstore sales in 2023. For context, her small bookshop is located in Yuma, Arizona.
is opening a bookstore profitable? YouTube
The owner of The Curious Cat Bookshop shares this podcast episode on how bookstore owners pay themselves.
How does a bookstore owner pay herself? YouTube
The owner of The Curious Cat Bookshop dispells the myth that indie bookstores source their books from Amazon.
No, bookstores don't get their books from Amazon
Bookmanager is the website tool that bookstore owners (as well as book researchers) use. It's also used by publishers. You can learn a lot about upcoming book titles here, as well as manage your inventory.
Bookmanager for Bookstore Owners
The Book Peddler shares his experiences he has learned from running a used bookstore. His bookshop is in Smithville Flats, New York.
Lessons Learned From Owning & Operating A Used Bookstore - YouTube
The owner of the Sherlock & Pages bookstore in Somerset, England, chats about his first year of owning an independent bookshop.
Owning an Independent Bookshop: The First Year YouTube
The Secondhand Librarian chats with us about the FAQs of owning a bookstore. She talks about her typical day, tasks, realities, etc. Note that her bookstore is no longer open, but I feel you'll still get value out of watching this video.
Owning A Bookstore FAQ's YouTube
This former bookshop owner tells candid info about how to start and own a bookstore, but admits his bookstore went out of business. So there are some cautionary tales in this video.
How to Start and Own a Bookstore without Going Broke (10 Bookseller Tips)
Stacey interviews Desiree Bailey from San Marco Books & More on what you can expect when you own a bookstore.
What To Expect When Owning A Bookstore
The owner of an independent bookstore, Sherlock & Pages, in Somerset England chats about what it's like to run a bookshop.
What's it like Running an Independent Bookshop - Your Questions Answered
Clio and Carla chat about how they got their bookshop, Spare Time Books in Paso Robles, California.
The Bookshop Backstory: Our 1st Q&A!
Insight from the owner of "The Painted Porch" in Texas, about the twelve lessons learned after a year of owning the bookstore.
12 Lessons From 12 Months Owning A Bookstore
The owners of Hardy's Books (a rare book store in the UK) weigh in on their first two months running their new independent bookshop.
What's it like running an independent bookshop? (Two months in)
The owners of UK-based bookstore Hardy's Books/Station Books share what they've learned after running the bookshop for 6 months.
6 MONTHS owning a BOOKSHOP! What are our BESTSELLERS?
The owner of Curious Cat Bookshop chats about how she selects books to sell at her bookstore in Connecticut.
Curious Cat Books: It's always a learning process! Plus mini bookstore tour
Here's advice on having work-life balance when you're a bookshop owner, from The Bookshop by the Sea in Wales.
How to have life balance as a bookshop owner | the bookshop by the sea, The Bookshop Diaries
Here's a documentary called "Inside an Indie Bookstore." It features Charlene, who owns an independent bookstore in Canada.
Inside an Indie Bookstore | Documentary