What is it like to work at an independent bookstore?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work as a bookseller at an independent store?
The workers at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass., would like to tell you. They recently published a list on titled 鈥�11 Things You Learn Your First Month as a Bookseller鈥� as told by some new PSB staff members, Heather and Mackenzie.聽
Their experiences include finding out that 鈥渆very title and author鈥檚 name sounds like 鈥楽sdflkjx Dkfsldkflkjs鈥� over the phone鈥�; 鈥渂ooksellers are expected to know everything, but nothing beats the feeling of sheer triumph that comes from locating the correct book based only on the information it has a blue cover and the word everything in the title鈥�; and 鈥測ou will never read all the galleys you take home.鈥�
Staff at other bookstores shared their experiences in the article鈥檚 comments section, with the staff at the Virgina store Over the Moon Bookstore & Artisan Gallery writing that 鈥渁s for most commonly asked questions, don鈥檛 forget 鈥楥an you throw this away for me?鈥欌�� and Heather Pickett of Salt Lake City, who wrote that 鈥渢hey ALWAYS think the cover is blue, and those times when I can find the book they want, it is almost never blue.鈥澛�
The list by PSB staff is reminiscent of the experiences of author Jen Campbell, who wrote her 2012 book 鈥�Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores鈥� about her time working at an indie store in London and also gathered questions and comments heard by other booksellers around the world. Some of the remarks collected in Campbell鈥檚 book included 鈥淒o you have 鈥楩iddler on a Hot Tin Roof鈥�?,鈥� which was submitted by Jan Weissmiller of Iowa鈥檚 Prairie Light Books and Campbell being asked by a customer, 鈥淗ave you read every single book in here?鈥� and, when she replied no, being told, 鈥淲ell, you're not very good at your job, are you?"聽
Are you a bookseller? Share some of your experiences in the comments below!
