extracted text

March 1995 Vol. 2 #2

The Feminist Bookstores Network Newsletter

Welcome to Hotflashe& l,a!
This issue is thick with ideas and successes f:om other bookstores.
• Thinking about doing fundraising? Herland had a better idea. Kayla and Jennifer threw a New Year's Ball for their community, everyone had a great time
and they cleared $12,000. See below.
• Borders opened across the street from Sisterhood. And Sisterhood, aided by
the media in the LA area, fought back. Sales stayed steady through December.
Seepage 12.
• Thinking about implementing a Frequent Reader Discount? Three years into
their program New Words thinks it may hurt more than it helps. See page 3.
• How can 1400 writers and publishers gather in one place and barely discuss
the crisis in bookselling? Mary Ellen Kavanaugh reports from OutWrite. See
page 9.
• A year or more ago Amazon Bookstore hired Mev Miller as a community
networker. Unable to attend the Strategic Planning Conference, Mev wrote up
a lot of what she did and sent along samples of support materials - brochures,
letters, press releases - that she developed along the way. We've reproduced it
all here at the end of this issue. There were so many great ideas that we kept
finding ourselves referring to "needing a mev" (an outreach worker) and to
"meving" - doing great bookstore promotion. Kasha went back to the Book
Garden and hired "a mev" to do 8 hours/week of "meving" for her store. Does it
Continued on page 4

Berland Threw a Party And Raised $12,000!
by Beth Morgan
For the second year in a row, Herland (Santa Cruz) threw a Lesbian New
Year's Eve Ball for their community, and in one evening managed to raise upwards of $12,000, enough money to assure that their business loan will be paid
off at the end of 1995! Here's the scoop on how Kayla and Jennifer pulled it off
and what they learned in the process ...
When Kayla and Jennifer initially came up with the idea, they knew they
wanted it to be a "fancy ball" - a place where lesbian women in their commu. nity could go on New Year's Eve and feel welcome and celebratory. Their first
step was to call around to all the big hotels in the area to find out rental rates
and capacity, making sure to inform the hotels that this would be a lesbian
event and that they would be selling tickets to offset the
Continued on page 2

1

Inland's New
Return Policy
Thanks to a lot of clear-headed
work by Carolyn Gabel and
'lbllie Miller (Reader's Feast), Inland will be sending you an announcement about their new,
revised, returns policy. Carolyn
and 'lbllie discovered, as they
were making their post-holiday
returns, that Inland had revised
their returns policy last fall in
such a way that it included a significant penalty for returning
backlist. While the new returns
terms were printed in Inland's
fall catalog, Readers Feast had
received no other notice and,
after discussing the situation
with other booksellers and InBook publishers, met with David
Wilk to discuss the situation.
The short version of the story is
that the return policy published
in the Fall catalog will not be applied and new terms will be announced by letter (in statements,
bills, etc.) in April. Carolyn reports that the whole process was
very respectful and that, while
the new terms will include a 2%
penalty on on Inland titles (InBook titles will be returnable at
each store's average InBook discount), they are very satisfied
with the changes.
o

Berland continued from page 1

Does anyone out
there remember ...
what we had in mind at the Strategic Planning Conference when
we decided to ask Mev Miller to
compile an "anti-chain packet"?
This reference was in the notes,
but no one seems to recall exactly
what it means. If you do, give
Mev, Carol or Beth a call!

Herland's Second Annual
Lesbian New Year's Eve
Ball*
Expenses
Hotel Rental/Dinner
Cheese/Fruit Plate .
DJ&Sound . . . .
Ads/Fliers/l'ickets
Banners/Party Favors
Raffle Prizes
.
Unforeseen .

.

.

. .
. ..

Total

. . . . . .. . . .

. $8,000
.. $400
. . $800
.. $500
. $450
.. $150
.. $250
$10,550

Revenue
Price per ticket:
. . . $60
Tickets sold:** .
. .. 380
Total: . . . . . . . . . . $22,800

Net Profit: . .

$12,250

Kayla estimates that both she
and Jennifer "donated" approximately 20 hours each into planning the event and making it
happen, plus all day the day of
the event. Part of this time was
the one-hour weekly store meeting they regularly schedule with
one another anyway.
*Figures are approximate
**Herland reserved twenty tickets for staff to attend free and/or
for promotional purposes.

cost. This part of the planning happened early - space needs to be
booked in January/February of the
year before the planned event, and
exclusive blocks of hotel rooms
should be reserved at the same
time. Both years Kayla and Jennifer got the hotels to wa:.ve rental
fees for the party space L,y agreeing
to have the hotel serve dir.ner.
New Year's Eve Ball '9r (NYEB '93)
was limited to 100 courles and was
held at the Chaminade. Tickets sold
out quickly and over 200 women
were turned away, so for New Year's
Eve Ball '94, (NYEB '94) they
booked a larger venue that doubed
the capacity of the event
(Peachwood's). Kayla reports that
both hotels were very interested in
tapping into the lesbian/gay market
and wanted to be known as gayfriendly places where women might
consider holding commitment ceremonies, etc., in the future.
Both years, the cost of putting on
the event came to about $11,000
(the Chaminade was pricier than
Peachwood's), including dinner, advertising, decorations, and two DJs
to do the music. (There were two
separate dancing rooms - the Gertrude & Alice Room, playing "romantic" music, jazz and oldies; and the
Max & Eli Room, featuring hip-hop
and house music.)

Promoting the Ball
'lb advertise the Lesbian New Year's
Eve Balls, Kayla and Jennifer did a
direct mailing to the Herland mailing list; sent posters to all Bay Area
women's bookstores, lesbian & gay
bookstores and gay-friendly places;
placed a large ad in the local feminist newspaper; listed on local community radio; and let word-ofmouth do the rest. They specifically
decided not to advertise in the local
mainstream paper - they've suf-

fered backlash from advertising
there in the past and didn't want to
deal either with harassing phone
calls or harassment at the actual
event.
Special effort went into making
beautiful ticket&'brochures to send
to women attending the event. The
tickets were printed on heavy-stock
lavender paper with silver ink, and
were sent with a brochure describing dinner options, how to reserve a
hotel room for the night of the ball,
directions to the hotel, and even the
address and phone number of a
local woman who makes tuxedos for
women!

What They Learned
Kayla made the following observations about NYEB '93 versus '94:
• Bigger is not necessarily better.
Having turned away so many
women the first year, Herland
booked NYEB '94 at Peachwood's
larger venue, and requested tableservice dinner instead ofbuffetstyle dinner. But despite assurances
from Peachwood's that they could
handle the event, some women
weren't served dinner until 10 PM
(Herland received a a partial refund
for this glitch.) Additionally, the
larger event drew women from as
far away as Seattle and L.A. many of these women had never
been to Herland and didn't know
the event was a fundraiser; they
seemed quick to complain about
problems that cropped up.
• The bottom line is that the bigger
event led to more glitches. Next
year Herland will go back to having
a smaller event, for local women
who support the store year round.
Kayla also plans to return to the
buffet-style dinner, so that guests
can eat on their own schedule.
• Both years the respective hotels
broke their agreement to reserve a
block ofrooms exclusively for HerContinued on page 11

2

The Downside of
Frequent Reader Discounts
by Jean MacRae
New Words
In the past several years, some
women's and other independent
bookstores have implemented various kinds of discount programs as a
response to increased competition.
In Fall of'91, New Words established a Frequent Reader Discount
program the purpose of which was
to build customer loyalty at a time
when a second women's bookstore
had opened in the city and larger
bookstores were offering more discounts. Customers receive a stamp
for every $10 they spend, and when
they have ten stamps, they are entitled to a 20% discount on their next
purchase ofup to $250.
After over three years of experience
with this program, New Words can
make the following observations:
With the exception of the occasional
small sale of a card or button
bought in order to reach the $10 increment entitling a customer to a
stamp, there is no clear indication
that the existence of the frequent
reader program has increased sales
of merchandise at full price over
what they would have been without
the program. Whether customers
would have bought the books they
currently buy at the 20% discount
even if they didn't receive a discount, or whether they buy more
books because they have the discount is also unknowable.
We do know that the vast majority
of sales receiving the discount are
sales of under $100, with more than
half of those being sales of under
$50. This suggests that customers
are not buying lots of extra books
they would not have bought without

the discount. Perhaps most impor•
tant is that the dollar value of discounts given to customers has
grown steadily from year to year to
a point where it represents a per,,
centage of sales which is significant
to the store.
Customers' comments that they like
the discount program is anecdotal
evidence that it has perhaps encouraged customers to shop here rather
than elsewhere (although it's possible that they like it because it allows them to buy at a lower cost
books they would have bought at
New Words anyway), but it has
done so at the cost of the business.
With respect to the level of the discount, there is a built-in catch: in
order to build customer loyalty the
discount has to be significant to the
customers, but the more significant
it is, the more it costs the business.
Looking at two extreme cases, it is
easy to see that if a store offered a
50% discount on all sales, it would
inspire a great deal ofloyalty but
would be unable to survive. If a
store offered a 2% discount to frequent readers the cost might not be
great, but such a small discount
would have an insignificant impact
on customer loyalty.
Is there a happy medium, a discount level at which a store can acquire loyalty but not incur too great
a cost? It depends on how many people use the discount and what the
discounts amount to. Given the fact
that bookstore profits are generally
in the range ofl-2%, losses to discounts don't have to be too big to
Continued on page 8

3

Sidelines Corner
by Kasha Songer
The Book Garden
After a three-and-a-half-day tour of
bookstores in the San Francisco region with Carol Seajay (thanks,
Carol!), I have many new sidelines
to repcrt. My SF trip was one of
those benefits I keep mentioning
when you become involved in your
Regional Booksellers Association or
ABA. The trip was free because
MPBA was sending me to Palm
Springs for a three-day meeting
with the ABABoard and other Regional Associations. Oh yes, I
squeezed in two-and-a-half days of
romping in the ocean as well. Next
year I'll be visiting Vancouver compliments ofMPBA- call your Regional Association or ABA. Become
involved!
And now for the sidelines:
Two Sisters (Palo Alto) was a wonderful surprise. They have the best
bookstore energy rve discovered in
years. Plus lots of new Goddess art
and big woman imagery throughout
the store. The displays sparkled they were well-loved, clean, spacious and original. It reminded me
to come home and hug my store.
Seajay called it "store petting.•
She's right. Don't forget to love up
your store.
Two Sisters sidelines sources:
• Hawk Dancing Studio (715-2652756): Good goddesses that tit nicely
in your hand. They were ~onderfully displayed in a shallow bowl of
white rice.
• My Grandmother's Hands (707528-9089): Kim Soare's leather journals will sell very well! They are
Continued on page 8

Intro continued from page 1

work? Amazon is holding their own

- and growing - despite the influx
of chains in Minneapolis. Several
great new restaurants in the neighborhood are part of the equation,
but they sure do have great customer loyalty!
• And at the end of this newsletter
you'll find another great article to
copy and circulate among your
customers reminding them why
they want to shop feminist bookstores rather than chain stores.
Elsewhere in the mail, you should
have received a mailing from Barb
Wieser (Amazon) and Ann

Christopherson (Women and Children First) about Feminist Bookstore Days (June 1 & 2) in Chicago
and the first mailing on National
Feminist Bookstore Week. (Mailing
#2 will follow right after this news-

Dear Carol & Everyone Who Was at
the FB-Net Conference in October,
I just finished reading all the info
on what you accomplished at the
meeting. Wonderful! You had great
ideas, good strategies, and plans for
action. What a fantastic output of
work you did. And I love Carol's
quote, "We are an intelligent, overqualified group of people: if we could
start our stores in the first place,
dealing with the chains shouldn't be
that big of a deal.•
fm finally getting excited again!
Joan Denman
Rubyfruit
Dear FBN-ers,
We love the bookmarks; thank you!
We did survive moving and computerizing at the same time, but I do
not recommend it. We've also come

letter.) Ms is running a 2000 word article about feminist bookstores, the
chains, and NFBW in their
May/June iBBue - I know 'cause I
spent the last week writing it and
just sent it offl
Bad news/good news at FBN: We did
succeed in getting a green card for
Helen, the woman fve been holding
FBN's production job for since April
1993. The bad news is that in December, six days after she received her
temporary green card (and thus was
able to work), she reactivated an old
back injury and hasn't been able to
work at FBN since. While her injury
is healing, it seems quite clear that
she won't be able to do extensive computer and paste-up work for a long
time to come, and so she has resigned from FBN. Helen provided
FBN with a lot of excellent consultation on last year's catalog and we
have missed being able to work with

out of our worst cash flow crisis in
recent years, and I think the new location is going to make the difference for us. It is a much more
exciting place for us in many ways.
In sisterhood,
Izzy Harbaugh
Mother Kali's
Dear Carol & Beth,
How did you manage getting out
such a great newsletter in the midst
of all your other projects? It's a marvel. You pulled together, into coherent sentences, the flood of ideas we
poured out at the Conference now the rest of New Words will finally know what went on during
those four infamous days! What a
productive group, especially with
you two at the helm.
My excitement returned as I read

4

her full time. The good news is that,
two weeks after deciding to open the
job up again, I was ~le to hire Kathryn Werhane, a graphic artist and
printer with many years of experience in both fields, to be FBN's Production Coordinator. Kathryn has
done freelance work for FBN in
years past f.'ld knows and loves feminist bookstores. rm excited to be
working with her again on a regular
basis. She'll join us on April 3 and
will stari; of,;" by laying out the ABA
iBBue ofFBN.
· And many thanks to Beth, who gathered up all this information and
turned it into the newsletter you
-Carol 0
hold in your hands!

committee reports, and other info
and updates. But my sadneBB was
equally strong, reading the letter
from Carol and Sally. I knew it was
coming, and understand all too well
the choices they faced - but we so
much hoped they could make it, despite the odds. We're seeing too
many sister bookstores in the Northeast close down.
The article in Women$ Review of
Books says it all. This is a piece
we'll copy and distribute to
customers - and one to quote from
in the midst of the perennial conversation with friends that begins,
"But what's wrong with shopping at
Borders?"
Thanks again for putting together
exactly what we need!
-Laura Zimmerman
New Words o

Brigit Books

Buying & Selling Used Books

Breakdown of Sales*
1/94 - 10/94

by Patty Callaghan
Brigit Books
Inspired by several requests for re•
prints of Patty Call.aghan's 1992
FBN article on selling used books, I
asked Patty ifwe could run it again
in Hotf1,ashes, and she said, •sure!"
and updated it for us.
Selling used books - the same
kinds of books that sell best for you
in the rest of the store, plus a few outof-print finds - is one more way to
distinguish your store from the
chains. Furthermore, according to
ABA's research department, sales in
used bookstores nearly doubled during the year studied (April 1992 to
March 1993) and, during the same
period, independent bookstores lost
4% of their sales to used bookstores.
ABA doesn't study feminist bookstores in particular, but I'd "bet
money that most of us are losing
sales to used bookstores, tOQ. And
that some of our would-be customers
are reading not-particularly-feminist used books because that's what
they can find and afford. When it
comes to selling used books, the
hardest part - and a skill wellworth developing - is saying "no'" to
the books that you aren't confident
will sell quickly. But what you get
are: happy customers, increased loyalty, good profits, and another
source of income. Well worth the ef-Carol
fort!

Why Sell Used Books?
Selling used books along with new
ones is a win-win-win situation. The
woman selling her used books to the
bookstore gets cash (hopefully to
spend in the store) and makes more
room on her shelves for more books;
the customer buying the used book
saves money; and the bookseller

BOOKS

makes a profit (and benefits in
other ways as well).
Recently there was an article in
Publisher's Weekly by an author
whose opinion is that used books
•steal" sales from new books. Although sometimes this may be the
case, I have found used and new
books to be different commodities. I
have customers who buy only used
books and who would buy them
elsewhere if I didn't have any. Used
books help increase foot traffic and
increase the possibility you will sell
a new book, or other item, to the
customer. I also have customers
who buy new books and not used
even if a used one is available. If a
new book comes out by a popular
author people don't wait for a used
copy. And generally, only new books
are given as gifts. Carrying used
books helps me expand my stock
with books that are out of print, or
books I might not have carried as
new titles. A reason to sell used lesbian books specifically is that no
one else may be doing that in your
community and you can make
books available to women who cannot afford new copies. I have had
customers buy a used book and
then want to read other books by
that author so they buy some new
books. I also use my used book section as a •dumping ground" for new
books I can't or don't return and
that have been around awhile.
Hopefully I can get back what I
paid for them. Used books are easy
to handle, too. I keep no inventory
records on them because they
aren't replaced.
One last, but best, reason to sell
Continued on page 6

5

.. 59.9%
New Books
. . . . . . 5.26%
Used Books
Periodicals
. 4.18%
Subtotal . . . . . . . . . 69.34%

SIDELINES
Buttons/Stickers . . . . . 2.0%
. . . . . . 0.72%
Calendars
. . . . . . 6.0%
Cards
. 2.69%
'The Shirts
Incense
. . . . . . -1.38%
Jewelry
. . . . . . . . . 5.38%
Music (CDs, cassettes)
. 8.58%
Subt.otal . . . . . . . . . 32.09%
MISC

. . . . . . . . . . . 3.91%

* figures approximate

And Elsewhere ...
Martha Cabrera of'Thxtures in
San Ant.onio started her used
books section at the request of
customers. Martha's experience
is that folks who buy from the
used books section are usually on
a tight budget. Martha buys at
10-25% of the cover price, depending on age and condition (she
gives st.ore credit only - no
cash). She sells the books at 50%
of cover price - and there's no
shipping charges t.o take a bite
out of the profit!
Does your store have a used books
section? If so, FB-Net would love
to hear how you run it and how
.well its working for your store.
-Beth
Drop us a line!

I

--------------------------------------I II
Used Boob continued from page 5
used books is that it's fun. I love seeing again some of the books from
the beginning days of the lesbian/feminist movement - from
presses like Diana, Daughters, and
Persephone - The First Sex, Mothers and Amazons, early Judy
Grahn. What a rich culture we have!

How To Begin
I start.ed to sell used books, on the
advice of my lover, when I first
opened, and so publicized it when I
advertised. An already existing
store could make flyers, advertise in
local publications or put out a press
release that you're buying used
books. Let women know the kinds of
books you want to buy. Maybe offer
an incentive to get them in to sell
you so you can start off the section
with enough books. Let them know
you pay cash. You can also look in
thrift stores and go to used book
sales. In the beginning I went to
other used bookstores and bought if
the price was right. Check your own
bookshelves. There are probably
some books you could part with.
Once you get started and people
know you pay a fair price, they will
bring in their used books. It seems
to run in spurts and I've asked my
astrologer about it, but so far we've
found no answer in the stars.

dition. 'Inal and error will help you
know what to buy. If I'm not here (I
do all the buying) they leave the
books and I call to tell them their
credit. I just keep the adding machine tape with their name and
date. Most people don't seem to
mind.
Pricing varies from store to store. It
may help to look at other stores in
your area and find out what they
pay. I pay 20% of the cover price for
paperbacks and sell them for 60% •
(or more) of the cover price. I pay
only $2 for hardbacks with dust
jackets because I find they sell best
for $4-6. You may have to pay more
and may be able to sell them for
more. Sometimes I pay a little more
for out-of-print books I know I can
sell quickly.
I pay cash, give credit, or write a
check on occasion. Most people
want the credit to use right away,
some to use later, and some need
the cash for groceries.

Profit on Used
and New Books
Lesbian Novel $8.95
USED

NEW
40%

NEW
45%

RETAIL

6.00

8.95

8.95

Pricing

COST

1.80

5.37

4.92

Buy good quality books only, not
marked in, not too dogeared. Your
customers will appreciate your selection. Ifl don't want any or all of
someone's books I give them alternative stores to try. Books I sell best
used are the same category I sell
best new: lesbian novels, "women's
studies," women's fiction, spirituality, psychology/recovery and metaphysical. I don't buy used children's
books .. I only buy magazines if they
are out-of-print or popular ones like
Woman of Power and only in top con-

PROFI'I 4.20

3.58

4.03

Mass Market $4.95
USED

NEW
40%

NEW
46%

3.00

4.95

4.95

1.00

2.97

2.77

PROFIT 2.00

1.98

2.18

RETAIL
COST

(Freight cost not included.)

6

The time it takes to handle, say, 2030 used books is maybe 5-10 minutes to buy, mark the price, and
shelve. I also put a red sticker on
the spine to distinguish them.

Shelving
I shelve used books separately.
Some stores interfile them with
new books. The used lesbian books
are just across the aisle from the
new ones. Other categories I shelve
together in another space under categories mentioned above. I use
"women's studies" as a used book
category because it's a broad category and many used book buyers
are browsers. I don't shelve the
books in any order within categories (except fiction) because I only
have about 1,000 used books and if
someone wants a specific title I can
usually find it. About once a year or
when I need the space I weed the
used books and put them on a sale
table to get them out the door. It's
important to turn them over once in
a while.
Two books with additional information are: the ABAManual on Bookselling which has one chapter on
selling used books and The Com•
plete Guide to Starting a Used Book•
store by Dale L. Gilbert, Chicago
Review Press, $11.95. Although this
has a lot of redundant information
for an already existing store, there
are some useful ideas. He explains
how to trade books if you prefer to
do it that way.
I have -Used Books" as a depa~
ment on Booklog and my used sales
are between 5-6% of my total sales
- about 10% of my book sales. My
shelves seem to be almost full most
of the time, so I'm selling and buying at a uniform pace. If the shelves
start to get too full, I become more
selective. I'd like to hear ideas from
others of you who sell used books or
0
are considering it.

~~
Sharing
Section Lists
Donna Niles of Amazon Books reports that she has thus far received
three requests for section lists; all
three for the list of gay and lesbian
youth titles. Each list was sent out
promptly, but since there's no vehicle in place for feedback, Donna can
only assume that the lists were h~lpful.
-Amazon Books

FB-Net
Bookmark Update
The first annual (?) Feminist Bookstore Network bookmark was completed and mailed out to Network
stores at the end of November. If
you didn't get one, call My Sisters'
Words, 315-428-0227.
The bookmark has both the artwork
Nicole Hollander did for our current
ad and a quotation from Alice
Walker. Carolyn at Reader's Feast
worked with Ms. Walker and obtained her permission to use the excerpt from her statement in the
letter that is circulating to feminist
authors regarding supporting feminist bookstores. Amy Bartell of Syracuse Cultural Workers, and an
artist in her own right, did the
graphics. Amy, who was living in
my house at the time, did the work
in exchange for November's rent.
Here at My Sisters'Words, the bookmarks have been a hit. fve printed
them on bright colors and as we
hand them out to customers, we
talk about the Feminist Bookstore
Network.
No store has given me any feedback, so rm not sure who's using
the bookmarks or how they are
working. If we're going to do this
again, let's think about what works
and what doesn't. One last note the last issue ofHotflashes advised
you to send $5 to me to cover the
costs if you didn't pay me in October

at the conference. Not so! rve been
repaid by FB-Net, so send your $5
to FB-Net and clearly mark what
the money is for.
Thanks to Harriet, Carolyn, Beth,
and Ann for their work and support!
-Mary Ellen Kavanaugh

Reader's Feast
"Grandmothered"
into FB-Net
Membership
The results of the postcard vote to
"grandmother" Reader's Feast into
Network membership are in, and
the ayes have it! Here's the vote
breakdown:
• 57 YES (46 YES, 11 "If it's ok with
the Steering Committee, it's ok with
us")

Great Quotes!
"Find a Feminist Bookstore
as near to where you live as
possible and go there to find
your books and buy as many
as possible."

"This is a revolution that has
written more in 20 years
than most do iJ! 200 years."
-Carolyn G. Heilbrun
Women Reviewing Women Conference
November '93

Keep your business in the
community. Keep your community in business!
- Herland Books

• 2NO

• Comments: lfwe do this for
Reader's Feast, we should also
admit the Gualala Girls into membership.
Congrats to Reader's Feast! -fbn 0

Hot Flashes Deadlines
Deadline next issue (#4):
Apri127
Deadline #5 (tentative):
June9

Brilliant Strategies!
Mary Ellen Kavanaugh (My Sisters'Words) runs the following announcement in the store newsletter: Every Thurday and Friday evening between
5-8 PM, we11 hide a $15 gift certificate in a book somewhere in the store. If
you find it, it's yours! And even if you don't find it, you'll certainly find some
real gems you might have missed on earlier visits to the store.

Statement of Purpose
The purpose of the Feminist Bookstore Network is to support feminist bookstores. This is a working organization for women-run, women-owned bookstores that are primarily committed to feminist (including lesbian) work.
With strong membership, the Feminist Bookstore Network will facilitate
stronger communication between feminist bookstores; organize joint projects to benefit member bookstores, provide greater visibility of feminist
bookstores to the general bookselling and publishing communities and to
the public, provide a united public image for feminist bookstores whenever
necessary or desired; serve as a lobbying force for feminist bookstores; and
organize Feminist Bookstore days at the ABA. O

7

Sidelines continued from page 3

brightly-dyed soft leather with medicine pouches attached to the front
cover. Buy these!
• Earthmother Taliswoman (916235-2717): Andrea creates
goddesses from $4 in a rainbow of
colors, to $150 for glazed goddesses
- the beige and copper goddess
flies out the door.
• Art & Soul (602-284-1899, area
code changes to 520 on June 1,
1995): LeAnn Cortese creates goddess switch plates cut out of metal
and hand-painted (see graphic this
page). Approximately $25.
Herland (Santa Cruz) sideline
sources:
• Herland has the best hats I've
seen! They're from the Feel Good
Company (510-548-3467): Julie Stevens is the woman to speak with.
My favorite is a bell cap with stick
figures of a "Dyke and her Dog" embroidered on the back.
• Ravenwood (800-777-5021): They
have black cat candles that will be
just right for some stores. These
candles sell well at Herland.
Boadecia's (Kensington) has some
good sidelines I'm surprised I
haven't seen before:
• Freedom Ring Earrings: If you
aren't doing business with Gayla G
(800-429-5248), then try Diane
Manley (510-527-0511). It looks like
Diane may give a tad better quality
for a slightly lower price.
• Evolution Designs (512-3389671): It took me a while to find
these authentic, slightly-less-expensive Darwin fish stickers.

hard to describe, but rm taking one
home with me. These clocks look
like white plaster, lightly brushed
with a bright color. Instead of numbers there are 12 tasteful nude
women. Write to Carolyn Whitehorn, PO Box 339, Willits CA 95490.
• Runes by Penny Carr (510-8485966): If you're not sick to death of
runes, these caught my fancy.
They're small (chiclet sized!), deep
bold colors with a matching handsewn cloth bag- $20.
And finally, Lioness Books (Sacramento) has had the courage to try
the t-shirt display showing up in
music stores. Each t-shirt is
wrapped around a square of cardboard then slipped into a ziploc bag.
The bags are 12" x 12". Then you
file the shirts in cubicles (wire or
milk carton) and stack the cubes.
It's a little work intensive, but no
more rickety racks or losses on
dirty shirts. The customers don't
pull the shirts out of the bags that was my concern. I think it's a
fresh look for an old sideline. There
is no one secret source for the cardboards and ziplocs. Call the bag and
cardboard companies in your city.
We plan to unwrap the shirt as it's
sold. The customer gets to check it
out and we can reuse the cardboard
and plastic.
-Kasha Songer
The Book Garden 0
Editor's Note: Kasha encourages everyone to call sidelines companies
instead of writing to them -writing takes the same amount of
money, more time, and less information is gathered. If you disagree and
would like addresses run with sidelines in the future, give us a call
here at FB-Net headquarters!

• Remember Feminist Forge?
They're doing clocks now. They're

8

Discount. continued from page 3

have a negative impact on the business. In order to sustain any loss to
discounts, a bookstore probably has
to be big enough to achieve some
economies of scale, a level of volume
which may be too much higher than
that of women's bookstores.
The big catch is that the more successful a discount program is, the
more it costs the business. If it's not
successful, it has little positive impact, and ifit is successful, it has a
greater negative impact.
Those bookstore owners considering
starting a discount program can call
New Words for more detailed information on our experience with this
o
program.
Note: Does anyone have an analysis
of Membership Programs in which
customers pay money upfront for a
membership and then receivve a discount on books? Are these programs
cost effective, or do they, too, cut into
the bottom line?
-Carol

REPORT FROM OUTWRITE '95
by Mary Ellen Kavanaugh
My Sisters' Words

No Comment ...

MIA'1o·••wir: •~~--~'• flo ~~ll~li ··; "'
Newt Gingrich will addresa

OutWrite '95 was held in Boston March 3-5. After some friendly encouragement from Carolyn at Reader's Feast and very persuasive encouragement
from my girlfriend to "get out of town," I jumped in the car with a friend and
made the five hour trip from Syracuse.
The conference was extremely well organized and the digs were luscious.
The agenda for the weekend covered topics ofinterest to writers and publishers, but nary a word about bookselling was offered at any panel. Feeling
a bit invisible, I spoke with Carolyn and 'lbllie, and Laura from New Words
in Boston, and we agreed something needed to be said/done. Laura graciously agreed to talk with the organizers, who agreed this had been an oversight and that, because the closing plenary was to be a performance piece,
there wasn't much that could be done this year. They did however agree to
take this into consideration next year.
Well, I'm stymied. Didn't anyone have a clue about the state ofbookselling
in the U.S. now? Didn't anyone wonder how that might affect publishers or
writers? I find it more than odd that at a conference of this size (1400 :registrants, including 300 panelists as of 8 PM Friday), no one chose to address at
any length the state ofbookselling. I did notice some authors taking the opportunity in one-on-one conversations, but it didn't come up much anyplace
that I was.
I had two experiences where I felt as if feminist bookstores took a bit of a
beating. One of the conference workers told me that her heterosexual sister
used to shop in my store when she lived in Syracuse and felt uncomfortable
there. She then generalized that well, perhaps it was all feminist bookstores. When I pressed her for details there were none and she finally
backed off with "I only had 20 minutes sleep last night." A few hours later at
a panel on the generation gap among lesbians, I made the point that in
some cities, younger lesbians were identifying with the lesbian/gay movement and therefore spending their money at lesbian/gay bookstores instead
offeminist bookstores. A young woman responded that she knows of at least
one feminist bookstore that lost its young customers by refusing to carry
more cutting-edge stuff(with a reference to SIM stuff). Even though these
questions make me feel a twinge defensive, I think the points are well worth
considering. How clearly can you identify who your audience is? Who else
might your audience be? Are there groups who don't feel welcome in your
store? How do we balance carrying what we believe we should carry with
what the public wants? Are those two things often different? How do we reconcile that difference?

·a "Power Lunch" at the June·

. convention of the American
_Booksellers Association in~
•cago, but Chicago boobellera
who were invited to recom- , -~
,·mend speakers aren't happy
. with the arrangements.
:,~,- ''We're just Insulted thatlt-•
was done behind our back. And
we don't even know when bis
book is coming out," committee
:member Roberta Rubin told.
the Wasblngton Post. • ANA executive director
'lernle lath, the guy who invited the HoUBe majority leader,
ams to think that If the comDilttee doesn'tUke 1t. they can
lumpit. ..
''The committee members
were under the Impression that
they were making all the decisions," Rath told the Post, "but
they serve an advisory tune- . _
.tion. rm putting together a
poweilunch. Newt's got a mil• _
Hon-copy book coming out'ln
the fall. I asked Newt and he
said yes."
•

Gngrich~ a~

Opening Plenary
Linda Villarosa (Body & Soul: The Black Women's Guide to Physical Health
and Emotional Well-Being) and 'Tony Kushner (Angels in America) were the
opening speakers. Both were excellent. Villarosa thoughtfully encouraged
the lesbian/gay movement to learn lessons from the Civil Rights movement
Continued on page 10

9

offar he didn't;':_:

'. ~ " -•:.,.._:.'':'~~j'i .. •·'!·~:

~!~:~ ,, ,::... ••.... t:

.;

Rept1,nted from the San Francisco Chronicle Datebook Section,
March 7, 1995

II/1
OutWrite continued from page 9

of the '60s. She urged white gay activists to forge relationships with
black communities and urged all to
do better than just ask for a place
at the table. She also pointed out
that her book is not for Black
women only; that white women
we,.,~ free to search its pages for
useful information just as Black
women have had t.o search through
white women's health books for
ages. Right on, Linda!
Because Cherrie Moraga was ill
and could not attend to give the
Audre Lorde memorial lecture, A
Litany of Survival: The Life and
Work ofAudre Lorde was shown.
The film by Ada Gay Griffin and
Michelle Parkerson has been 10
years in the malting and is stunning. Although they did not provide information about
distribution, the filmmakers can
be reached at Third World Newsreel, 335 W. 38th St., New York,
NY 10018, 212-947-9277.

The Panels
The panels were numerous, and
since I couldn't be in more than
one place at a time, I can only tell
you about those I attended.
• Creative Non-Fiction -A Queer
Genre:-This panel was a great
opener. Minnie Bruce Pratt said
she thinks the great struggle of
this century is between "either/or"
_and "both/and.• A great deal of conversation centered around what is
truth and can one tell the truth
without the facts and about how
we are creating our truth every moment out of the chaos around us. It
was a good mindstretch for my
brain which I fear has become
rusty with ISBNs and bill paying
and it gave me a great new category for the store (for all those
books that aren't exactly fiction or
exactly essays or exactly memoirs).

As a side note, I heard a great deal
(of complaints) from authors about
where their books are shelved in
bookstores.
• Lavender Herrings - Queer
Guilt and Mysteries: This panel
was both a disappointment and
fun. Apparently someone had suggested that guilt might play some
part in our fascination with mysteries. None of the panelists thought
so, so that ended that discussion.
Sandra Scoppetone thought that
life was a mess and mysteries were
neat, and that may explain their
appeal. Someone else (Ellen Hart,
maybe) suggested they are modem
morality tales. A lot of conversation centered around who is reading lesbian/gay mysteries (straight
versus queer).
• Feminism and Lesbian Writing
- Is There a Generation Gap?: I
personally found this one of the
better panels. Rachel Pepper
(Deneuve) claimed young women
are more image conscious. Donna
Allegra said it hurt to hear young
dykes c1 iticize the contlibntions of
those who've been around. She also
cautioned dykes not to think that
the mainstream is representing us
as we are. It was at this panel that
I spoke up about feminist bookstores and the discussion mentioned above went on for a while.
• Gay and Lesbian Fiction Writers
Before and After the Boo~: This
panel was both irritating and enlightening. All the authors on the
panel are published by mainstream houses. Lisa Alther, who
claims to be happily out of touch in
Vermont, said she did not see any
boom happening for lesbians. She
said it was dangerous for women
to forget their feminism and that
women still make only 71 cents to
men's dollar and that it must be
this 29 cents that is allowing men
to buy hardcover books. Carla

10

Tomaso said she could only tell the
story of her own experience of moving from a feminist press to a mainstream press. She dismissed a
question someone had asked at a
previous panel about the difference
between what was being published
at feminist presses and what was
being published at mainstream
presses - too bad; I thought it was
a discussion worth pursuing.
David Groff, the only (ex) editor on
the panel asked how writ.en are
setting their visions. He sees plays
as being more expansive than fiction and asked ifwe have a language to communicat.e across age
differences. He cautioned authors
not to be slaves to their market
and later briefly explained t.o the
audience why they needed to be
buying their books at lesbian/gay
~tores and not superst.ores (no
mention offeminist stores). An audience member repeated information from another discussion: there
seemed to be some agreement between a feminist publisher and a
representative from a large house
that the print run on lesbian/gay titles is probably about the same
whether it occurs at a small press
or a larger one.
• Women in the Shadows - Lesbian Life, Love and Literature Before Stonewall: This panel warmed
the cockles ofmy little lesbian
heart. The great story of the afternoon was from Ann Bannon, who,
it turns out, was mentored by Sandra Scoppetone and Vin Packer
(alias Ann Aldrich alias M.E.
Kerr). Bannon surfaced to talk
about her life. She was an elegant
speaker who advised us "that because someone is masquerading as
a housewife in Southern California
doesn•~ mean the tires aren't burning." She called Barbara Grier a
national treasure and praised her
Continued on page 11

OutWrite continued frorn page 10

for saving women's voices. Grier
talked about the library she and
Donna McBride have donated to the
San Francisco Public Library for the
archives to be housed there. She
also noted that Xerox donated
$250,000 to put all this work on CD
ROM and that the NEA has funded
$216,000 to de- acidify the books.
Donna said that 78% of what has
been catalogued so far has never before been catalogued. Linnea Stetson was the "academic historian" on
the panel and thanked Grier and
Maida Tilchen for the groundbreaking work each of them has done outside the academy which made it
possible for her to even begin to do
academic work in the area oflesbian herst.ory/literature. More than
any panel, this one reminded me of
why I do the work I do and was a
great way to end the conference.
The closing plenary was a perfor-

mance by Luis Alfaro, a MexicanAmerican from L.A I watched a few
minutes ofhis very exciting show,
but had to leave for home. His work
looks good and you might want to
watch for a visit from him to your
O
hometown.

Last Minute
Mail!
"Keep up the good
work! We are already excited
about Feminist
Bookstores Week."
- Prairie Moon Bookstore
Palatine, IL

Berland continued frorn palJe 2

land guests, resulting in some harassment of women by other guests
at the hotels. Kayla and Jennifer
will seriously addreBS this issue
with management at the Charninade if they return to the smaller
hotel for New Year's Eve Ball '95.
• The first year Herland provided
champagne and non-alcoholic champagne at mid.night, but this turned
out to be quite wasteful; the second
year they provided a no-host bar.
• Based on feedback from NYEB
'93, Kayla and Jennifer put a lot
more energy into decorating and
party favors for NYEB '94, and this
went over very well with those who
attended. (They'd love to find a company that produces environmentally
sound party favors and decorations
- if you know of any such suppliers, give Herland a call: 408-429663G.)

• NYEB '93 was professionally videotaped, but Herland didn't keep a
formal guestlist, so the effort didn't
pay off in terms of selling the video
to those who attended (guests were
also given the option to be edited
from the video). A local photographer set up shop at NYEB '94, taking polaroid shots and selling them
to guests. Herland got a percentage
of each sale, and the photographer
got a lot of community "exposure."

PR Panache

IMtwi,,r
11

•And finally, two strategies that illustrate Herland's flair for good public
relations: Since the NYEB is specifically lesbian, Herland will throw a
pool party this summer, open to everyone in the Herland community.
And instead of trying to parcel out
the Peachwood dinner-glitch refund
money to women whose dinner was
served late, Herland will instead
put on a free all•women dance this
o
Spring.

Great Press and Great Promotion
Get the Job Done for Sisterhood
It's every store's nightmare, and
some st.ores' daily reality, but what
really happens when "the chains
come marching in?" It can vary
from region t.o region and from store
to st.ore. For instance, Valley
Women (Fresno) reports that
Barnes & Noble moved in and C:uplicated all of Valley Women's services
(including poetry night and other
kinds of groups), and that people in
Fresno "worship the big st.ore like a
cathedral." Carolyn Gabel at
Reader's Feast (Hartford) told us
that sales - already down 3% from
the recession - dropped 12% the
minute Borders opened, even
though Barnes & Noble had previously opened a store in the area
without causing a similar drop in
business. The difference, says
Gabel, is that Borders actively solicits the customer base of Reader's
Feast. This story illustrates how
crucial it is for feminist bookstores

(and other independents) to educate
the customers they already have.
That kind of education can happen
on many fronts, and media exposure of the real issues involved is
one crucjal strategy. Sisterhood
Books in L.A is a case in point.
Even though a Borders opened up
across the street from them,
through a combined strategy of
good press and an intensive promotional effort, their sales stayed
steady through December.
Here's what the press did for Sisterhood and other local independent
bookst.ores: The Westside, a local
news section of the Los Angeles
1Imes, ran a long and detailed article (by Penelope Moffet) heavily
slanted toward Sisterhood. The
front page features a full-page, fourcolor phot.o of Sisterhhod facing off
Borders and is captioned, "A War of
Words: Sisterhood, an Independent
Bookst.ore in Westwood, Makes a

More Great Press!
My Sisters' Words (Syracuse) recently received some outstanding (and lengthy!) press
in The Herald American, their local paper.
The article, by Katherine Scobey, begins by
talking about Judith's Room closing in New
York City, and goes on to outline the creative
and very successful strategies Mary Ellen
Kavanaugh has come up with to educate her
community about the impact of the chains
and t.o enlist community support to make
sure feminist bookselling continues to survive and thrive in New York State (see
Hotfl.ashes January '95 for Mary Ellen's letter to her community and their overwhelmingly positive response). Congrats Mary
Ellen!
- fbn 0

12

Stand Against a Big National Chain
Opening Across the Street.• (We ran
a small b&w version of this phot.o in
the Bookstore News column in FBN
• 17#6). And the Westsider, a local
L.A independent paper, ran a
smaller article prior to Borders moving in, with a similar front-page
photo, lots of info about local independent booksellers who had closed,
and several paragraphs about
Sisterhood's unique niche in the
L.A. bookselling community. The
Lesbian News and other local papers ran similar articles.
But Sisterhood hasn't left it all up
to the press - they've launched a
concerted promotional effort to educate their community and to draw
new business. The next seven pages
will give you an idea of what Sisterhood has been doing, and what you •
might consider doing at your store.
-Beth 0

SISTERHOOD
b o o k s t · o re
1351 Westwood Boulevard• Los Angeles• CA 90024 • (310) 4ll-7300

When a woman writer is wdcomcd by the mainsttcam press, it gives all of us a sense o f '
accomplishment. Congratulations! At Sisterhood Bookstore we are very excited about your succ.css.

00,

Like other women's bookstores around the country,
Sisterhood has done a great deal in the
last two decades to create an atmosphere of encouragement for women writers--with readings,
signings, and prominent displays. Now that you've "arrived", we hope that you will continue to
support our work. When your publisher's publicity department plans
a tour to promote your
new book, ·we'd Ilk• to be Included.

a

Don't assume that the publicity department will schedule a reading or signing at Sisterhood. They
probably don't even know that we exist. They know about book chains; they often don't know about
independent booksellers.
~

So, since the publicity people may not think to include a stop at Sisterhood, will you take the time
~ to tell them that you'd like them to schedule a reading or signing with us? You have power now.

Women's bookstores, and independent booksellers in general, are in great jeopardy in this economy.
We ·need your help. Please consider it part of your political work to sec that we're included in your
book promotion tour. ~

UPPORT SISTERHOOD BOOKSTORE
UPPORT INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES
For twenty-two years, Sisterhood Bookstore has been taking a stand.
Now we are asking you to stand with us.
Through all the years when women's issues were ·in" and through all the years when they weren't, we have been
here for you. Although there are periodic media announcements that women have at last achieved equality, our overflowing
bookshelves, our crowded bulletin boards, and the posters on our walls tell a different story.
We would like to be able to continue telling that story. This is why we are asking for your
support. Our sales have been down this past year due in part to the recession, the earthquake, and the proliferation of
corporate-owned chain bookstores.
Chain ·superstores· have become a particular problem in recent years to all independent bookstores.
While achain store may carry some of the same titles we do, perhaps at a lower price, profit is always their bottom line, 1 ,
not the concepts and values in the books they are selling. The gender and lesbian studies section in a chain store
•' '
will disappear the moment it ceases to be profitable. And that decision will be made thousands of miles away at
•
,_,.
corporate headquarters. Sisterhood Bookstore is a community resource that stands up for women's and gay rights
whether or not it is popular to do so.
•
Our commihnent to empowering women will never take a back seat to the profit motive.

please turn over

SISTERHOOD
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1351 Westwood Boulevard • Los Angeltt • CA 90024 • 310-477-7300

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SISTERHOOD
bookstore
1351 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-477-7300
Open 7 days 10-8

Happy Birthday!

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UPPORT DIVERSITY IN BOOKSELLING!
UPPORT INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES!
Bookstore chains arc in the news again. With the national decline of mall shopping, the big bookstore
chains have found themsdves in financial trouble. In response to this devdopment, they arc striking out
at independent book stores by opening up so called "superstores•. These stores, modded l~dy on large
independents, seek to target the same markets. In many instances the chains open stores ncn door or
across the street from successful independents. Their aim is dearly to ruin these hone table independent
stores and displace them.
But do not be fooled by the chains' broad aisles and stained wood veneer book shelves. 1bey are not
like independents, and their oligopolistic marketing strategy poses a serious thrca~ to diversity in the
book business and in the world of ideas.
The •superstores• arc formula stores, managed from a central office with no real links to the local
communities. Their employees have high _turnover, because they are paid low wages. For the most pan,
they are not experienced booksdlers. Chain book buying for the stores is done at the central offices
without regard for the unique character of the communities they serve. In many cases, these arc the
same buyers who buy for the mass market book stores in the shopping malls. As mass merchants, the
chains conceive of ideas as so much "product,'" to be marketed like cans of tuna.
Retail bookselling is the primary system for the distribution of ideas in.our culture. Publishers may
discover new writers or brilliant and original intellectuals, but booksellers bring these writers and their
ideas to their readers. We are concemecl that th• retail distribution of books Is Increasingly
concentrated in the hands of a few large corporations. Economic concentration is occurring in
many sectors of the world economy, but we feel that book distribution is unique and critically
important to our culture. It is too vital to leave in the hands of a few large corporations.
Bookselling at its best is not just a job: it's a vocation or a calling. Independent booksellers bring their
own individual sensibilities to their stores. They ~ rooted in the communities they serve. Together,
independent booksellers guarantee that there will be a diverse market for the broadest range of books,
not just for highly commercial bestsellers.
The growth of chain stores has been fueled by secret deals and unfair trade practices, advantages
extracted from publishers by the chains' ecor:iomic clout. The Federal Trade Commission has been
investigating these practices for a number of years. These unfair practices have made it more and more
difficult for independent stores to compete with these giants on a level playing fidd.

In the final analysis, the only ally of the independent bookseller is you, the book reading public. In the
name of all that we value in our literary culture, do not let the independent booksdlcr become an
endangered species.

We urge you to support your independent bookstores.
Reprinted from Andy Ross, Cody's Books, Bcrkdcy, California

SISTERHOOD
bookstore

1351 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles• CA 90024
310..cn-1300

SISTERHOOD
b
r e
k s t
0

.........
is three blocks south of Wilshire Blvd.,
~
a convenient location in the UCLA neighborhood.

0

0

1351 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-◄77-7300 phone

Location: Our location at 1351 Westwood Blvd.

Credit Cards: We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.

Store Hours: Open 7 days,
10:00 am to 8:oo pm.

-~,· Instructor Discount: Instructors

'~~

310-478-9404 fax

1

who order_exclusively through our
store receive A 201 DISCOUNT ON

ALL PUltCHASES FOR THE ENTIRE ACADEMIC YEAR.

Ordering Deadlines: For your convenience YOU MAY
PLACE ORDERS AS LATE AS SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE

Dear UCLA Instructor,

BEGINNING OF THE QUARTER. FOil SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ACCEPT ORDERS ANYTIME.

Thank you for ordering your
text books at Sisterhood Bookstore.

PLACE YOUR ORDERS BY MAIL,

('-'

310-477-7300
Oil FAX 310-478-9404

PHONE

As an independent bookstore in Westwood since 1972,
we apprecjate the support of the UCLA community.
When you order your textbooks through our store,
you treat your students like scholars, sending them to
an environment that educates and empowers them.

Desk copies available upon request.

. Student Discount: Your students will receive a coupon
for 20% off on any non-text book purchase made in our
store during the quarter. For your students' convenience:
shopping in our store is easy; normally no one waits
more than five minutes for service.
Returns 6 Buy-back policy: Our textbook
'~ Jt!!:il returns policy is identical to campus bookstores;
we have a limited buy-back policy. Campus
bookstores buy used texts depending on
• demand, not depending upon where they were purchased.

Thank you.

...

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Get Mev'ed!
Ayear or more ago Amazon Bookstore hired
Mev Miller as a community networker. Unable
to attend the Strategic Planning Conference,
Mev wrote up a lot of what she did and sent
along samples of support materials -bro-.
chures, letters, press releases -that she developed along the way. We've reproduced it all here
at the end of this issue. There were so many
great ideas that we kept finding ourselves referring to "needing a mev" (an outreach worker)
and to "meving"- doing great bookstore promotion. Kasha went back to the Book Garden
and hired "a mev" to do 8 hours/week of "meving'' for her store. Does it work? Amazon is holding their own- and growing- despite the
influx of chains in Minneapolis. Several great
new restaurants in the neighborhood are part
of the equation, but they sure do have great
customer loyalty!
There's some wonderful ideas in the following packet. Some are so ready-to-go you can just
copy them onto your own stationery and fly
with them!
Enormous thanks to Mev and to Amazon
Books for putting all of this together and sharing it with the rest of us.

Notes on Community Networking for Feminist Bookstores
(as done by Mev at Amazon)
I spend eight hours of time per week at Amazon focusing on community networking (outreach).
During these hours, the staff has agreed that I NOT be interrupted with the daily business of the
store (no answering phones or working the cash register). Because we have the room·off the sales
floor, I have my own desk and phone and index cards so that I can do this work in an organized
way (a luxury I know few stores probably have!). My job description as first written early
included the following items:
1) contact feminist/women's organizations in the Twin Cities & outstate areas in order to
acivise them of the presence of Amazon Bookstore, remind them of our services, find out the
kinds of work they do (if not immediately obvious) and establish some kind of on-going contact
with them
2) contact (and re-contact) university women's studies professors, especially at the Univ.
of Minn. but also other area colleges. Also, the women's studies depts., women's centers & other
campus organization ... ditto #1. As part of this, I also continue to cultivate the professors in order
to encourage them to order coursebooks from us
3) put together a pamphlet about the stores services and store packet similar to Women &
Children First
4) update and maintain the bulletin boards, resource books, etc.~evelop a sort of
"Welcome Packet" for women new to the area which is kept in the store
I've been doing this work for the past year now and the job has expanded a bit beyond the above
description. What I will list here are some of the strategies rve used, ideas that the staff has
developed, and specific tasks I've done over the past year. They are not listed here in 'any
particular order. Some of them I'm sure you already have done or currently do but it's good for all
of us to be reminded periodically of obvious things,
- having focused, uninterrupted time has been a great help. 8 hours still isn't much which means
that having it be protected time means I get a lot more done with it
- whoever does this work should be good with details, able to do many things simultaneously, be
outrageously creative, have good phone personality, write a good letter, etc. (all the traits
necessary for any feminist bookstore worker!)
- IMMEDIATE follow-up (call backs, thank yous, mailed information, etc.) is essential. I split
my 8 hours into two 4 hour chunks. It gives people more opportunity to reach me and helps my
response time to be a bit quicker. Also, I check in at the store periodically for messages and,
because I mostly work at home, the staff knows they can call me for urgent items (and probably
I'll call back within a day if I happen to be out).
- I'm trying to train myself (and Barb) to think of more things as newsworthy items that deserve a
press release (it's free advertising if you can get the media to use it!). Obviously, you don't want
to do evezything this way, but I think there's a lot more we can do with it than we know. (See the
attached press release I recently did about Amazon's services as an example.) fve put the ,eneral
outline of a press release into the computer so that when I want to, I can just fill in the particular
details

- develop a media list: TV, radio, newspapers, community papers & special interest papers AND
DON't FORGET-a lot of organizations have mailing lists and regular newsletters. If they think
it's important to their constituency, they include it so send press releases to them too as
appropriate!
- we have a monthly newsletter that Barb puts together with new books, events, etc. I try as much
as possible to put some community networking item in it: reminder about the resource books, call
for volunteers, reminders that we sell books at conferences, etc.
- many o~~ the organizations etc. are on our mailing list in the computer so that they will get our
newsletter but I keep my own file box of organizations close at hand (I don't alwais have access
to the computer and, oersonally, this is one thing I prefer to do the "old-fashioned way). Items
on the card include: organization name, address, phone number, contact person and dated notes
about any kind of interaction I have with them including mailings sent
- get hold of any local community directories you can. I have the following: Women's Press
Business Directory (contains many women's businesses and organizations), CerNet Directory
(contains all the gay and lesbian groups, businesses, etc.)., Black Yellow Pages, Asian-American
Yellow Pages, First Call for Help (several state regional locations-service organizations
compiled by the United Way)-and rm always looking for more. Advertisements in community
papers also have helped me add to my lists
- look through with a watchful eye as many local community papers as you can stand. Around
here, there's a lot: 2 gay papers, the women's press, Asian Pages, 2 Native American papers, 2
African-American papers, a paper for the recovery community and more-and as many
organizational newsletters that may get mailed to you. I pay special close attention to the
women's and gay papers. I look for event advertising, community groups I might not already
know about, specific kinds of news-anything that will put me in touch with imr,?rtant groups or
individuals. I've been able to glean a lot of infonnation from this and it has provided me with
some ideas for other events, etc. that we can do. I also use it as a way to find out who is
sponsoring conferences. I contact them so that we can get asked to do sales at their next event! (I
also do this too with event flyers that come in from organizations,)
- get on as many mailing lists as you can. I haven't done it yet but a future idea I have is to start
putting them in a place where our customers can read these newsletters too!
- keep a log of everything you do and read through it periodically. For one thing, it reminds you
of how muchlou've done, especially when you feel like you've done nothing! Also, it helps
remind you o good ideas you once had and helps you remember if you did something in
particular or not (especially useful for us aging, getting forgetful types!).
.
- This is what I did for contacting organizations:
a) wrote a letter introducing them to the store (copy attached)
b) followed up with a phone call a few weeks later to see if they had any questions or if
there was anything in particular we could do for them at this time - also to update
and make sure we had the appropriate contact person
c) a couple of months later, I sent them a brochure about the store reminding them they
could have extra copies for their waiting room (in some cases, I hand delivered
multiple copies and I call them periodically to see if they want more!)
d) at this stage, it's important to get real creative. I don't want to bug them but I do want
them to know I'm still interested in them. I created a Hot Flash sheet on which I can
write down new titles and send it to the organizations. I try to make it as appropriate,
specific and timely as possible (see attached copy). Sometimes, I call them-NOT

OFfEN. Sometimes, I send a note if I notice they got some good press about
something (congratulations on ... or whatever)
- We give a 10% discount to women's organiz.ations-sometimes this gets extended to nonprofits that have specific services for women. With the help of our bookkeeper, I developed a
Tenns Sheet and "credit app." for organiz.ations wanting to set-up an account with us in addition
to buyinJ, at organiz.atiorial discount. I OONT send this out to everyone-only those who look
like they 11 really buy or who indicate they have a library or whatever. (Examples attached)
- As I have the time and w.i.th the slightest provocation, I will create a bibliography for just about
anything! Usually they're st:ort or fairly specific. For example, we've had reason in the east to
make one on breast cancer i~sues. Recently, I updated it and sent it to the various orgamz.ations
around town that specifically provide services {or women with breast cancer (sent along w/ info
on setting up an organiz.ational account with us!!). As it turned out, we also sold books at a breast
cancer conference and took the bibliographies to that as well. Usually, I create bibliographies
upon request of organizations but sometimes I take the initiative and just create them Recently, I
noticed OWL was doing an bus tour for elders on retirement communities. I put together a
bibliography of the 5-10 books we had for women on retirement planning etc. and sent it to them.
We'll see what happens! Also, if I make a bibliography for a particular organization, I also look
around to see who else might be interested in it and send it to them as well. For example,
someone wanted a booklist on women with disabilities for an event-I sent cofies of it to the two
access publications in town for their newsletters ·and a few other organizations.
- BE SURE your bibliographies have the store name, address and phone number on them, the
date they were created, a mention that its a partial list and invite them to the store to see the
growing number of titles on the topic, and--if you mailorder-how they can get the book from
you if they don't come to the store AND that you're happy to special order any other books that
may not be listed or currently in stock!
- create a brochure about the store and its services (Amazon copy attached). Take it with you
wherever you go, especially when you sell at events. I try to remember to keep a stash of
brochures, newsletters, and business cards in my car because I just never know when I'll find a
place to leave them. Encourage staff members to do the same! (We tend NOT to just leave them
on the store counter for customers-they are expensive and get used as scrap paper BUT we do
have them close by for those times when it's really good to hand them to someone!) I stick them
in correspondence all the time as appropriate.
- About conferences: Amazon has done them for years. In the past, we've generally had
organizations come to us and we would do them depending on timing, profitability, etc. As we
all know, they're hard work, sometimes with little return, create stress on our budgets, backs and
staff hours. BUT they do generate goodwill, visibility, new customers and sometimes good sales.
After a few months of doing outreach, the staff decided that I should also be the one to
coordinate events. The rule is this: if it doesn't cost too much (for the table), isn't too far away,
and I can guarantee someone (usually me) to staff it, then (most likely) we'll do it. Of course,
there's plenty we tum down. But with me taking more responsibility we are now taking more on.
And I am working on cultivating them too-I continually remind organizations that they should
ask us to sell books at their events. BUT, BUT, BUT sometimes, we don't have to go but can still
be present. Several times this year, we have not gone to events and I have arranged for us to have
brochures, bookmarks, newsletters and BIBLIOGRAPHIES at the event. This, at least, gives us
. some visibility to audiences who may not know us. Also, the store will sometimes take an ad in a
program book and invite people to the store with a 10% discount if th~ bring the ad with them.
We do this less often but it works especially well for events when they re at the Mpls. Conference
Ctr (within walking distance) or a big hotel near us.

- in addition to setting up conferences, being sure there's staff coverage, etc. I also help the
buyers a little bit in deciding what books need to be pulled or ordered. Because I've talked to the
people, I sometimes have a better sense of it-and it gives the buyers some relief. The biggest
problem, of course, is learning how much to bring, when to know what conferences are likely to
really work, and balancing the buying budget all around it! (Barb and Donna can tell you more
about this)
•
- Though Barb does most of the event planning, I .sometimes work with her to generate ideas for
special things we can do that will appeal to various communities that may not usually come to
the store. Some of these events have included:
- Open House for women's organizations
- Riot Grrls Read Out (a hopefully on-going event)
- Patrick was a Patriarch (an 1mti-St. Pat's day event where we celebrated the goddess)
- International No Diet Day Discussion Group
- with MCASA (a group working against sexual assault) we did a panel discussion and
strategy workshop for sexual assault awareness month
- Open House for students and faculty soon after school started its fall session
- we borrowed an old idea from Lammas that came to us via Donna. I created a book prescription
pad and sent it to all the area health care providers, therapists, counseling centers, naturopathic
providers, etc. We also have a sample on our front bulletin board and encourage therapists to ask
for them (some do). Though I've never actually seen a customer walk into the store with the piece
of paper in their hands, I have received several letters of praise from health care workers
thanking us for them and saying they would use them. In a few months, I plan to call around and
see who actually did use them and if they need more. (see attached copy of pad and
accompanying letters)
- This is what I did with University Professors:
(we're fortunate to already have several profs who are supportive of the store. They send students
on assignments, order coursebooks, and more. They have also been good enough to provide us
with contact names and other suggestions.)
a) call the women's center, the women's studies department or any other human resources
part of the university that can supply you with a faculty list- both women's studies professors
and any others who are supportive. In many universities, women who teach women's studies type
courses are actually in other departments-English, History, whatever- so you have to be
persistent and always on the watch. Get a course catalogue showing the professors' names if you
can. Whenever students come in looking for something, fll often ask them the name of the
professor and add it to my list (it's surprising, though, how many DON'T know the profs name!!)
This has to be done regularly since there's always new faculty. And try to find the TA's too!
b) sent a letter to the profs introducing them to the store and what we have to offer,
encouraging them to order coursebooks from us, and encouraging them to have the students use
us as a resource center. etc.
c) it's too hard to get them by phone so I don't try-but periodically send them a personal
note if necessary
d) sent them a letter at the end of the school year thanking them for their support through
out the year and reminding them to keep us in mind for the fall semester
e) sent them an invitation to our back-to-school open house
- BE AUDACIOUS. At the beginning of the vacation season, I sent gay-friendly and women
travel agents a list of the travel guides we have and other appropriate books (such as canoeing,
etc.). With 8th Mtn. and Feminist Press doing more travel books, this ought to grow in the future.
I also sent a list of our self-defense books to the local women's martial arts programs.

- Look out for speaking engagements. The Women's Consortium here does a wee.kly brown bag
lunch. They invite women to come over for an hour lunch and they feature an organizational .
speaker or topic each week. I called up and asked if I could speak on behalf of the bookstore and
generally about supporting woman-owned businesses and specifically about chain bookstore
competition and the politics etc. Few women showed up that week BUT they always summarize
the lunches in their weekly newsletter so what I had to say did get out to a larger audience. I hope
to find more such opportunities in the future.
- I've been trying to figure out ways of getting girls into the store as well. The Riot Grrl event
was a way of trying to appeal to youth. I'm also hoping to do more with District 202 which is a
local organization that services gay/lesbian youth. An.d with some local VISTA volunteers who
were working with a girls program in the parks and I'e4.Teation system, we started a reading group
for girls. They have since decided to meet outside the store but I do occasionally ?7- to get them
to an in-store event. They have been doing their own ,::riting and have produced a zine so we
want to have a launching party for it in the store! I also want to expand this program with the girl
scouts and girl power program.
- The store has not typically used volunteers but periodically women ask us if they can help out.
I'm starting to take names and phones numbers with the idea of having them help us in certain
ways. I especially want to have women feel like the store is important for them and to have them
help us to PR and whatever!
- try to work with local organizations about certain theme months. In addition to Black History,
Women's History and Lesbian/Gay, there's also assorted others. Earlier in the year, we worked
with an organization for Sexual Assault Awareness month. We create a bibliography of books
and put it in a display of books along with brochures from the organization. In October, we did it
for Lupus Awareness Month. The Lupus Foundation sent us posters and brochures that we put
out with books and bibliography. It gives the organization visibility and they love it. In addition,
I send to them extra copies of bibliographies and store brochures that they take with them to their
events as well!
- whenever I send stuff out to new organizations, I try to follow-up with a phone call
- for general letters, don't put dates on them! that way, you can Xerox a bunch and have them to
send out as necessary (BUT -be sure to date press releases!)
- I keep a file of all the correspondence I get back from people.
- we tried a "Design an Amazon Float" contest for iay pride but it didn't work. rm not sure why.
(in exchange for a gift certificate, we asked for designs for a float that we could take in the pride
parade.)
- at staff meetings, I try to solicit input and ideas from other staff members about connections,
event ideas, resources etc. Because we all travel in different circles, this gives me some insight
and ideas that I otherwise wouldn't get. I also try to have staff help me with certain projects as
·well.
- I think the most useful thing is to have general brainstorming sessions. Also, I tend to have
huge, scattered, and outrageous ideas. I purposefully try to think big and broad knowing that
there's no way we can possibly do everything. BUT I find it useful to have a pool of ideas and
then scale them down to some sort of manageable size. The biggest challenge is to try and get
new clientele into the store.

- once you've started this sort of networking project, everything has to happen over and over
again. It's imJX)rtant not to drop the ball and to stay as visible as possible-not only to those who
are already using the store but for new folks as well.
This is a list of projects that I haven't started yet but hope to tackle in the upcoming year.
- according to one of our staff people who works in corporate America, there's a growing group.
of women who are coming into feminist consciousness who work in the burbs and don't have a
clue about women's bookstores. She and I will strategize on how to reach this crowd. It's possible
that a "bookmobile to the burbs" might help and some other clever marketing projects.
- I really want to do some work with women's literacy programs. It seems natural to me that
businesses centered around reading and women's words ought to have some contact with the
community of new women readers. rd like our bookstores to be comfortable places for them. I
see this project as two-fold. First of all, I'd like to have actual "classes" or tutoring sessions
happen at the bookstore. I know this isn't possible for many stores due to space limitations but we
have a bit of room and I'd like to make some room for it in the store. Secondly, I want to figure
out how we can create feminist literacy materials for women. So much of the work is not only
about reading but also about basic life skills information. I know some of the literacy materials
do cover issues like women's health, pregnancy etc. but I think there's more that we can do as
well (e.g., materials on sexual harassment and violence, self-esteem, women's history and
biographies, lesbian reading materials, etc. -I'd like to find one women's publisher willing to
help develop this!) I'm planning to do more research on this in the upcoming months.
- I know that some libraries have discretionary budget and that they sometimes buy books
through local bookstores. I want one of those stores to be Amazon. Also, I have a contract with
18 women's presses to promote their books into libraries. I'm going to try a pilot project at
Amazon and hopefully extend it out to other women's bookstores. My idea 1s this: to have a
reception at the store hosted by Amazon and the women's presses participating in the library
project. I will invite librarians to the store so they can know what we have to offer, provide a big
display of books of the publishers in the library project, and serve refreshments (in Minn. there's
already a library organization working to connect librarians with each other -I will co-sponsor
the event with this group). This event will promote the store and promote the women's presses
and hopefully encourage them to use Amazon as a resource place to buy their supplement of
women's studies books. After I do it here and see how it goes, I will be contacting other stores
for similar events.
- Because Minnesota is so big and we're basically it for the state, I want to figure out a way of
doing an outstate bookmobile (an idea who's time might never come!) At the very least, I want to
expand out mail-order capacity throughout the state. The FBNetwork catalogue might just be a
catalyst for that.
- Sponsor events with other community centers in the Twin Cities
- Do some in-store music events that will promote the music that we sell and get women who
may not be book buyers into the store for sidelines and music. Also, I want to promote some of
the music we sell to dance and meditation groups. I realize that I tend to think ONLY about •
promoting our books (weird, huh?) but have to remind myself.-and others-that we have a lot
more to offer!

Amazon
BOOKSTORE
..

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

Dear Women's Service Provider/Organization:
Greetings from the Amazon Bookstore.
I am writing to you on behalf of the Amazon Bookstore for the purpose of
advising (or reminding) you of our services. I would also like to make
personal contact with you so as to learn how we can be of on-going
assistance to your organization:
As you may know, Amazon is a full-service feminist bookstore which
specializes in books, sidelines, and music for all women and girls and
their friends. Amazon is the oldest women's bookstore in the United States.
As a woman-owned business focused on the words and ideas of women, we have
a strong commitment to networking with and serving various women's
communities. Therefore, we want to offer several resources to your
organization. These include:
- provide a 10% organizational discount on all books ordered
- order books of interest to your organization (special
orders)
- provide books and/or book displays for your meetings or
conferences
- post flyers or brochures on Amazon's bulletin boards
advertising your services, special events, job openings,
and so on
- provide ticket sales outlet for women's concerts and other
related events
- offer book knowledge and book lists on special topics
- give your organization brochures (in quantity) describing
Amazon's services
- mail to you the monthly Amazon newsletter
In the next few weeks, I will contact you by phone to learn how we can be
of assistance to your organization. (Or, you may contact me on Mondays at
the store.) If you are interested, I am also willing to meet with you
and/or your staff for a short information sharing·meeting.
We look forward to working with you in the future as a way of providing
Minnesotan women with a variety of resources and information.
Sincerely,
Mev Miller
Community Outreach

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W;F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

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•Prom South or North, take 1-35 to 1-94 West,
then follow the directiom above.
From the West, take 1-94 to Hennepin/
Dunwoody. Tum left at bottom of exit. Right
on Maple. Right on Harmon Place.
Street meter parking Is available.

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T,lb,F: 10:00-7:00
Sat: 10:00-600 Sun: 10:00-5:00

C~lcl~ l~~lrJ~ 1

Amaz1n
BOOKSTORE

~

'
I

Vlsrr 'DIE OIDEST FFMINIST BOOKSTpRE IN 'DIE COUNTRY AND BROWSE
111ROUGH OUR EXTENSIVE SELECO0~ OF BOOKS, MUSIC, AND GIFTS.
OUR SfAFF IS FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLB-ANXI0US TO HELP Wl11I
YOUR QUESTIONS.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
PmwsoPHY
Amazon Bookstore is a full-service
feminist bookstore for all women,
girls and their friends. We offer a
diversity of books, gifts, music and art
by, for and about women. Amazon
provides products and services that
foster and encourage the strength,
wisdom, beauty and diversity of
women, girls and our families.
B<>oK SECDONS INCllJDE

Non-racist/Non-sexist Books
for Children
Violence Against Women
Women of Color Fiction/Non-fiction
Health
Parenting & Education
Lesbian Fiction & Culture
Spirituality
Feminist Theory
Ecology/Ecofeminism
International Fiction
Mysteries and Science Fiction
Travel
Poetry
Psychology and Self-Help
Cookbooks
Blank Books and Journals
Sale Books and Remainders
and more ....

lfERsToRY
In 1970, two industrious women
gathered books, manifestos, periodicals and other writings of the
emerging women's movement and
offered ·them for sale out of their
home. This was the birth of Amazon
Bookstore. In order to make the
information more available, the store
moved to the Lesbian Resource
Center. Since then, Amazon has had
two other storefront homes before
moving to our current Loring Park
location. In its earliest days, Amazon
primarily carried writings on social
theory. Later the stock expanded to
include fiction and poetry. As the
feminist movement grew, affecting
every area of women's lives,
Amazon grew to accommodate and
reflect the new needs. Currently we
stock thousands of books by women
on a great variety of topics. In our
commitment to encourage women
artists, we carry a wide selection of
unique woman-made gifts and music.
The store is owned and run
by a worker collective.

't

We c.any More 1ban
Just Books/!!
Glft5 and Art
Jewelry, Pottery, Posters, T-shirts,
Cards, Vibrators & Safe Sex Items,
Buttons, Bumperstickers,
and much more.....
Music by Women: CD's & Cassettes
Magazines & Newspapers

SERVICES & REsoURCES
-Membership program for store discounts
-Large Audio and Video rental selection
-Author readings and special events
-Book groups
-Monthly discussion groups
-Organizational discounts
-Ticket sales
-Assistance to teachers, women studies
. departments, libraries,-:....for planning,
purchasing and ordering
-Sales at conferences and special events
-Full national & international mail-order
service
-Discount on Book of the Month
-Bulletin board and housing book
-Monthly newsletter & mailing list
-Special orders

MC/VISA Welcome
Wheelchair Accessible
Child Friendly/Male Friendly

Amaz,n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

For Imnediate Release
Contact Person: Mev Miller
612-338-6560 '
October 10, 1994

Amazon Bookstore Expands Role
as Women's Community center
Minneapolis, MN -- In anticipation of its 25th Anniversary in
1995, Amazon Bookstore (the oldest continuing women's bookstore in
the North America) has expanded its commitment to serve women as a
community resource center. Founded during the feminist movement in
1970, Amazon Bookstore has continued to

serve women not

only

through its large selection of women's books but by acting as a
clearinghouse for information and resources which address the needs
of or provide serves to women and children.

To revitalize and continue . this tradition, Amazon Bookstore has
updated its resource books and bulletin boards, expanded its weekly
prog~amming, started several book groups, and added a community
networking staff position. Future plans include remodelinq the back
of the store for additional gatherinq space, utiliz~nq volunteers,

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
-

.

Hours: M,W 10:00-9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

and faci 1 i ta ting more open houses and social gatherings·.

These

activities are welcome additions to the on-goinc;;r work don~ by the
store: ticket sales, book sales at area conferences, orc;;ranizational
discounts,

creation of informational subject lists, mail-order

services, monthly newsletter, and much more.

Organizations which serve the needs of or sponsor events for women
and children are encouraged to send information to Amazon Bookstore
for inclusion in the resource books and to provide event flyers for
posting. If you are interested in any of the above listed services
or would like someone from the store to come and speak with your
organization

or

staff,

please

contact

Mev

Miller,

Community

Networking Coordinator, 612-338-6560.

Our mission statement: Amazon Bookstore is a full-service feminist
bookstore for all women, c;;rirls and their friends.

It offers a

diversity of books, gifts, music and art by, for and about women.
Amazon provides products and services that foster and encourage the
strength, wisdom, beauty and diversity of women, girls and our
families. The store is worker-owned.

fl##

Amazon.
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

TERMS AND PROCEDURES FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTS
AT THE AMAZON BOOJCSTORE
- Organizations qualify for a 101 discount on BOOKS ONLY.
additional discounts apply.)

(No

- Completed credit form and tax exempt number must be on file at
Amazon Bookstore.
- oroanizations may also place special orders for books not in
stock. PLEASE NOTE, some special order books may not qualify for a
discount. Please check with a buyer BEFORE special orderino books.
Please allow 4-6 weeks for special orders.
- Books may be purchased in person or by mail or phone.
- We wi 11 ship books by UPS if requested. UPS needs a street
address to deliver. The shipping and handl ino charges are $3. 00 for
the first book and $.35 for each additional book.
- Payment may be made to Amazon at time of purchase with a business
check.
- Our terms are net 30 days for books purchased on account.
- Make checks payable to: Amazon Bookstore.
- Please remember: We can provide a suggested list of titles on any
subject. Also, we are willing to sell books at conferences and
special events.
Please do not hesitate to phone if you have additional questions.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W~ 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

CREDIT FORK FOR ORGAHIZATONS
Date:
Organization
Shlpplnr _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Addref",ll

Billing
Address

Fax f ___________

Phone f

Director's Name....;__________________________
Contact Person .for Accounts Payable __________________
Phone I for Accounts Payable
Persons authorized to buy books on account at Amazon:

Tax ·Exempt #:
Please check all that apply:

___n.on-prof 1t
___privately run

___for-profit

___government agency

___other (be specific)

We would most be interested in buying boots ln the following aubject areasa

Please put us on the malling list.

_ __.Yes

___,no

Authorized Signature:
(please return this completed form to Kath Sharp at the Amazon Btstr)
1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W;F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

•

~ Book Prescription .

AN Ut\~pll"

•

tl

~.l ~&f@<..1Q~
.r~~ I\A ~~,.,,.,....
~ 2~ f"-'~~~

A'2.G.., ~
Amaron Bookstore
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-338-6560
M,W 10:00 • 9:00
T,Th,F 10:00 - 7:00

Sat. 10:00 - 6:00
Sun. 10:00 - 5:00
.•

•.

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

Amazon Bookstore
This title recently arrived in our bookstore. We thouqht it miqht
be of interest to your orqanization.

- Organizational discount: 101
- With an easy credit application, we can set-up your
orqanization with an account.
- MC/Visa are welcome.
- We are happy to ship books via UPS. The cost is $3.50
for the 1st book and $.SO each additional.
For more information on this or any other title, please call · us durinq
reqular business hours.
Thank you for your on-qolnq suppoit.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,W 10:00-9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

Dear Health Care Professional:
I am writing to you on behalf of Amazon Bookstore for the purpose of advising
(or reminding) you of our services. As you may know, Amazon Bo«;)kstore is a
full-service feminist bookstor~ which specializes in books, Qifts, and music
for all women and girls and ··: hoir friends. As a woman-owned business focused
on the words and ideas of women, we have a strong commitment to serving
various women's communities. Enclosed is a copy of our . brochure which
explains the many products and services we offer.
Because of our focus, we are able to carry a very broad range of topics and
titles of interest to women and Qirls. These areas include but are not
limited to: self-help and psycholoqy; incest, rape and other forms of
violence against women; spirituality and personal growth; issues of midlife
and ageing; recovery issues and meditation books; health issues including
breast cancer and AIDS and alternative and conventional methods of healing;
issues of importance to teenagers such as sexuality, drug use, self-esteem
and so on; and much more. If a particular title does not happen to be in
stock, we are more than willing to special order it.
We imagine that there are opportunities for you to recommend titles to your
clients for their own use. We ask you to please recommend Amazon (if
appropriate) as a resource for the types of books mentioned above. If you
would like, we can send you additional copies of our brochure to place in
your waiting room or on your bulletin board. In addition, we are happy to
provide when possible a list of titles available on a specific topic of
interest to you.
Amazon frequently hosts author appearances for many different kinds of books.
There may be times that you and/or your clients may want to have the
opportunity to hear these authors read from their works. These events are
announced in our monthly newsletter. Please let us know if we .can add you to
our mailing list .
Thank you for your interest in the Amazon Bookstore. Please stop by and visit
us. If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to call.
Sincerely,

Mev Miller
Community Outreach

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,'R{ 10:30.; 9:00, rlQ,F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

Amazon

.

.

BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

Dear Health Care Provider,
We recently wrote to you about the ■ ervlce ■ provided by Amazon
Bookstore. As you know, ·we· carry a wide selection of tl tles
specifically for women on many health related issues. Some of these
areas include: eatino disorders, chemical dependency and recovery, ·
sexual abuse and violence, cancer and other medical concerns, aelfesteem, relationships, spiirltual well-belno and much more. We
invite and encouraoe you to come and browse our shelves.
We assume there may be times when you reconnend to your clients
books that you believe would be particularly helpful for them. We
are enclosinq a "book ·prescription" pad for your u■ e in jottino
down those books. As always, we are happy to special order books
that may be out-of-stock or t ·l t lea that we normally do not carry.
Please let us know lf you want more of these notepad ■. Thank you
_for your contlnulno support of Amazon Bookstore.
Sincerely,

Mev Miller
Community Hetworklno
P.S. our
business
resource
bulletlQ

resource book 'ls now up-to-date. We are happy to put your
cards in the card file, place your aervlcea flyer in the
book, and post notices of events and claasea · on our
boards.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M, W.10:00-9:00, T,,r,,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

WOMEN AND BREAST CANCER

The following is a partial list of titles available at .Amazon Bookstore on
the subject of women and breast cancer. This particular area of women's
health is constantly expanding - new books come i nto the store regularly.
Please stop by for a wider selection. We are happy to take special orders for
titles you do not find. We will also fill mail or phone orders via UPS.
Medical Information
Breast Cancer: A Handbook, Linda Harris Brown, $8.95 (A basic guide for
gathering information, understanding the diagnosis, and choosing the
treatment)
The Breast Cancer Handbook: Taking Control After You've Found a Lump, Joan
Swirsky and Barbara Balaban, $10.00 (*)
Cancer as a Woman's Issue: Scratching the Surface, edited by Midge Stocker,
$10.95

(*)

Challenging the Breast Cancer Legacy: A Program of Emotional Support and
Medical Care for Women at Risk, Renee Royak-Schaler and Beryl Lief£ Benderly,
$10.00

Choices, Marion Morra & Eve Potts, $15.00 (The new, most up-to-date
sourcebook for cancer information-from medications and modern therapies to
the latest research, procedures and diagnostic technologies.)
Confronting Cancer, Constructing Change: New Perspectives
Cancer, edited by Midge Stocker, $11.95 (*)

on Women

and

Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, Dr. Susan Love, $14.95 (*)
Estrogen and Breast Cancer: A Warning to Women, Carol Ann Rin2ler, $22.00
How to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer: Featuring the Revolutionary,
Nutritional Guidelines Scientists Believe Can Make a Real Difference, Jon
Michnovicz, MD, and Diane Klien, $21.95
One in Three: Women with Cancer Confront an Epidemic, edited by Judy Brady,
$10.95

Patient No More: The Politics of Breast Cancer, Sharon Batt, $16.95 (*)
Tamoxifen & Breast Cancer, Michael DeGregorio and Valeri_e Wiebe, $10.00
Women Talk About Breast Surgery: From Diagnosis to Recovery, Arny Gross and
Dee Ito, $10.95

1612 Hannon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,W 10:00 - 9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Personal Stories
Affirmations, Meditations and Encouragements for Women Living with Breast
Cancer, Linda Dackman, $11.00
Breast Cancer Journal: A Century of Petals, Juliet Wittman, $14.95
Cancer in Two Voices, by Sandra Butler and Barbara Rosenblum, $12.95 (*)
The Cancer Journals, Audre Lorde, $7.00 (*)
Examining Myself: One Woman's Story on Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery,
Musa Mayer, $10.95
My Breast: One's Woman's Story, Joyce Wadler. $16.95
No Less a Woman: Ten Women Shatter the Myths about Breast Cancer, Deborah
Hobler Kahane. MSW, $11.00
Stories of Hope and Healing:
Strong, MD, $14.95

Six Women Confront Breast Cancer, Leslie E.

Recommended General Health Books
All Women Are Healers: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Healing, Diane Stein,
$12.95
Every Woman;s Body: Everything You Need to Know to Make Informed Choices
about Your Health, Diana Korte, $15.00
The Gynecological Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About ... , M. Sara
Rosenthal, $25.00
The New Our Bodies, Ourselves: Updated and Expanded for the ~90s, Boston
Women's Health Book Collective, $20.00
The Ourselves, Growing Older: A Book for Women over Forty, Paula Doress.Woters and Diana Laskin Siegal, $18.00

..

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BOOKSTORE

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the U.S. ·

..

,

University Professor:

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;._ t\ G:reetinqs

, ·-'5·'·,.~ . . •

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.

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fr_om the_Amazon Bookstore.
•

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wri tinq to you on behalf of ·. the Amazon Bookstore ·tor· d1e _j>urpose of .•.

:'\··nt}t::::~:~t}t~~3~~~~t~:;'. :. .

!i~:1~'.:'} ~~i sin cf_<_~r r~ 1_n~ i ~ q) 7;o ~ -t f·-· ~~:~-- ,' !;~-~~;~:~~ ~ .~a :~--.:,:·. /. ·:
~?<I As you may know, ·Amazon 1s a ful l_;stii'rvice'·· feminfst· bookstore i~whi',~h .. :,>:-.: ·:. :--,.,:.: ' .·,,·
i::\t, ·s pecializes in -books, •. sidel !nes , ,_ and music ;.for a .11 women :anc(;qi:r},s \ind ff.
·r •·:: ·t .h eir friends. Amazon is the oldest women• ·s :bookstore --in -; the· unifad :·stat'es '.
:~~'/.:._, As a woman-owned business ·focused ori the feminist words and :i"dea·s ·· of women, ·
;~ ;r·~~ ·we have a stronq commitment to . networkinQ with women ·p rofessor~•·•nd ·>, ·;.· / _ :_.

i

::r>:

}~it- ~
~ !udents __ 1_n universities and _col~ _e o:_s/·;.~- _ '::;.:~/:'.~:;·;

.•· .--'. •__- •

::}/?.-~·f•~!:P--·.:

'.:f:f//t~

:/.:..:·._ Therefore, we would like to offer· several resources to you. These include:
::y;:-'. _ .:
· - a depth of feminist and women's writinqs not usually . found '. ,:
•
•
• in most other bookstores ,.:;,,_· · .. :.;.• __;:·::,· ._ · .;_ •. ·\;:/,<,: a:~·:·
- . a wi 11 inqness to order coursebooks for yo_ur. students . ::-: ·::<··
a willlnqnesstooffer book knowledqe and book lists on
· special topics ·.·
•··.
. • . •.
• •.•• • • • • .
.

(tif~.i:i ;:.:;:;~=~~~~d:!t!~~:il~~; .·;~~;d:~::!i1:2m}5'.:t;::Jrjt$;f~ti,;:jif,.fi0f

(!¾.;1~\-'"F/\''.~': a · broc_hure about Amazon that we·· can · provide in·q,1arit:°it'y ? fo/ :·;i . </~·. ':
./-:'':-.-:. ___. . .: ·
handout purposes
- . ·, -- _. • •
•·: _,, _• •·:_: • .
.
\{:i\f_:·/·_·-~--- -~-- ·:- - monthly ·Amazon - neWslet t8r-·
-·:. --._ -:·.
.
.. ·
-~
~i:}/:.j,e · encouraqe you to ·. use Amazon · as ·a resource: center, : to advise ·, your ·•• · ::: =:.\_ •..... ..
:,¥J(.: students .· to use us as · a resource for feminisf books __o1')nan.y , topics; : a11d.: ~.o . _.·
·::i/f'--•. consider Amazon as •a friendly pl ace that wi 11 . seriously address •y-our . :_: • -/ ·.~ .
/~t?:'/:·, f einin is t book needs . Not · on 1y do we •carry ' books / :but·.we a1so 'carry . · .,~ · ·_: \ : -<.'
·/a/:-~~ maqazines and newspapers, : gifts, and music by, for, and about women. In· • . .: •
{:.,\ '~· :addition, our bulletin boards provide space for _- the community·· to post ':::.: .· :·.
~{t\.· events, qatherinqs, and other _information. · · , • . : .. • ·.·.· - --: '· . •••• •.: ·•-·· .... · -·

i}~~

t

i {/i:<If .you are interested:, . I would . be wi 1
to·•·-~eet wi ~h ·you· -~~~i·~ r:· your •• -: _·.:··
•+:Slts .t udents for a short information sharinq meet~.·ng. ;·Y.o u. : art! . al.so -,w,lcome tC? .i/· arranqe a "field trip" to .Amazon .with .your students:-:so __ that - we :,can .show you
{(?> what we offer.
·
•
• · •. .. >:' •· ': <', ·,., . .. ,.<··i :-<··, .. :·•- n-:~.--( _,:·. · : ·-c•'·- · •

~f;t· ·w·e · look

forward to · workin·o with you in th:e . future. ~~ :~ . ~ay of ·t ~~vldinq the
:.'}{f:<,.university and colleqe communities with
variety of __feminist ·and women's

a

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·:·:·:·.::~s:.·- fji.-n~.oc_uerr_.ceel YS,, and ~inf orma t ion ~::,_--~:.., --~, 7:~·,, ;-~~ '."'7:T-_:· .·,.·~:~~"~~,i.-~ •:~'c~<\:1~:-~:,.:~.~ ·::•:_::~-:·~~-·:~;~:::::~~;..~.:-~ .~.~,•~~:~~-·:•
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Amaz,n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore ln the U.S.

May, 1994
Dear University Professor:
As the end of the reqular school year comes to a close, we'd like to th?nk
those of you who have ·supported Amazon Bookstore in a variety of ways
throuqhout this past year. We enjoy beino a resource center for you and your
students.
•
Because we are a feminist bookstore committed to keeplno women's words and
thouqhts available to all women, we ask that you keep us in mind as you make
your plans for the .next fall semester and school year. We will continue to
provide the followlno services:
- order titles that you'd like to use as coursebooks
- provide recommended lists of new and /or important titles in various
subject areas
- provide the opportunity for you to brino students on a "field trip" to
the store or attend one of your classes to discuss the herstorical
and political importance of women's bookstores and woman-owned
businesses as well as provide an overview of the types of books we
carry
- sell books at special events or conferences
In September, we plan to hold a special open house for university ~tudents
and professors. We'll send more information as the time approaches. If you
advise us of new faculty members supportive of our efforts, please pass their
names on to us so that we may add them to our invitation list.
Whether you're working or playing in the next few months, we hope you enjoy
a happy summer. 'We look forward to seeing you aoaln sometime soon . And,
aqaln, thank you for your contlnuino support.
Sincerely,

ler
Community Networklnq

Mev Ml l

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
.

U,J

'l1i..A

Hours: M~ 10:80 - 9:00, T,lf,F 10:&0-7:00
Sat 10:60-6:00, Sun 14:00-5:00

Amaz@n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore ln the U.S.

May, 1994
Dear Travel Aqent:
We know that this is a busy time of year for travel aoents as
people begin to make ' plans for the summer. We also know that you
may have lesbian or oay clients who have special requests for
places that are lesbian and gay friendly or that specifically cater
to their interests and needs.
We regularly stock a rather laroe selection of titles that would be
of interest to the lesbian or oay traveller looking for listings of
these kinds of places. We enclose copies of this list for your use .
Please feel free to copy it to oive to your clients.
Thank you for your support of Amazon Bookstore. Don't hesitate to
let us know if we can be of additional help to you in the future.
We wish you a prosperous season and a happy summer!
Sincerely,

• Mev Miller
Community Networkino

w
Th
Hours: M,'lh 10:BO - 9:00, T,lf,F 10~0-7:00
Sat 10~0-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
.... .. .. . .

-· • .: •••. .•.... •

··• •-·

.. . • · ..

• ··

·• · ·-

·•--··-----·· - ---·- ~ - - - -

Amazon Bookstore
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis, _MN 55403
612-3389'.6560

TRAVEL GUIDES ARD OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST TO THE TRAVELLER
May 1994
Travel Guides
(All of these ouldes are lesblan _and 'oay friendly)
Are You Two ... Tooether? .,,.Lindsy · Van Gelder and Pamela Brandt,
$18.00. ·A Gay and Lesbian Travel Gulde to Europe.
Bent Gulde to Gay and Lesbian Canada, Bentbooks, $9.95
Damrom Address Book, '94, Damron Co., $13.95. over 8,000 listinos
in USA, Canada, and Mexico, mostly focused for oay men.
Goddess Sites: Europe, Annel1 Rufus and Kristan Lawson, $12.95.
Discover places where the ooddess has been celebrated and
w6rshi~ped throuohout time.
Inn Places, 1994, Worldwide Gay & Lesbl-an Accommodations, Ferrari,
$14.95. Also contains a RV and campino section.
Places for Women 1994, Ferrari, . $13.00. Oriented for women, it
includes international information on hotels, ·B&B's, tours, local
places of interest and much more.
•
Women Goino Places, 1994-5, Zoe, $14.00. International ouide. •
Women's Traveller 1994.,
Damron, $10.95

Guide to USA,

Canada,

and Caribbean,

. Guides especially for those aolna to Stonewall celebration ln NYC
Detour's Hew Yorks The Alternative Gulde, Jos·eph Downton & .Eva
Leonard, $14.95. (For those who don't necessarily travel · the
straioht and narrow)
Gay and Lesbian Handbook to Hew York City, Richard Laermer, $10.95

General Interest for Travellers
Adventures in Good Company, Thalia Zepatos, $14.95. A second book
by the author of A Journey of One's OWn, contains even more travel
advice, especially for those doino outdoors activities.
•

f

Australia for Women, Susan Hawthorne (Price unknown- won't be
available until July or August) A collection of writinos about
women's culture in Australia.
Down the Wild River Horth, Constance Helmericks, • $1"2.95. The
• remarkable Arctic wilderness adventure of a woman and her teenage
dauohters.
A Journey of One's own, Thalia Zepatos, $14. 95. Uncommon Advice for
the Independent Woman Tr·a veler.
L~adlno Out, Rache.l d2' Silva, $16.95. Women climbers reaching for
'::he top.
Malden Voyages, Mary Morris, $14.00. Writings by women travelers .
KY Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir, Susan Allen Toth,
$10·. 00
Older Than Time, Allegra Taylor, $13.00. A woman travels around the
world
in search of wisdom..
.
Rivers Running Free, Judith Niemi and Barb Wieser, $14.95; Canoeing
stories by adventurous women.
Simple Food for the Pack,

c.

Axcell, $9.00

T~acks, Robyn Davidson, $12.00. The exhilarating tale of a willful
woman's solo trek across 1,700 miles of Australian outback.
Unconnon Waters, Holly Morris, $14.95. Women write about fishing.
The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes, Notes from Nepal, Barbara Scot,
$12.95~

McBookstores Make McBucks on McLiterature
While Feminist Bookstores Struggle
by Mary Bricker.Jenkins
There is a splendid scene in Leslie Feinberg's novel Stone Butch Blues in which the character's emerging feminist consciousness is nurtured by conversations she overhears while lurking in the bookst.ore aisles near the women's studies section. The scene is reminiscent for many of us who found our first feminist communities in bookst.ores, which continue t.o
be centers for organizing, networking, and cultural work as well as wellsprings of intellectual development in our communities. But feminfat bookstores are endangered today, not only because of the vagaries of the market, but because of the
market politics of the publishing and bookselling industries.
All over the country, service-01iented independent bookst.ores are being squeezed out of the market by corporate
chains, which di&:ount heavily and which, once they are established in a community, typically sell a shrinking list of the
most marketl'ble iread politically "mainstream," if not conservative) books. The publishing industry responds by shrinking its list of potentially small-market and/or controversial books. Needless to say, mainstream publishers prioritize the
most "marketable" manuscripts, and the alternative presses and book distributors are folding faster than flowers after
the first frost.
Feminist bookstores are particularly hard hit by these trends. Having a relatively small and specialized cust.omer
base - and, by definition, a social change as well as a marketing mission - many are losing cust.omers t.o the chain
stores and experiencing serious cash flow problems. And there is a domino effect: It is primarily feminist bookstores that
stock and sell feminist press backlist titles - a primary source ofrevenue for feminist and other small presses. If feminist bookstores close, who will champion feminist press books, and what will happen t.o them?
In some cases, feminist bookstores have been deliberately targeted by chains. In Connecticut, a newly opened Borders
Books offered a share of its profits to a local AIDS organization that had been closely allied with the community's feminist bookstore for years, which could not offer the level of financial support being offered by Borders. Clear about the corporate agenda, the AIDS organization courageously declined the offer. The Borders chain, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
K-Mart, has seized upon the "corporate social responsibility" theme t.o appeal t.o the upscale liberal market, for which it
also provides a carefully crafted, pre-packaged "ambience" of a community-based "alternative" bookstore/coffee house.
While better than most of the rapacious chain st.ores (wouldn't you rather eat Ben & Jerry's than Sealtest?), Borders offers a relatively miniscule portion of its profits to community-based groups, and the chain certainly does not have the
libert.ory social transformatoin agenda of the feminist bookstores it is attempting to eliminate from our communities. We
must not be misled by corporate cleverness in exploiting "alternative" markets: McDonald& may be selling a few healthylooking salads and experimenting with tofu burgers, but it's the Big Mac that dominates its world-wide market.
Last Fall, the Feminist Bookstore Network (FBNet) held a retreat to develop survival strategies. In addition to providing each other technical consultation on marketing and management, the bookstores have undertaken several initiatives
in which we, their community members and customers, can participate. Here are some of the ways:
• First and most importantly, buy your books from feminist bookstores. You may pay a few dollars more than you would
in the chain stores, but you will be contributing to the survival offeminist discourse and cultural/political action.
• If you don't have a feminist bookstore near you, you can mail order from one. FBNet has a stunning catalog of feminist
literature which includes a directory of many of the stores and mail-order outlets in the U.S. and Canada. For a copy of
the catalog, send $1 to FBN, PO Box 882554, San Francisco, CA 94188.
• If you teach, ask students to buy their books from feminist bookstores. Most will provide very special _service and attention to you and your students about current trends in theory and culture.
• If you're in practice, ask your local feminist bookstore for recommendations for readings for your clients. Many offer special programs and networking on such issues as eating disorders, drug and alcohol recovery, battering, sexual abuse, lesbian identity and family issues, etc. Help your bookstore organize groups and events that will help you and your clients
experience the community and cultural dimensions of feminist social work practice.
• Ask your local school and public libraries to order feminist books and to order them from a feminist bookseller. Again, a
call to your feminist bookstore will help you select a few titles that need exposure.
• If you write, consider a feminist or small press for your book. Sign the "author'pledge" to support feminist bookst.ores
and presses - for information on the pledge, ask your local femininst bookseller or call FB-Net (415-626-1556).
-

Revised & reprinted with pennission from TM Conn«tion: Association for Woimn in Social Won\ Ntw.ZCtter

'
I



March 1995 Vol. 2 #2

The Feminist Bookstores Network Newsletter

Welcome to Hotflashe& l,a!
This issue is thick with ideas and successes f:om other bookstores.
• Thinking about doing fundraising? Herland had a better idea. Kayla and Jennifer threw a New Year's Ball for their community, everyone had a great time
and they cleared $12,000. See below.
• Borders opened across the street from Sisterhood. And Sisterhood, aided by
the media in the LA area, fought back. Sales stayed steady through December.
Seepage 12.
• Thinking about implementing a Frequent Reader Discount? Three years into
their program New Words thinks it may hurt more than it helps. See page 3.
• How can 1400 writers and publishers gather in one place and barely discuss
the crisis in bookselling? Mary Ellen Kavanaugh reports from OutWrite. See
page 9.
• A year or more ago Amazon Bookstore hired Mev Miller as a community
networker. Unable to attend the Strategic Planning Conference, Mev wrote up
a lot of what she did and sent along samples of support materials - brochures,
letters, press releases - that she developed along the way. We've reproduced it
all here at the end of this issue. There were so many great ideas that we kept
finding ourselves referring to "needing a mev" (an outreach worker) and to
"meving" - doing great bookstore promotion. Kasha went back to the Book
Garden and hired "a mev" to do 8 hours/week of "meving" for her store. Does it
Continued on page 4

Berland Threw a Party And Raised $12,000!
by Beth Morgan
For the second year in a row, Herland (Santa Cruz) threw a Lesbian New
Year's Eve Ball for their community, and in one evening managed to raise upwards of $12,000, enough money to assure that their business loan will be paid
off at the end of 1995! Here's the scoop on how Kayla and Jennifer pulled it off
and what they learned in the process ...
When Kayla and Jennifer initially came up with the idea, they knew they
wanted it to be a "fancy ball" - a place where lesbian women in their commu. nity could go on New Year's Eve and feel welcome and celebratory. Their first
step was to call around to all the big hotels in the area to find out rental rates
and capacity, making sure to inform the hotels that this would be a lesbian
event and that they would be selling tickets to offset the
Continued on page 2

1

Inland's New
Return Policy
Thanks to a lot of clear-headed
work by Carolyn Gabel and
'lbllie Miller (Reader's Feast), Inland will be sending you an announcement about their new,
revised, returns policy. Carolyn
and 'lbllie discovered, as they
were making their post-holiday
returns, that Inland had revised
their returns policy last fall in
such a way that it included a significant penalty for returning
backlist. While the new returns
terms were printed in Inland's
fall catalog, Readers Feast had
received no other notice and,
after discussing the situation
with other booksellers and InBook publishers, met with David
Wilk to discuss the situation.
The short version of the story is
that the return policy published
in the Fall catalog will not be applied and new terms will be announced by letter (in statements,
bills, etc.) in April. Carolyn reports that the whole process was
very respectful and that, while
the new terms will include a 2%
penalty on on Inland titles (InBook titles will be returnable at
each store's average InBook discount), they are very satisfied
with the changes.
o

Berland continued from page 1

Does anyone out
there remember ...
what we had in mind at the Strategic Planning Conference when
we decided to ask Mev Miller to
compile an "anti-chain packet"?
This reference was in the notes,
but no one seems to recall exactly
what it means. If you do, give
Mev, Carol or Beth a call!

Herland's Second Annual
Lesbian New Year's Eve
Ball*
Expenses
Hotel Rental/Dinner
Cheese/Fruit Plate .
DJ&Sound . . . .
Ads/Fliers/l'ickets
Banners/Party Favors
Raffle Prizes
.
Unforeseen .

.

.

. .
. ..

Total

. . . . . .. . . .

. $8,000
.. $400
. . $800
.. $500
. $450
.. $150
.. $250
$10,550

Revenue
Price per ticket:
. . . $60
Tickets sold:** .
. .. 380
Total: . . . . . . . . . . $22,800

Net Profit: . .

$12,250

Kayla estimates that both she
and Jennifer "donated" approximately 20 hours each into planning the event and making it
happen, plus all day the day of
the event. Part of this time was
the one-hour weekly store meeting they regularly schedule with
one another anyway.
*Figures are approximate
**Herland reserved twenty tickets for staff to attend free and/or
for promotional purposes.

cost. This part of the planning happened early - space needs to be
booked in January/February of the
year before the planned event, and
exclusive blocks of hotel rooms
should be reserved at the same
time. Both years Kayla and Jennifer got the hotels to wa:.ve rental
fees for the party space L,y agreeing
to have the hotel serve dir.ner.
New Year's Eve Ball '9r (NYEB '93)
was limited to 100 courles and was
held at the Chaminade. Tickets sold
out quickly and over 200 women
were turned away, so for New Year's
Eve Ball '94, (NYEB '94) they
booked a larger venue that doubed
the capacity of the event
(Peachwood's). Kayla reports that
both hotels were very interested in
tapping into the lesbian/gay market
and wanted to be known as gayfriendly places where women might
consider holding commitment ceremonies, etc., in the future.
Both years, the cost of putting on
the event came to about $11,000
(the Chaminade was pricier than
Peachwood's), including dinner, advertising, decorations, and two DJs
to do the music. (There were two
separate dancing rooms - the Gertrude & Alice Room, playing "romantic" music, jazz and oldies; and the
Max & Eli Room, featuring hip-hop
and house music.)

Promoting the Ball
'lb advertise the Lesbian New Year's
Eve Balls, Kayla and Jennifer did a
direct mailing to the Herland mailing list; sent posters to all Bay Area
women's bookstores, lesbian & gay
bookstores and gay-friendly places;
placed a large ad in the local feminist newspaper; listed on local community radio; and let word-ofmouth do the rest. They specifically
decided not to advertise in the local
mainstream paper - they've suf-

fered backlash from advertising
there in the past and didn't want to
deal either with harassing phone
calls or harassment at the actual
event.
Special effort went into making
beautiful ticket&'brochures to send
to women attending the event. The
tickets were printed on heavy-stock
lavender paper with silver ink, and
were sent with a brochure describing dinner options, how to reserve a
hotel room for the night of the ball,
directions to the hotel, and even the
address and phone number of a
local woman who makes tuxedos for
women!

What They Learned
Kayla made the following observations about NYEB '93 versus '94:
• Bigger is not necessarily better.
Having turned away so many
women the first year, Herland
booked NYEB '94 at Peachwood's
larger venue, and requested tableservice dinner instead ofbuffetstyle dinner. But despite assurances
from Peachwood's that they could
handle the event, some women
weren't served dinner until 10 PM
(Herland received a a partial refund
for this glitch.) Additionally, the
larger event drew women from as
far away as Seattle and L.A. many of these women had never
been to Herland and didn't know
the event was a fundraiser; they
seemed quick to complain about
problems that cropped up.
• The bottom line is that the bigger
event led to more glitches. Next
year Herland will go back to having
a smaller event, for local women
who support the store year round.
Kayla also plans to return to the
buffet-style dinner, so that guests
can eat on their own schedule.
• Both years the respective hotels
broke their agreement to reserve a
block ofrooms exclusively for HerContinued on page 11

2

The Downside of
Frequent Reader Discounts
by Jean MacRae
New Words
In the past several years, some
women's and other independent
bookstores have implemented various kinds of discount programs as a
response to increased competition.
In Fall of'91, New Words established a Frequent Reader Discount
program the purpose of which was
to build customer loyalty at a time
when a second women's bookstore
had opened in the city and larger
bookstores were offering more discounts. Customers receive a stamp
for every $10 they spend, and when
they have ten stamps, they are entitled to a 20% discount on their next
purchase ofup to $250.
After over three years of experience
with this program, New Words can
make the following observations:
With the exception of the occasional
small sale of a card or button
bought in order to reach the $10 increment entitling a customer to a
stamp, there is no clear indication
that the existence of the frequent
reader program has increased sales
of merchandise at full price over
what they would have been without
the program. Whether customers
would have bought the books they
currently buy at the 20% discount
even if they didn't receive a discount, or whether they buy more
books because they have the discount is also unknowable.
We do know that the vast majority
of sales receiving the discount are
sales of under $100, with more than
half of those being sales of under
$50. This suggests that customers
are not buying lots of extra books
they would not have bought without

the discount. Perhaps most impor•
tant is that the dollar value of discounts given to customers has
grown steadily from year to year to
a point where it represents a per,,
centage of sales which is significant
to the store.
Customers' comments that they like
the discount program is anecdotal
evidence that it has perhaps encouraged customers to shop here rather
than elsewhere (although it's possible that they like it because it allows them to buy at a lower cost
books they would have bought at
New Words anyway), but it has
done so at the cost of the business.
With respect to the level of the discount, there is a built-in catch: in
order to build customer loyalty the
discount has to be significant to the
customers, but the more significant
it is, the more it costs the business.
Looking at two extreme cases, it is
easy to see that if a store offered a
50% discount on all sales, it would
inspire a great deal ofloyalty but
would be unable to survive. If a
store offered a 2% discount to frequent readers the cost might not be
great, but such a small discount
would have an insignificant impact
on customer loyalty.
Is there a happy medium, a discount level at which a store can acquire loyalty but not incur too great
a cost? It depends on how many people use the discount and what the
discounts amount to. Given the fact
that bookstore profits are generally
in the range ofl-2%, losses to discounts don't have to be too big to
Continued on page 8

3

Sidelines Corner
by Kasha Songer
The Book Garden
After a three-and-a-half-day tour of
bookstores in the San Francisco region with Carol Seajay (thanks,
Carol!), I have many new sidelines
to repcrt. My SF trip was one of
those benefits I keep mentioning
when you become involved in your
Regional Booksellers Association or
ABA. The trip was free because
MPBA was sending me to Palm
Springs for a three-day meeting
with the ABABoard and other Regional Associations. Oh yes, I
squeezed in two-and-a-half days of
romping in the ocean as well. Next
year I'll be visiting Vancouver compliments ofMPBA- call your Regional Association or ABA. Become
involved!
And now for the sidelines:
Two Sisters (Palo Alto) was a wonderful surprise. They have the best
bookstore energy rve discovered in
years. Plus lots of new Goddess art
and big woman imagery throughout
the store. The displays sparkled they were well-loved, clean, spacious and original. It reminded me
to come home and hug my store.
Seajay called it "store petting.•
She's right. Don't forget to love up
your store.
Two Sisters sidelines sources:
• Hawk Dancing Studio (715-2652756): Good goddesses that tit nicely
in your hand. They were ~onderfully displayed in a shallow bowl of
white rice.
• My Grandmother's Hands (707528-9089): Kim Soare's leather journals will sell very well! They are
Continued on page 8

Intro continued from page 1

work? Amazon is holding their own

- and growing - despite the influx
of chains in Minneapolis. Several
great new restaurants in the neighborhood are part of the equation,
but they sure do have great customer loyalty!
• And at the end of this newsletter
you'll find another great article to
copy and circulate among your
customers reminding them why
they want to shop feminist bookstores rather than chain stores.
Elsewhere in the mail, you should
have received a mailing from Barb
Wieser (Amazon) and Ann

Christopherson (Women and Children First) about Feminist Bookstore Days (June 1 & 2) in Chicago
and the first mailing on National
Feminist Bookstore Week. (Mailing
#2 will follow right after this news-

Dear Carol & Everyone Who Was at
the FB-Net Conference in October,
I just finished reading all the info
on what you accomplished at the
meeting. Wonderful! You had great
ideas, good strategies, and plans for
action. What a fantastic output of
work you did. And I love Carol's
quote, "We are an intelligent, overqualified group of people: if we could
start our stores in the first place,
dealing with the chains shouldn't be
that big of a deal.•
fm finally getting excited again!
Joan Denman
Rubyfruit
Dear FBN-ers,
We love the bookmarks; thank you!
We did survive moving and computerizing at the same time, but I do
not recommend it. We've also come

letter.) Ms is running a 2000 word article about feminist bookstores, the
chains, and NFBW in their
May/June iBBue - I know 'cause I
spent the last week writing it and
just sent it offl
Bad news/good news at FBN: We did
succeed in getting a green card for
Helen, the woman fve been holding
FBN's production job for since April
1993. The bad news is that in December, six days after she received her
temporary green card (and thus was
able to work), she reactivated an old
back injury and hasn't been able to
work at FBN since. While her injury
is healing, it seems quite clear that
she won't be able to do extensive computer and paste-up work for a long
time to come, and so she has resigned from FBN. Helen provided
FBN with a lot of excellent consultation on last year's catalog and we
have missed being able to work with

out of our worst cash flow crisis in
recent years, and I think the new location is going to make the difference for us. It is a much more
exciting place for us in many ways.
In sisterhood,
Izzy Harbaugh
Mother Kali's
Dear Carol & Beth,
How did you manage getting out
such a great newsletter in the midst
of all your other projects? It's a marvel. You pulled together, into coherent sentences, the flood of ideas we
poured out at the Conference now the rest of New Words will finally know what went on during
those four infamous days! What a
productive group, especially with
you two at the helm.
My excitement returned as I read

4

her full time. The good news is that,
two weeks after deciding to open the
job up again, I was ~le to hire Kathryn Werhane, a graphic artist and
printer with many years of experience in both fields, to be FBN's Production Coordinator. Kathryn has
done freelance work for FBN in
years past f.'ld knows and loves feminist bookstores. rm excited to be
working with her again on a regular
basis. She'll join us on April 3 and
will stari; of,;" by laying out the ABA
iBBue ofFBN.
· And many thanks to Beth, who gathered up all this information and
turned it into the newsletter you
-Carol 0
hold in your hands!

committee reports, and other info
and updates. But my sadneBB was
equally strong, reading the letter
from Carol and Sally. I knew it was
coming, and understand all too well
the choices they faced - but we so
much hoped they could make it, despite the odds. We're seeing too
many sister bookstores in the Northeast close down.
The article in Women$ Review of
Books says it all. This is a piece
we'll copy and distribute to
customers - and one to quote from
in the midst of the perennial conversation with friends that begins,
"But what's wrong with shopping at
Borders?"
Thanks again for putting together
exactly what we need!
-Laura Zimmerman
New Words o

Brigit Books

Buying & Selling Used Books

Breakdown of Sales*
1/94 - 10/94

by Patty Callaghan
Brigit Books
Inspired by several requests for re•
prints of Patty Call.aghan's 1992
FBN article on selling used books, I
asked Patty ifwe could run it again
in Hotf1,ashes, and she said, •sure!"
and updated it for us.
Selling used books - the same
kinds of books that sell best for you
in the rest of the store, plus a few outof-print finds - is one more way to
distinguish your store from the
chains. Furthermore, according to
ABA's research department, sales in
used bookstores nearly doubled during the year studied (April 1992 to
March 1993) and, during the same
period, independent bookstores lost
4% of their sales to used bookstores.
ABA doesn't study feminist bookstores in particular, but I'd "bet
money that most of us are losing
sales to used bookstores, tOQ. And
that some of our would-be customers
are reading not-particularly-feminist used books because that's what
they can find and afford. When it
comes to selling used books, the
hardest part - and a skill wellworth developing - is saying "no'" to
the books that you aren't confident
will sell quickly. But what you get
are: happy customers, increased loyalty, good profits, and another
source of income. Well worth the ef-Carol
fort!

Why Sell Used Books?
Selling used books along with new
ones is a win-win-win situation. The
woman selling her used books to the
bookstore gets cash (hopefully to
spend in the store) and makes more
room on her shelves for more books;
the customer buying the used book
saves money; and the bookseller

BOOKS

makes a profit (and benefits in
other ways as well).
Recently there was an article in
Publisher's Weekly by an author
whose opinion is that used books
•steal" sales from new books. Although sometimes this may be the
case, I have found used and new
books to be different commodities. I
have customers who buy only used
books and who would buy them
elsewhere if I didn't have any. Used
books help increase foot traffic and
increase the possibility you will sell
a new book, or other item, to the
customer. I also have customers
who buy new books and not used
even if a used one is available. If a
new book comes out by a popular
author people don't wait for a used
copy. And generally, only new books
are given as gifts. Carrying used
books helps me expand my stock
with books that are out of print, or
books I might not have carried as
new titles. A reason to sell used lesbian books specifically is that no
one else may be doing that in your
community and you can make
books available to women who cannot afford new copies. I have had
customers buy a used book and
then want to read other books by
that author so they buy some new
books. I also use my used book section as a •dumping ground" for new
books I can't or don't return and
that have been around awhile.
Hopefully I can get back what I
paid for them. Used books are easy
to handle, too. I keep no inventory
records on them because they
aren't replaced.
One last, but best, reason to sell
Continued on page 6

5

.. 59.9%
New Books
. . . . . . 5.26%
Used Books
Periodicals
. 4.18%
Subtotal . . . . . . . . . 69.34%

SIDELINES
Buttons/Stickers . . . . . 2.0%
. . . . . . 0.72%
Calendars
. . . . . . 6.0%
Cards
. 2.69%
'The Shirts
Incense
. . . . . . -1.38%
Jewelry
. . . . . . . . . 5.38%
Music (CDs, cassettes)
. 8.58%
Subt.otal . . . . . . . . . 32.09%
MISC

. . . . . . . . . . . 3.91%

* figures approximate

And Elsewhere ...
Martha Cabrera of'Thxtures in
San Ant.onio started her used
books section at the request of
customers. Martha's experience
is that folks who buy from the
used books section are usually on
a tight budget. Martha buys at
10-25% of the cover price, depending on age and condition (she
gives st.ore credit only - no
cash). She sells the books at 50%
of cover price - and there's no
shipping charges t.o take a bite
out of the profit!
Does your store have a used books
section? If so, FB-Net would love
to hear how you run it and how
.well its working for your store.
-Beth
Drop us a line!

I

--------------------------------------I II
Used Boob continued from page 5
used books is that it's fun. I love seeing again some of the books from
the beginning days of the lesbian/feminist movement - from
presses like Diana, Daughters, and
Persephone - The First Sex, Mothers and Amazons, early Judy
Grahn. What a rich culture we have!

How To Begin
I start.ed to sell used books, on the
advice of my lover, when I first
opened, and so publicized it when I
advertised. An already existing
store could make flyers, advertise in
local publications or put out a press
release that you're buying used
books. Let women know the kinds of
books you want to buy. Maybe offer
an incentive to get them in to sell
you so you can start off the section
with enough books. Let them know
you pay cash. You can also look in
thrift stores and go to used book
sales. In the beginning I went to
other used bookstores and bought if
the price was right. Check your own
bookshelves. There are probably
some books you could part with.
Once you get started and people
know you pay a fair price, they will
bring in their used books. It seems
to run in spurts and I've asked my
astrologer about it, but so far we've
found no answer in the stars.

dition. 'Inal and error will help you
know what to buy. If I'm not here (I
do all the buying) they leave the
books and I call to tell them their
credit. I just keep the adding machine tape with their name and
date. Most people don't seem to
mind.
Pricing varies from store to store. It
may help to look at other stores in
your area and find out what they
pay. I pay 20% of the cover price for
paperbacks and sell them for 60% •
(or more) of the cover price. I pay
only $2 for hardbacks with dust
jackets because I find they sell best
for $4-6. You may have to pay more
and may be able to sell them for
more. Sometimes I pay a little more
for out-of-print books I know I can
sell quickly.
I pay cash, give credit, or write a
check on occasion. Most people
want the credit to use right away,
some to use later, and some need
the cash for groceries.

Profit on Used
and New Books
Lesbian Novel $8.95
USED

NEW
40%

NEW
45%

RETAIL

6.00

8.95

8.95

Pricing

COST

1.80

5.37

4.92

Buy good quality books only, not
marked in, not too dogeared. Your
customers will appreciate your selection. Ifl don't want any or all of
someone's books I give them alternative stores to try. Books I sell best
used are the same category I sell
best new: lesbian novels, "women's
studies," women's fiction, spirituality, psychology/recovery and metaphysical. I don't buy used children's
books .. I only buy magazines if they
are out-of-print or popular ones like
Woman of Power and only in top con-

PROFI'I 4.20

3.58

4.03

Mass Market $4.95
USED

NEW
40%

NEW
46%

3.00

4.95

4.95

1.00

2.97

2.77

PROFIT 2.00

1.98

2.18

RETAIL
COST

(Freight cost not included.)

6

The time it takes to handle, say, 2030 used books is maybe 5-10 minutes to buy, mark the price, and
shelve. I also put a red sticker on
the spine to distinguish them.

Shelving
I shelve used books separately.
Some stores interfile them with
new books. The used lesbian books
are just across the aisle from the
new ones. Other categories I shelve
together in another space under categories mentioned above. I use
"women's studies" as a used book
category because it's a broad category and many used book buyers
are browsers. I don't shelve the
books in any order within categories (except fiction) because I only
have about 1,000 used books and if
someone wants a specific title I can
usually find it. About once a year or
when I need the space I weed the
used books and put them on a sale
table to get them out the door. It's
important to turn them over once in
a while.
Two books with additional information are: the ABAManual on Bookselling which has one chapter on
selling used books and The Com•
plete Guide to Starting a Used Book•
store by Dale L. Gilbert, Chicago
Review Press, $11.95. Although this
has a lot of redundant information
for an already existing store, there
are some useful ideas. He explains
how to trade books if you prefer to
do it that way.
I have -Used Books" as a depa~
ment on Booklog and my used sales
are between 5-6% of my total sales
- about 10% of my book sales. My
shelves seem to be almost full most
of the time, so I'm selling and buying at a uniform pace. If the shelves
start to get too full, I become more
selective. I'd like to hear ideas from
others of you who sell used books or
0
are considering it.

~~
Sharing
Section Lists
Donna Niles of Amazon Books reports that she has thus far received
three requests for section lists; all
three for the list of gay and lesbian
youth titles. Each list was sent out
promptly, but since there's no vehicle in place for feedback, Donna can
only assume that the lists were h~lpful.
-Amazon Books

FB-Net
Bookmark Update
The first annual (?) Feminist Bookstore Network bookmark was completed and mailed out to Network
stores at the end of November. If
you didn't get one, call My Sisters'
Words, 315-428-0227.
The bookmark has both the artwork
Nicole Hollander did for our current
ad and a quotation from Alice
Walker. Carolyn at Reader's Feast
worked with Ms. Walker and obtained her permission to use the excerpt from her statement in the
letter that is circulating to feminist
authors regarding supporting feminist bookstores. Amy Bartell of Syracuse Cultural Workers, and an
artist in her own right, did the
graphics. Amy, who was living in
my house at the time, did the work
in exchange for November's rent.
Here at My Sisters'Words, the bookmarks have been a hit. fve printed
them on bright colors and as we
hand them out to customers, we
talk about the Feminist Bookstore
Network.
No store has given me any feedback, so rm not sure who's using
the bookmarks or how they are
working. If we're going to do this
again, let's think about what works
and what doesn't. One last note the last issue ofHotflashes advised
you to send $5 to me to cover the
costs if you didn't pay me in October

at the conference. Not so! rve been
repaid by FB-Net, so send your $5
to FB-Net and clearly mark what
the money is for.
Thanks to Harriet, Carolyn, Beth,
and Ann for their work and support!
-Mary Ellen Kavanaugh

Reader's Feast
"Grandmothered"
into FB-Net
Membership
The results of the postcard vote to
"grandmother" Reader's Feast into
Network membership are in, and
the ayes have it! Here's the vote
breakdown:
• 57 YES (46 YES, 11 "If it's ok with
the Steering Committee, it's ok with
us")

Great Quotes!
"Find a Feminist Bookstore
as near to where you live as
possible and go there to find
your books and buy as many
as possible."

"This is a revolution that has
written more in 20 years
than most do iJ! 200 years."
-Carolyn G. Heilbrun
Women Reviewing Women Conference
November '93

Keep your business in the
community. Keep your community in business!
- Herland Books

• 2NO

• Comments: lfwe do this for
Reader's Feast, we should also
admit the Gualala Girls into membership.
Congrats to Reader's Feast! -fbn 0

Hot Flashes Deadlines
Deadline next issue (#4):
Apri127
Deadline #5 (tentative):
June9

Brilliant Strategies!
Mary Ellen Kavanaugh (My Sisters'Words) runs the following announcement in the store newsletter: Every Thurday and Friday evening between
5-8 PM, we11 hide a $15 gift certificate in a book somewhere in the store. If
you find it, it's yours! And even if you don't find it, you'll certainly find some
real gems you might have missed on earlier visits to the store.

Statement of Purpose
The purpose of the Feminist Bookstore Network is to support feminist bookstores. This is a working organization for women-run, women-owned bookstores that are primarily committed to feminist (including lesbian) work.
With strong membership, the Feminist Bookstore Network will facilitate
stronger communication between feminist bookstores; organize joint projects to benefit member bookstores, provide greater visibility of feminist
bookstores to the general bookselling and publishing communities and to
the public, provide a united public image for feminist bookstores whenever
necessary or desired; serve as a lobbying force for feminist bookstores; and
organize Feminist Bookstore days at the ABA. O

7

Sidelines continued from page 3

brightly-dyed soft leather with medicine pouches attached to the front
cover. Buy these!
• Earthmother Taliswoman (916235-2717): Andrea creates
goddesses from $4 in a rainbow of
colors, to $150 for glazed goddesses
- the beige and copper goddess
flies out the door.
• Art & Soul (602-284-1899, area
code changes to 520 on June 1,
1995): LeAnn Cortese creates goddess switch plates cut out of metal
and hand-painted (see graphic this
page). Approximately $25.
Herland (Santa Cruz) sideline
sources:
• Herland has the best hats I've
seen! They're from the Feel Good
Company (510-548-3467): Julie Stevens is the woman to speak with.
My favorite is a bell cap with stick
figures of a "Dyke and her Dog" embroidered on the back.
• Ravenwood (800-777-5021): They
have black cat candles that will be
just right for some stores. These
candles sell well at Herland.
Boadecia's (Kensington) has some
good sidelines I'm surprised I
haven't seen before:
• Freedom Ring Earrings: If you
aren't doing business with Gayla G
(800-429-5248), then try Diane
Manley (510-527-0511). It looks like
Diane may give a tad better quality
for a slightly lower price.
• Evolution Designs (512-3389671): It took me a while to find
these authentic, slightly-less-expensive Darwin fish stickers.

hard to describe, but rm taking one
home with me. These clocks look
like white plaster, lightly brushed
with a bright color. Instead of numbers there are 12 tasteful nude
women. Write to Carolyn Whitehorn, PO Box 339, Willits CA 95490.
• Runes by Penny Carr (510-8485966): If you're not sick to death of
runes, these caught my fancy.
They're small (chiclet sized!), deep
bold colors with a matching handsewn cloth bag- $20.
And finally, Lioness Books (Sacramento) has had the courage to try
the t-shirt display showing up in
music stores. Each t-shirt is
wrapped around a square of cardboard then slipped into a ziploc bag.
The bags are 12" x 12". Then you
file the shirts in cubicles (wire or
milk carton) and stack the cubes.
It's a little work intensive, but no
more rickety racks or losses on
dirty shirts. The customers don't
pull the shirts out of the bags that was my concern. I think it's a
fresh look for an old sideline. There
is no one secret source for the cardboards and ziplocs. Call the bag and
cardboard companies in your city.
We plan to unwrap the shirt as it's
sold. The customer gets to check it
out and we can reuse the cardboard
and plastic.
-Kasha Songer
The Book Garden 0
Editor's Note: Kasha encourages everyone to call sidelines companies
instead of writing to them -writing takes the same amount of
money, more time, and less information is gathered. If you disagree and
would like addresses run with sidelines in the future, give us a call
here at FB-Net headquarters!

• Remember Feminist Forge?
They're doing clocks now. They're

8

Discount. continued from page 3

have a negative impact on the business. In order to sustain any loss to
discounts, a bookstore probably has
to be big enough to achieve some
economies of scale, a level of volume
which may be too much higher than
that of women's bookstores.
The big catch is that the more successful a discount program is, the
more it costs the business. If it's not
successful, it has little positive impact, and ifit is successful, it has a
greater negative impact.
Those bookstore owners considering
starting a discount program can call
New Words for more detailed information on our experience with this
o
program.
Note: Does anyone have an analysis
of Membership Programs in which
customers pay money upfront for a
membership and then receivve a discount on books? Are these programs
cost effective, or do they, too, cut into
the bottom line?
-Carol

REPORT FROM OUTWRITE '95
by Mary Ellen Kavanaugh
My Sisters' Words

No Comment ...

MIA'1o·••wir: •~~--~'• flo ~~ll~li ··; "'
Newt Gingrich will addresa

OutWrite '95 was held in Boston March 3-5. After some friendly encouragement from Carolyn at Reader's Feast and very persuasive encouragement
from my girlfriend to "get out of town," I jumped in the car with a friend and
made the five hour trip from Syracuse.
The conference was extremely well organized and the digs were luscious.
The agenda for the weekend covered topics ofinterest to writers and publishers, but nary a word about bookselling was offered at any panel. Feeling
a bit invisible, I spoke with Carolyn and 'lbllie, and Laura from New Words
in Boston, and we agreed something needed to be said/done. Laura graciously agreed to talk with the organizers, who agreed this had been an oversight and that, because the closing plenary was to be a performance piece,
there wasn't much that could be done this year. They did however agree to
take this into consideration next year.
Well, I'm stymied. Didn't anyone have a clue about the state ofbookselling
in the U.S. now? Didn't anyone wonder how that might affect publishers or
writers? I find it more than odd that at a conference of this size (1400 :registrants, including 300 panelists as of 8 PM Friday), no one chose to address at
any length the state ofbookselling. I did notice some authors taking the opportunity in one-on-one conversations, but it didn't come up much anyplace
that I was.
I had two experiences where I felt as if feminist bookstores took a bit of a
beating. One of the conference workers told me that her heterosexual sister
used to shop in my store when she lived in Syracuse and felt uncomfortable
there. She then generalized that well, perhaps it was all feminist bookstores. When I pressed her for details there were none and she finally
backed off with "I only had 20 minutes sleep last night." A few hours later at
a panel on the generation gap among lesbians, I made the point that in
some cities, younger lesbians were identifying with the lesbian/gay movement and therefore spending their money at lesbian/gay bookstores instead
offeminist bookstores. A young woman responded that she knows of at least
one feminist bookstore that lost its young customers by refusing to carry
more cutting-edge stuff(with a reference to SIM stuff). Even though these
questions make me feel a twinge defensive, I think the points are well worth
considering. How clearly can you identify who your audience is? Who else
might your audience be? Are there groups who don't feel welcome in your
store? How do we balance carrying what we believe we should carry with
what the public wants? Are those two things often different? How do we reconcile that difference?

·a "Power Lunch" at the June·

. convention of the American
_Booksellers Association in~
•cago, but Chicago boobellera
who were invited to recom- , -~
,·mend speakers aren't happy
. with the arrangements.
:,~,- ''We're just Insulted thatlt-•
was done behind our back. And
we don't even know when bis
book is coming out," committee
:member Roberta Rubin told.
the Wasblngton Post. • ANA executive director
'lernle lath, the guy who invited the HoUBe majority leader,
ams to think that If the comDilttee doesn'tUke 1t. they can
lumpit. ..
''The committee members
were under the Impression that
they were making all the decisions," Rath told the Post, "but
they serve an advisory tune- . _
.tion. rm putting together a
poweilunch. Newt's got a mil• _
Hon-copy book coming out'ln
the fall. I asked Newt and he
said yes."
•

Gngrich~ a~

Opening Plenary
Linda Villarosa (Body & Soul: The Black Women's Guide to Physical Health
and Emotional Well-Being) and 'Tony Kushner (Angels in America) were the
opening speakers. Both were excellent. Villarosa thoughtfully encouraged
the lesbian/gay movement to learn lessons from the Civil Rights movement
Continued on page 10

9

offar he didn't;':_:

'. ~ " -•:.,.._:.'':'~~j'i .. •·'!·~:

~!~:~ ,, ,::... ••.... t:

.;

Rept1,nted from the San Francisco Chronicle Datebook Section,
March 7, 1995

II/1
OutWrite continued from page 9

of the '60s. She urged white gay activists to forge relationships with
black communities and urged all to
do better than just ask for a place
at the table. She also pointed out
that her book is not for Black
women only; that white women
we,.,~ free to search its pages for
useful information just as Black
women have had t.o search through
white women's health books for
ages. Right on, Linda!
Because Cherrie Moraga was ill
and could not attend to give the
Audre Lorde memorial lecture, A
Litany of Survival: The Life and
Work ofAudre Lorde was shown.
The film by Ada Gay Griffin and
Michelle Parkerson has been 10
years in the malting and is stunning. Although they did not provide information about
distribution, the filmmakers can
be reached at Third World Newsreel, 335 W. 38th St., New York,
NY 10018, 212-947-9277.

The Panels
The panels were numerous, and
since I couldn't be in more than
one place at a time, I can only tell
you about those I attended.
• Creative Non-Fiction -A Queer
Genre:-This panel was a great
opener. Minnie Bruce Pratt said
she thinks the great struggle of
this century is between "either/or"
_and "both/and.• A great deal of conversation centered around what is
truth and can one tell the truth
without the facts and about how
we are creating our truth every moment out of the chaos around us. It
was a good mindstretch for my
brain which I fear has become
rusty with ISBNs and bill paying
and it gave me a great new category for the store (for all those
books that aren't exactly fiction or
exactly essays or exactly memoirs).

As a side note, I heard a great deal
(of complaints) from authors about
where their books are shelved in
bookstores.
• Lavender Herrings - Queer
Guilt and Mysteries: This panel
was both a disappointment and
fun. Apparently someone had suggested that guilt might play some
part in our fascination with mysteries. None of the panelists thought
so, so that ended that discussion.
Sandra Scoppetone thought that
life was a mess and mysteries were
neat, and that may explain their
appeal. Someone else (Ellen Hart,
maybe) suggested they are modem
morality tales. A lot of conversation centered around who is reading lesbian/gay mysteries (straight
versus queer).
• Feminism and Lesbian Writing
- Is There a Generation Gap?: I
personally found this one of the
better panels. Rachel Pepper
(Deneuve) claimed young women
are more image conscious. Donna
Allegra said it hurt to hear young
dykes c1 iticize the contlibntions of
those who've been around. She also
cautioned dykes not to think that
the mainstream is representing us
as we are. It was at this panel that
I spoke up about feminist bookstores and the discussion mentioned above went on for a while.
• Gay and Lesbian Fiction Writers
Before and After the Boo~: This
panel was both irritating and enlightening. All the authors on the
panel are published by mainstream houses. Lisa Alther, who
claims to be happily out of touch in
Vermont, said she did not see any
boom happening for lesbians. She
said it was dangerous for women
to forget their feminism and that
women still make only 71 cents to
men's dollar and that it must be
this 29 cents that is allowing men
to buy hardcover books. Carla

10

Tomaso said she could only tell the
story of her own experience of moving from a feminist press to a mainstream press. She dismissed a
question someone had asked at a
previous panel about the difference
between what was being published
at feminist presses and what was
being published at mainstream
presses - too bad; I thought it was
a discussion worth pursuing.
David Groff, the only (ex) editor on
the panel asked how writ.en are
setting their visions. He sees plays
as being more expansive than fiction and asked ifwe have a language to communicat.e across age
differences. He cautioned authors
not to be slaves to their market
and later briefly explained t.o the
audience why they needed to be
buying their books at lesbian/gay
~tores and not superst.ores (no
mention offeminist stores). An audience member repeated information from another discussion: there
seemed to be some agreement between a feminist publisher and a
representative from a large house
that the print run on lesbian/gay titles is probably about the same
whether it occurs at a small press
or a larger one.
• Women in the Shadows - Lesbian Life, Love and Literature Before Stonewall: This panel warmed
the cockles ofmy little lesbian
heart. The great story of the afternoon was from Ann Bannon, who,
it turns out, was mentored by Sandra Scoppetone and Vin Packer
(alias Ann Aldrich alias M.E.
Kerr). Bannon surfaced to talk
about her life. She was an elegant
speaker who advised us "that because someone is masquerading as
a housewife in Southern California
doesn•~ mean the tires aren't burning." She called Barbara Grier a
national treasure and praised her
Continued on page 11

OutWrite continued frorn page 10

for saving women's voices. Grier
talked about the library she and
Donna McBride have donated to the
San Francisco Public Library for the
archives to be housed there. She
also noted that Xerox donated
$250,000 to put all this work on CD
ROM and that the NEA has funded
$216,000 to de- acidify the books.
Donna said that 78% of what has
been catalogued so far has never before been catalogued. Linnea Stetson was the "academic historian" on
the panel and thanked Grier and
Maida Tilchen for the groundbreaking work each of them has done outside the academy which made it
possible for her to even begin to do
academic work in the area oflesbian herst.ory/literature. More than
any panel, this one reminded me of
why I do the work I do and was a
great way to end the conference.
The closing plenary was a perfor-

mance by Luis Alfaro, a MexicanAmerican from L.A I watched a few
minutes ofhis very exciting show,
but had to leave for home. His work
looks good and you might want to
watch for a visit from him to your
O
hometown.

Last Minute
Mail!
"Keep up the good
work! We are already excited
about Feminist
Bookstores Week."
- Prairie Moon Bookstore
Palatine, IL

Berland continued frorn palJe 2

land guests, resulting in some harassment of women by other guests
at the hotels. Kayla and Jennifer
will seriously addreBS this issue
with management at the Charninade if they return to the smaller
hotel for New Year's Eve Ball '95.
• The first year Herland provided
champagne and non-alcoholic champagne at mid.night, but this turned
out to be quite wasteful; the second
year they provided a no-host bar.
• Based on feedback from NYEB
'93, Kayla and Jennifer put a lot
more energy into decorating and
party favors for NYEB '94, and this
went over very well with those who
attended. (They'd love to find a company that produces environmentally
sound party favors and decorations
- if you know of any such suppliers, give Herland a call: 408-429663G.)

• NYEB '93 was professionally videotaped, but Herland didn't keep a
formal guestlist, so the effort didn't
pay off in terms of selling the video
to those who attended (guests were
also given the option to be edited
from the video). A local photographer set up shop at NYEB '94, taking polaroid shots and selling them
to guests. Herland got a percentage
of each sale, and the photographer
got a lot of community "exposure."

PR Panache

IMtwi,,r
11

•And finally, two strategies that illustrate Herland's flair for good public
relations: Since the NYEB is specifically lesbian, Herland will throw a
pool party this summer, open to everyone in the Herland community.
And instead of trying to parcel out
the Peachwood dinner-glitch refund
money to women whose dinner was
served late, Herland will instead
put on a free all•women dance this
o
Spring.

Great Press and Great Promotion
Get the Job Done for Sisterhood
It's every store's nightmare, and
some st.ores' daily reality, but what
really happens when "the chains
come marching in?" It can vary
from region t.o region and from store
to st.ore. For instance, Valley
Women (Fresno) reports that
Barnes & Noble moved in and C:uplicated all of Valley Women's services
(including poetry night and other
kinds of groups), and that people in
Fresno "worship the big st.ore like a
cathedral." Carolyn Gabel at
Reader's Feast (Hartford) told us
that sales - already down 3% from
the recession - dropped 12% the
minute Borders opened, even
though Barnes & Noble had previously opened a store in the area
without causing a similar drop in
business. The difference, says
Gabel, is that Borders actively solicits the customer base of Reader's
Feast. This story illustrates how
crucial it is for feminist bookstores

(and other independents) to educate
the customers they already have.
That kind of education can happen
on many fronts, and media exposure of the real issues involved is
one crucjal strategy. Sisterhood
Books in L.A is a case in point.
Even though a Borders opened up
across the street from them,
through a combined strategy of
good press and an intensive promotional effort, their sales stayed
steady through December.
Here's what the press did for Sisterhood and other local independent
bookst.ores: The Westside, a local
news section of the Los Angeles
1Imes, ran a long and detailed article (by Penelope Moffet) heavily
slanted toward Sisterhood. The
front page features a full-page, fourcolor phot.o of Sisterhhod facing off
Borders and is captioned, "A War of
Words: Sisterhood, an Independent
Bookst.ore in Westwood, Makes a

More Great Press!
My Sisters' Words (Syracuse) recently received some outstanding (and lengthy!) press
in The Herald American, their local paper.
The article, by Katherine Scobey, begins by
talking about Judith's Room closing in New
York City, and goes on to outline the creative
and very successful strategies Mary Ellen
Kavanaugh has come up with to educate her
community about the impact of the chains
and t.o enlist community support to make
sure feminist bookselling continues to survive and thrive in New York State (see
Hotfl.ashes January '95 for Mary Ellen's letter to her community and their overwhelmingly positive response). Congrats Mary
Ellen!
- fbn 0

12

Stand Against a Big National Chain
Opening Across the Street.• (We ran
a small b&w version of this phot.o in
the Bookstore News column in FBN
• 17#6). And the Westsider, a local
L.A independent paper, ran a
smaller article prior to Borders moving in, with a similar front-page
photo, lots of info about local independent booksellers who had closed,
and several paragraphs about
Sisterhood's unique niche in the
L.A. bookselling community. The
Lesbian News and other local papers ran similar articles.
But Sisterhood hasn't left it all up
to the press - they've launched a
concerted promotional effort to educate their community and to draw
new business. The next seven pages
will give you an idea of what Sisterhood has been doing, and what you •
might consider doing at your store.
-Beth 0

SISTERHOOD
b o o k s t · o re
1351 Westwood Boulevard• Los Angeles• CA 90024 • (310) 4ll-7300

When a woman writer is wdcomcd by the mainsttcam press, it gives all of us a sense o f '
accomplishment. Congratulations! At Sisterhood Bookstore we are very excited about your succ.css.

00,

Like other women's bookstores around the country,
Sisterhood has done a great deal in the
last two decades to create an atmosphere of encouragement for women writers--with readings,
signings, and prominent displays. Now that you've "arrived", we hope that you will continue to
support our work. When your publisher's publicity department plans
a tour to promote your
new book, ·we'd Ilk• to be Included.

a

Don't assume that the publicity department will schedule a reading or signing at Sisterhood. They
probably don't even know that we exist. They know about book chains; they often don't know about
independent booksellers.
~

So, since the publicity people may not think to include a stop at Sisterhood, will you take the time
~ to tell them that you'd like them to schedule a reading or signing with us? You have power now.

Women's bookstores, and independent booksellers in general, are in great jeopardy in this economy.
We ·need your help. Please consider it part of your political work to sec that we're included in your
book promotion tour. ~

UPPORT SISTERHOOD BOOKSTORE
UPPORT INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES
For twenty-two years, Sisterhood Bookstore has been taking a stand.
Now we are asking you to stand with us.
Through all the years when women's issues were ·in" and through all the years when they weren't, we have been
here for you. Although there are periodic media announcements that women have at last achieved equality, our overflowing
bookshelves, our crowded bulletin boards, and the posters on our walls tell a different story.
We would like to be able to continue telling that story. This is why we are asking for your
support. Our sales have been down this past year due in part to the recession, the earthquake, and the proliferation of
corporate-owned chain bookstores.
Chain ·superstores· have become a particular problem in recent years to all independent bookstores.
While achain store may carry some of the same titles we do, perhaps at a lower price, profit is always their bottom line, 1 ,
not the concepts and values in the books they are selling. The gender and lesbian studies section in a chain store
•' '
will disappear the moment it ceases to be profitable. And that decision will be made thousands of miles away at
•
,_,.
corporate headquarters. Sisterhood Bookstore is a community resource that stands up for women's and gay rights
whether or not it is popular to do so.
•
Our commihnent to empowering women will never take a back seat to the profit motive.

please turn over

SISTERHOOD
b

o

o

t

I

t

o

A

r

•

Jl::>VH

1351 Westwood Boulevard • Los Angeltt • CA 90024 • 310-477-7300

-.,

J.NOHd =rnIVn.tSOd

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SISTERHOOD
bookstore
1351 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-477-7300
Open 7 days 10-8

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UPPORT DIVERSITY IN BOOKSELLING!
UPPORT INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES!
Bookstore chains arc in the news again. With the national decline of mall shopping, the big bookstore
chains have found themsdves in financial trouble. In response to this devdopment, they arc striking out
at independent book stores by opening up so called "superstores•. These stores, modded l~dy on large
independents, seek to target the same markets. In many instances the chains open stores ncn door or
across the street from successful independents. Their aim is dearly to ruin these hone table independent
stores and displace them.
But do not be fooled by the chains' broad aisles and stained wood veneer book shelves. 1bey are not
like independents, and their oligopolistic marketing strategy poses a serious thrca~ to diversity in the
book business and in the world of ideas.
The •superstores• arc formula stores, managed from a central office with no real links to the local
communities. Their employees have high _turnover, because they are paid low wages. For the most pan,
they are not experienced booksdlers. Chain book buying for the stores is done at the central offices
without regard for the unique character of the communities they serve. In many cases, these arc the
same buyers who buy for the mass market book stores in the shopping malls. As mass merchants, the
chains conceive of ideas as so much "product,'" to be marketed like cans of tuna.
Retail bookselling is the primary system for the distribution of ideas in.our culture. Publishers may
discover new writers or brilliant and original intellectuals, but booksellers bring these writers and their
ideas to their readers. We are concemecl that th• retail distribution of books Is Increasingly
concentrated in the hands of a few large corporations. Economic concentration is occurring in
many sectors of the world economy, but we feel that book distribution is unique and critically
important to our culture. It is too vital to leave in the hands of a few large corporations.
Bookselling at its best is not just a job: it's a vocation or a calling. Independent booksellers bring their
own individual sensibilities to their stores. They ~ rooted in the communities they serve. Together,
independent booksellers guarantee that there will be a diverse market for the broadest range of books,
not just for highly commercial bestsellers.
The growth of chain stores has been fueled by secret deals and unfair trade practices, advantages
extracted from publishers by the chains' ecor:iomic clout. The Federal Trade Commission has been
investigating these practices for a number of years. These unfair practices have made it more and more
difficult for independent stores to compete with these giants on a level playing fidd.

In the final analysis, the only ally of the independent bookseller is you, the book reading public. In the
name of all that we value in our literary culture, do not let the independent booksdlcr become an
endangered species.

We urge you to support your independent bookstores.
Reprinted from Andy Ross, Cody's Books, Bcrkdcy, California

SISTERHOOD
bookstore

1351 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles• CA 90024
310..cn-1300

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is three blocks south of Wilshire Blvd.,
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a convenient location in the UCLA neighborhood.

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1351 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-◄77-7300 phone

Location: Our location at 1351 Westwood Blvd.

Credit Cards: We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.

Store Hours: Open 7 days,
10:00 am to 8:oo pm.

-~,· Instructor Discount: Instructors

'~~

310-478-9404 fax

1

who order_exclusively through our
store receive A 201 DISCOUNT ON

ALL PUltCHASES FOR THE ENTIRE ACADEMIC YEAR.

Ordering Deadlines: For your convenience YOU MAY
PLACE ORDERS AS LATE AS SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE

Dear UCLA Instructor,

BEGINNING OF THE QUARTER. FOil SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ACCEPT ORDERS ANYTIME.

Thank you for ordering your
text books at Sisterhood Bookstore.

PLACE YOUR ORDERS BY MAIL,

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310-477-7300
Oil FAX 310-478-9404

PHONE

As an independent bookstore in Westwood since 1972,
we apprecjate the support of the UCLA community.
When you order your textbooks through our store,
you treat your students like scholars, sending them to
an environment that educates and empowers them.

Desk copies available upon request.

. Student Discount: Your students will receive a coupon
for 20% off on any non-text book purchase made in our
store during the quarter. For your students' convenience:
shopping in our store is easy; normally no one waits
more than five minutes for service.
Returns 6 Buy-back policy: Our textbook
'~ Jt!!:il returns policy is identical to campus bookstores;
we have a limited buy-back policy. Campus
bookstores buy used texts depending on
• demand, not depending upon where they were purchased.

Thank you.

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Please send in your membership
D $100
one year (valid through 12/951 Priestess of Literacy
D $250
five years • High Priestess of Literacy
D $500
10 years • Goddess of the Printed Word
D $1,000
life membership• Exalted Goddess of the Printed Word
Please tum over for membership information.

MEMBERSHIP CARD:

FRONT

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BACK

'If

Thank you for supporting Sisterhood Bookstore through these economically challenging tnes.
Membership in the Sisterhood Sisterhood entitles you to
1. 10% discount on all purchases
z. Priority mailing for all bookstore events
3. Private pre-holiday sale and gala social gathering
4. Sisterhood Sisterhood t-shirt.
N■ me

Address

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.□ Discover#

Sign1111re

Exp.date

Phone

Sisterhood Bookstore 310-477-7300
M1k1 check payable to Sisterhood llookltore.

1351 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA90024
• Open 7 days 10-8

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1351 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Location: Our location at

310-4n-7300

1351

Westwood Blvd. is three blocks south of Wilshire Blvd.,

a convenient location In the UCLA neighborhood.

Dear UCLA Student,

Thank you for purchasing your
text books at Sisterhood Bookstore.

Credit cards: We accept
Also checks with 1.0.

As an independent bookstore in Westwood since 1972,
we appreciate the support of the UCLA community.
Please turn over for additional information.

Returns: Text books are fully returnable for

cash the first three weeks of the quarter. They
may be returned for store credit through the

Thank you.

fifth week. By the beginning of the sixth week
they are no longer returnable.

Bring in this card
anytime this quarter for

20%

Customer Service: Please feel free to call us for

off

any questions or suggestions you may have.

on purchase other than text books
(one time this quarter only).

.!

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STUDENT CARD:

FRONT

DISCOUNT CARD:

BACK

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FRONT

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SISTERHOOD
book1tor1
20% discount on your
I 0th purchase

Slgnolvra

'Y Make a $10 minimt.m p.rchase and gel yotK card stamped.
• On yoLI l 0th p.rchase, presenl your card for a 20% discount

!sale Items and text books excluded).
310-477-7300
1351 Westwood Bouevotd, los Angeles, CA 90024
Special Order /Mlil Order/UPS/800-747•0220

Get Mev'ed!
Ayear or more ago Amazon Bookstore hired
Mev Miller as a community networker. Unable
to attend the Strategic Planning Conference,
Mev wrote up a lot of what she did and sent
along samples of support materials -bro-.
chures, letters, press releases -that she developed along the way. We've reproduced it all here
at the end of this issue. There were so many
great ideas that we kept finding ourselves referring to "needing a mev" (an outreach worker)
and to "meving"- doing great bookstore promotion. Kasha went back to the Book Garden
and hired "a mev" to do 8 hours/week of "meving'' for her store. Does it work? Amazon is holding their own- and growing- despite the
influx of chains in Minneapolis. Several great
new restaurants in the neighborhood are part
of the equation, but they sure do have great
customer loyalty!
There's some wonderful ideas in the following packet. Some are so ready-to-go you can just
copy them onto your own stationery and fly
with them!
Enormous thanks to Mev and to Amazon
Books for putting all of this together and sharing it with the rest of us.

Notes on Community Networking for Feminist Bookstores
(as done by Mev at Amazon)
I spend eight hours of time per week at Amazon focusing on community networking (outreach).
During these hours, the staff has agreed that I NOT be interrupted with the daily business of the
store (no answering phones or working the cash register). Because we have the room·off the sales
floor, I have my own desk and phone and index cards so that I can do this work in an organized
way (a luxury I know few stores probably have!). My job description as first written early
included the following items:
1) contact feminist/women's organizations in the Twin Cities & outstate areas in order to
acivise them of the presence of Amazon Bookstore, remind them of our services, find out the
kinds of work they do (if not immediately obvious) and establish some kind of on-going contact
with them
2) contact (and re-contact) university women's studies professors, especially at the Univ.
of Minn. but also other area colleges. Also, the women's studies depts., women's centers & other
campus organization ... ditto #1. As part of this, I also continue to cultivate the professors in order
to encourage them to order coursebooks from us
3) put together a pamphlet about the stores services and store packet similar to Women &
Children First
4) update and maintain the bulletin boards, resource books, etc.~evelop a sort of
"Welcome Packet" for women new to the area which is kept in the store
I've been doing this work for the past year now and the job has expanded a bit beyond the above
description. What I will list here are some of the strategies rve used, ideas that the staff has
developed, and specific tasks I've done over the past year. They are not listed here in 'any
particular order. Some of them I'm sure you already have done or currently do but it's good for all
of us to be reminded periodically of obvious things,
- having focused, uninterrupted time has been a great help. 8 hours still isn't much which means
that having it be protected time means I get a lot more done with it
- whoever does this work should be good with details, able to do many things simultaneously, be
outrageously creative, have good phone personality, write a good letter, etc. (all the traits
necessary for any feminist bookstore worker!)
- IMMEDIATE follow-up (call backs, thank yous, mailed information, etc.) is essential. I split
my 8 hours into two 4 hour chunks. It gives people more opportunity to reach me and helps my
response time to be a bit quicker. Also, I check in at the store periodically for messages and,
because I mostly work at home, the staff knows they can call me for urgent items (and probably
I'll call back within a day if I happen to be out).
- I'm trying to train myself (and Barb) to think of more things as newsworthy items that deserve a
press release (it's free advertising if you can get the media to use it!). Obviously, you don't want
to do evezything this way, but I think there's a lot more we can do with it than we know. (See the
attached press release I recently did about Amazon's services as an example.) fve put the ,eneral
outline of a press release into the computer so that when I want to, I can just fill in the particular
details

- develop a media list: TV, radio, newspapers, community papers & special interest papers AND
DON't FORGET-a lot of organizations have mailing lists and regular newsletters. If they think
it's important to their constituency, they include it so send press releases to them too as
appropriate!
- we have a monthly newsletter that Barb puts together with new books, events, etc. I try as much
as possible to put some community networking item in it: reminder about the resource books, call
for volunteers, reminders that we sell books at conferences, etc.
- many o~~ the organizations etc. are on our mailing list in the computer so that they will get our
newsletter but I keep my own file box of organizations close at hand (I don't alwais have access
to the computer and, oersonally, this is one thing I prefer to do the "old-fashioned way). Items
on the card include: organization name, address, phone number, contact person and dated notes
about any kind of interaction I have with them including mailings sent
- get hold of any local community directories you can. I have the following: Women's Press
Business Directory (contains many women's businesses and organizations), CerNet Directory
(contains all the gay and lesbian groups, businesses, etc.)., Black Yellow Pages, Asian-American
Yellow Pages, First Call for Help (several state regional locations-service organizations
compiled by the United Way)-and rm always looking for more. Advertisements in community
papers also have helped me add to my lists
- look through with a watchful eye as many local community papers as you can stand. Around
here, there's a lot: 2 gay papers, the women's press, Asian Pages, 2 Native American papers, 2
African-American papers, a paper for the recovery community and more-and as many
organizational newsletters that may get mailed to you. I pay special close attention to the
women's and gay papers. I look for event advertising, community groups I might not already
know about, specific kinds of news-anything that will put me in touch with imr,?rtant groups or
individuals. I've been able to glean a lot of infonnation from this and it has provided me with
some ideas for other events, etc. that we can do. I also use it as a way to find out who is
sponsoring conferences. I contact them so that we can get asked to do sales at their next event! (I
also do this too with event flyers that come in from organizations,)
- get on as many mailing lists as you can. I haven't done it yet but a future idea I have is to start
putting them in a place where our customers can read these newsletters too!
- keep a log of everything you do and read through it periodically. For one thing, it reminds you
of how muchlou've done, especially when you feel like you've done nothing! Also, it helps
remind you o good ideas you once had and helps you remember if you did something in
particular or not (especially useful for us aging, getting forgetful types!).
.
- This is what I did for contacting organizations:
a) wrote a letter introducing them to the store (copy attached)
b) followed up with a phone call a few weeks later to see if they had any questions or if
there was anything in particular we could do for them at this time - also to update
and make sure we had the appropriate contact person
c) a couple of months later, I sent them a brochure about the store reminding them they
could have extra copies for their waiting room (in some cases, I hand delivered
multiple copies and I call them periodically to see if they want more!)
d) at this stage, it's important to get real creative. I don't want to bug them but I do want
them to know I'm still interested in them. I created a Hot Flash sheet on which I can
write down new titles and send it to the organizations. I try to make it as appropriate,
specific and timely as possible (see attached copy). Sometimes, I call them-NOT

OFfEN. Sometimes, I send a note if I notice they got some good press about
something (congratulations on ... or whatever)
- We give a 10% discount to women's organiz.ations-sometimes this gets extended to nonprofits that have specific services for women. With the help of our bookkeeper, I developed a
Tenns Sheet and "credit app." for organiz.ations wanting to set-up an account with us in addition
to buyinJ, at organiz.atiorial discount. I OONT send this out to everyone-only those who look
like they 11 really buy or who indicate they have a library or whatever. (Examples attached)
- As I have the time and w.i.th the slightest provocation, I will create a bibliography for just about
anything! Usually they're st:ort or fairly specific. For example, we've had reason in the east to
make one on breast cancer i~sues. Recently, I updated it and sent it to the various orgamz.ations
around town that specifically provide services {or women with breast cancer (sent along w/ info
on setting up an organiz.ational account with us!!). As it turned out, we also sold books at a breast
cancer conference and took the bibliographies to that as well. Usually, I create bibliographies
upon request of organizations but sometimes I take the initiative and just create them Recently, I
noticed OWL was doing an bus tour for elders on retirement communities. I put together a
bibliography of the 5-10 books we had for women on retirement planning etc. and sent it to them.
We'll see what happens! Also, if I make a bibliography for a particular organization, I also look
around to see who else might be interested in it and send it to them as well. For example,
someone wanted a booklist on women with disabilities for an event-I sent cofies of it to the two
access publications in town for their newsletters ·and a few other organizations.
- BE SURE your bibliographies have the store name, address and phone number on them, the
date they were created, a mention that its a partial list and invite them to the store to see the
growing number of titles on the topic, and--if you mailorder-how they can get the book from
you if they don't come to the store AND that you're happy to special order any other books that
may not be listed or currently in stock!
- create a brochure about the store and its services (Amazon copy attached). Take it with you
wherever you go, especially when you sell at events. I try to remember to keep a stash of
brochures, newsletters, and business cards in my car because I just never know when I'll find a
place to leave them. Encourage staff members to do the same! (We tend NOT to just leave them
on the store counter for customers-they are expensive and get used as scrap paper BUT we do
have them close by for those times when it's really good to hand them to someone!) I stick them
in correspondence all the time as appropriate.
- About conferences: Amazon has done them for years. In the past, we've generally had
organizations come to us and we would do them depending on timing, profitability, etc. As we
all know, they're hard work, sometimes with little return, create stress on our budgets, backs and
staff hours. BUT they do generate goodwill, visibility, new customers and sometimes good sales.
After a few months of doing outreach, the staff decided that I should also be the one to
coordinate events. The rule is this: if it doesn't cost too much (for the table), isn't too far away,
and I can guarantee someone (usually me) to staff it, then (most likely) we'll do it. Of course,
there's plenty we tum down. But with me taking more responsibility we are now taking more on.
And I am working on cultivating them too-I continually remind organizations that they should
ask us to sell books at their events. BUT, BUT, BUT sometimes, we don't have to go but can still
be present. Several times this year, we have not gone to events and I have arranged for us to have
brochures, bookmarks, newsletters and BIBLIOGRAPHIES at the event. This, at least, gives us
. some visibility to audiences who may not know us. Also, the store will sometimes take an ad in a
program book and invite people to the store with a 10% discount if th~ bring the ad with them.
We do this less often but it works especially well for events when they re at the Mpls. Conference
Ctr (within walking distance) or a big hotel near us.

- in addition to setting up conferences, being sure there's staff coverage, etc. I also help the
buyers a little bit in deciding what books need to be pulled or ordered. Because I've talked to the
people, I sometimes have a better sense of it-and it gives the buyers some relief. The biggest
problem, of course, is learning how much to bring, when to know what conferences are likely to
really work, and balancing the buying budget all around it! (Barb and Donna can tell you more
about this)
•
- Though Barb does most of the event planning, I .sometimes work with her to generate ideas for
special things we can do that will appeal to various communities that may not usually come to
the store. Some of these events have included:
- Open House for women's organizations
- Riot Grrls Read Out (a hopefully on-going event)
- Patrick was a Patriarch (an 1mti-St. Pat's day event where we celebrated the goddess)
- International No Diet Day Discussion Group
- with MCASA (a group working against sexual assault) we did a panel discussion and
strategy workshop for sexual assault awareness month
- Open House for students and faculty soon after school started its fall session
- we borrowed an old idea from Lammas that came to us via Donna. I created a book prescription
pad and sent it to all the area health care providers, therapists, counseling centers, naturopathic
providers, etc. We also have a sample on our front bulletin board and encourage therapists to ask
for them (some do). Though I've never actually seen a customer walk into the store with the piece
of paper in their hands, I have received several letters of praise from health care workers
thanking us for them and saying they would use them. In a few months, I plan to call around and
see who actually did use them and if they need more. (see attached copy of pad and
accompanying letters)
- This is what I did with University Professors:
(we're fortunate to already have several profs who are supportive of the store. They send students
on assignments, order coursebooks, and more. They have also been good enough to provide us
with contact names and other suggestions.)
a) call the women's center, the women's studies department or any other human resources
part of the university that can supply you with a faculty list- both women's studies professors
and any others who are supportive. In many universities, women who teach women's studies type
courses are actually in other departments-English, History, whatever- so you have to be
persistent and always on the watch. Get a course catalogue showing the professors' names if you
can. Whenever students come in looking for something, fll often ask them the name of the
professor and add it to my list (it's surprising, though, how many DON'T know the profs name!!)
This has to be done regularly since there's always new faculty. And try to find the TA's too!
b) sent a letter to the profs introducing them to the store and what we have to offer,
encouraging them to order coursebooks from us, and encouraging them to have the students use
us as a resource center. etc.
c) it's too hard to get them by phone so I don't try-but periodically send them a personal
note if necessary
d) sent them a letter at the end of the school year thanking them for their support through
out the year and reminding them to keep us in mind for the fall semester
e) sent them an invitation to our back-to-school open house
- BE AUDACIOUS. At the beginning of the vacation season, I sent gay-friendly and women
travel agents a list of the travel guides we have and other appropriate books (such as canoeing,
etc.). With 8th Mtn. and Feminist Press doing more travel books, this ought to grow in the future.
I also sent a list of our self-defense books to the local women's martial arts programs.

- Look out for speaking engagements. The Women's Consortium here does a wee.kly brown bag
lunch. They invite women to come over for an hour lunch and they feature an organizational .
speaker or topic each week. I called up and asked if I could speak on behalf of the bookstore and
generally about supporting woman-owned businesses and specifically about chain bookstore
competition and the politics etc. Few women showed up that week BUT they always summarize
the lunches in their weekly newsletter so what I had to say did get out to a larger audience. I hope
to find more such opportunities in the future.
- I've been trying to figure out ways of getting girls into the store as well. The Riot Grrl event
was a way of trying to appeal to youth. I'm also hoping to do more with District 202 which is a
local organization that services gay/lesbian youth. An.d with some local VISTA volunteers who
were working with a girls program in the parks and I'e4.Teation system, we started a reading group
for girls. They have since decided to meet outside the store but I do occasionally ?7- to get them
to an in-store event. They have been doing their own ,::riting and have produced a zine so we
want to have a launching party for it in the store! I also want to expand this program with the girl
scouts and girl power program.
- The store has not typically used volunteers but periodically women ask us if they can help out.
I'm starting to take names and phones numbers with the idea of having them help us in certain
ways. I especially want to have women feel like the store is important for them and to have them
help us to PR and whatever!
- try to work with local organizations about certain theme months. In addition to Black History,
Women's History and Lesbian/Gay, there's also assorted others. Earlier in the year, we worked
with an organization for Sexual Assault Awareness month. We create a bibliography of books
and put it in a display of books along with brochures from the organization. In October, we did it
for Lupus Awareness Month. The Lupus Foundation sent us posters and brochures that we put
out with books and bibliography. It gives the organization visibility and they love it. In addition,
I send to them extra copies of bibliographies and store brochures that they take with them to their
events as well!
- whenever I send stuff out to new organizations, I try to follow-up with a phone call
- for general letters, don't put dates on them! that way, you can Xerox a bunch and have them to
send out as necessary (BUT -be sure to date press releases!)
- I keep a file of all the correspondence I get back from people.
- we tried a "Design an Amazon Float" contest for iay pride but it didn't work. rm not sure why.
(in exchange for a gift certificate, we asked for designs for a float that we could take in the pride
parade.)
- at staff meetings, I try to solicit input and ideas from other staff members about connections,
event ideas, resources etc. Because we all travel in different circles, this gives me some insight
and ideas that I otherwise wouldn't get. I also try to have staff help me with certain projects as
·well.
- I think the most useful thing is to have general brainstorming sessions. Also, I tend to have
huge, scattered, and outrageous ideas. I purposefully try to think big and broad knowing that
there's no way we can possibly do everything. BUT I find it useful to have a pool of ideas and
then scale them down to some sort of manageable size. The biggest challenge is to try and get
new clientele into the store.

- once you've started this sort of networking project, everything has to happen over and over
again. It's imJX)rtant not to drop the ball and to stay as visible as possible-not only to those who
are already using the store but for new folks as well.
This is a list of projects that I haven't started yet but hope to tackle in the upcoming year.
- according to one of our staff people who works in corporate America, there's a growing group.
of women who are coming into feminist consciousness who work in the burbs and don't have a
clue about women's bookstores. She and I will strategize on how to reach this crowd. It's possible
that a "bookmobile to the burbs" might help and some other clever marketing projects.
- I really want to do some work with women's literacy programs. It seems natural to me that
businesses centered around reading and women's words ought to have some contact with the
community of new women readers. rd like our bookstores to be comfortable places for them. I
see this project as two-fold. First of all, I'd like to have actual "classes" or tutoring sessions
happen at the bookstore. I know this isn't possible for many stores due to space limitations but we
have a bit of room and I'd like to make some room for it in the store. Secondly, I want to figure
out how we can create feminist literacy materials for women. So much of the work is not only
about reading but also about basic life skills information. I know some of the literacy materials
do cover issues like women's health, pregnancy etc. but I think there's more that we can do as
well (e.g., materials on sexual harassment and violence, self-esteem, women's history and
biographies, lesbian reading materials, etc. -I'd like to find one women's publisher willing to
help develop this!) I'm planning to do more research on this in the upcoming months.
- I know that some libraries have discretionary budget and that they sometimes buy books
through local bookstores. I want one of those stores to be Amazon. Also, I have a contract with
18 women's presses to promote their books into libraries. I'm going to try a pilot project at
Amazon and hopefully extend it out to other women's bookstores. My idea 1s this: to have a
reception at the store hosted by Amazon and the women's presses participating in the library
project. I will invite librarians to the store so they can know what we have to offer, provide a big
display of books of the publishers in the library project, and serve refreshments (in Minn. there's
already a library organization working to connect librarians with each other -I will co-sponsor
the event with this group). This event will promote the store and promote the women's presses
and hopefully encourage them to use Amazon as a resource place to buy their supplement of
women's studies books. After I do it here and see how it goes, I will be contacting other stores
for similar events.
- Because Minnesota is so big and we're basically it for the state, I want to figure out a way of
doing an outstate bookmobile (an idea who's time might never come!) At the very least, I want to
expand out mail-order capacity throughout the state. The FBNetwork catalogue might just be a
catalyst for that.
- Sponsor events with other community centers in the Twin Cities
- Do some in-store music events that will promote the music that we sell and get women who
may not be book buyers into the store for sidelines and music. Also, I want to promote some of
the music we sell to dance and meditation groups. I realize that I tend to think ONLY about •
promoting our books (weird, huh?) but have to remind myself.-and others-that we have a lot
more to offer!

Amazon
BOOKSTORE
..

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

Dear Women's Service Provider/Organization:
Greetings from the Amazon Bookstore.
I am writing to you on behalf of the Amazon Bookstore for the purpose of
advising (or reminding) you of our services. I would also like to make
personal contact with you so as to learn how we can be of on-going
assistance to your organization:
As you may know, Amazon is a full-service feminist bookstore which
specializes in books, sidelines, and music for all women and girls and
their friends. Amazon is the oldest women's bookstore in the United States.
As a woman-owned business focused on the words and ideas of women, we have
a strong commitment to networking with and serving various women's
communities. Therefore, we want to offer several resources to your
organization. These include:
- provide a 10% organizational discount on all books ordered
- order books of interest to your organization (special
orders)
- provide books and/or book displays for your meetings or
conferences
- post flyers or brochures on Amazon's bulletin boards
advertising your services, special events, job openings,
and so on
- provide ticket sales outlet for women's concerts and other
related events
- offer book knowledge and book lists on special topics
- give your organization brochures (in quantity) describing
Amazon's services
- mail to you the monthly Amazon newsletter
In the next few weeks, I will contact you by phone to learn how we can be
of assistance to your organization. (Or, you may contact me on Mondays at
the store.) If you are interested, I am also willing to meet with you
and/or your staff for a short information sharing·meeting.
We look forward to working with you in the future as a way of providing
Minnesotan women with a variety of resources and information.
Sincerely,
Mev Miller
Community Outreach

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W;F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

Amazon Boobto~ is located at the
north edge of Loring Park, just off
Hennepin by Minneapolis Community
College.

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Lyndale/Hennepin Exit Go North on
Hennepin to Maple (by Basilica of St. Mary).
Turn Right on Maple. Turn Right on Harmon
Place. We are mid-block on the right side.
•Prom South or North, take 1-35 to 1-94 West,
then follow the directiom above.
From the West, take 1-94 to Hennepin/
Dunwoody. Tum left at bottom of exit. Right
on Maple. Right on Harmon Place.
Street meter parking Is available.

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Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-338-65(,o

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Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-338-6560

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BOOKSTORE

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Vlsrr 'DIE OIDEST FFMINIST BOOKSTpRE IN 'DIE COUNTRY AND BROWSE
111ROUGH OUR EXTENSIVE SELECO0~ OF BOOKS, MUSIC, AND GIFTS.
OUR SfAFF IS FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLB-ANXI0US TO HELP Wl11I
YOUR QUESTIONS.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
PmwsoPHY
Amazon Bookstore is a full-service
feminist bookstore for all women,
girls and their friends. We offer a
diversity of books, gifts, music and art
by, for and about women. Amazon
provides products and services that
foster and encourage the strength,
wisdom, beauty and diversity of
women, girls and our families.
B<>oK SECDONS INCllJDE

Non-racist/Non-sexist Books
for Children
Violence Against Women
Women of Color Fiction/Non-fiction
Health
Parenting & Education
Lesbian Fiction & Culture
Spirituality
Feminist Theory
Ecology/Ecofeminism
International Fiction
Mysteries and Science Fiction
Travel
Poetry
Psychology and Self-Help
Cookbooks
Blank Books and Journals
Sale Books and Remainders
and more ....

lfERsToRY
In 1970, two industrious women
gathered books, manifestos, periodicals and other writings of the
emerging women's movement and
offered ·them for sale out of their
home. This was the birth of Amazon
Bookstore. In order to make the
information more available, the store
moved to the Lesbian Resource
Center. Since then, Amazon has had
two other storefront homes before
moving to our current Loring Park
location. In its earliest days, Amazon
primarily carried writings on social
theory. Later the stock expanded to
include fiction and poetry. As the
feminist movement grew, affecting
every area of women's lives,
Amazon grew to accommodate and
reflect the new needs. Currently we
stock thousands of books by women
on a great variety of topics. In our
commitment to encourage women
artists, we carry a wide selection of
unique woman-made gifts and music.
The store is owned and run
by a worker collective.

't

We c.any More 1ban
Just Books/!!
Glft5 and Art
Jewelry, Pottery, Posters, T-shirts,
Cards, Vibrators & Safe Sex Items,
Buttons, Bumperstickers,
and much more.....
Music by Women: CD's & Cassettes
Magazines & Newspapers

SERVICES & REsoURCES
-Membership program for store discounts
-Large Audio and Video rental selection
-Author readings and special events
-Book groups
-Monthly discussion groups
-Organizational discounts
-Ticket sales
-Assistance to teachers, women studies
. departments, libraries,-:....for planning,
purchasing and ordering
-Sales at conferences and special events
-Full national & international mail-order
service
-Discount on Book of the Month
-Bulletin board and housing book
-Monthly newsletter & mailing list
-Special orders

MC/VISA Welcome
Wheelchair Accessible
Child Friendly/Male Friendly

Amaz,n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

For Imnediate Release
Contact Person: Mev Miller
612-338-6560 '
October 10, 1994

Amazon Bookstore Expands Role
as Women's Community center
Minneapolis, MN -- In anticipation of its 25th Anniversary in
1995, Amazon Bookstore (the oldest continuing women's bookstore in
the North America) has expanded its commitment to serve women as a
community resource center. Founded during the feminist movement in
1970, Amazon Bookstore has continued to

serve women not

only

through its large selection of women's books but by acting as a
clearinghouse for information and resources which address the needs
of or provide serves to women and children.

To revitalize and continue . this tradition, Amazon Bookstore has
updated its resource books and bulletin boards, expanded its weekly
prog~amming, started several book groups, and added a community
networking staff position. Future plans include remodelinq the back
of the store for additional gatherinq space, utiliz~nq volunteers,

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
-

.

Hours: M,W 10:00-9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

and faci 1 i ta ting more open houses and social gatherings·.

These

activities are welcome additions to the on-goinc;;r work don~ by the
store: ticket sales, book sales at area conferences, orc;;ranizational
discounts,

creation of informational subject lists, mail-order

services, monthly newsletter, and much more.

Organizations which serve the needs of or sponsor events for women
and children are encouraged to send information to Amazon Bookstore
for inclusion in the resource books and to provide event flyers for
posting. If you are interested in any of the above listed services
or would like someone from the store to come and speak with your
organization

or

staff,

please

contact

Mev

Miller,

Community

Networking Coordinator, 612-338-6560.

Our mission statement: Amazon Bookstore is a full-service feminist
bookstore for all women, c;;rirls and their friends.

It offers a

diversity of books, gifts, music and art by, for and about women.
Amazon provides products and services that foster and encourage the
strength, wisdom, beauty and diversity of women, girls and our
families. The store is worker-owned.

fl##

Amazon.
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

TERMS AND PROCEDURES FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTS
AT THE AMAZON BOOJCSTORE
- Organizations qualify for a 101 discount on BOOKS ONLY.
additional discounts apply.)

(No

- Completed credit form and tax exempt number must be on file at
Amazon Bookstore.
- oroanizations may also place special orders for books not in
stock. PLEASE NOTE, some special order books may not qualify for a
discount. Please check with a buyer BEFORE special orderino books.
Please allow 4-6 weeks for special orders.
- Books may be purchased in person or by mail or phone.
- We wi 11 ship books by UPS if requested. UPS needs a street
address to deliver. The shipping and handl ino charges are $3. 00 for
the first book and $.35 for each additional book.
- Payment may be made to Amazon at time of purchase with a business
check.
- Our terms are net 30 days for books purchased on account.
- Make checks payable to: Amazon Bookstore.
- Please remember: We can provide a suggested list of titles on any
subject. Also, we are willing to sell books at conferences and
special events.
Please do not hesitate to phone if you have additional questions.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W~ 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

CREDIT FORK FOR ORGAHIZATONS
Date:
Organization
Shlpplnr _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Addref",ll

Billing
Address

Fax f ___________

Phone f

Director's Name....;__________________________
Contact Person .for Accounts Payable __________________
Phone I for Accounts Payable
Persons authorized to buy books on account at Amazon:

Tax ·Exempt #:
Please check all that apply:

___n.on-prof 1t
___privately run

___for-profit

___government agency

___other (be specific)

We would most be interested in buying boots ln the following aubject areasa

Please put us on the malling list.

_ __.Yes

___,no

Authorized Signature:
(please return this completed form to Kath Sharp at the Amazon Btstr)
1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W;F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

•

~ Book Prescription .

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Amaron Bookstore
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-338-6560
M,W 10:00 • 9:00
T,Th,F 10:00 - 7:00

Sat. 10:00 - 6:00
Sun. 10:00 - 5:00
.•

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Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

Amazon Bookstore
This title recently arrived in our bookstore. We thouqht it miqht
be of interest to your orqanization.

- Organizational discount: 101
- With an easy credit application, we can set-up your
orqanization with an account.
- MC/Visa are welcome.
- We are happy to ship books via UPS. The cost is $3.50
for the 1st book and $.SO each additional.
For more information on this or any other title, please call · us durinq
reqular business hours.
Thank you for your on-qolnq suppoit.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,W 10:00-9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

Dear Health Care Professional:
I am writing to you on behalf of Amazon Bookstore for the purpose of advising
(or reminding) you of our services. As you may know, Amazon Bo«;)kstore is a
full-service feminist bookstor~ which specializes in books, Qifts, and music
for all women and girls and ··: hoir friends. As a woman-owned business focused
on the words and ideas of women, we have a strong commitment to serving
various women's communities. Enclosed is a copy of our . brochure which
explains the many products and services we offer.
Because of our focus, we are able to carry a very broad range of topics and
titles of interest to women and Qirls. These areas include but are not
limited to: self-help and psycholoqy; incest, rape and other forms of
violence against women; spirituality and personal growth; issues of midlife
and ageing; recovery issues and meditation books; health issues including
breast cancer and AIDS and alternative and conventional methods of healing;
issues of importance to teenagers such as sexuality, drug use, self-esteem
and so on; and much more. If a particular title does not happen to be in
stock, we are more than willing to special order it.
We imagine that there are opportunities for you to recommend titles to your
clients for their own use. We ask you to please recommend Amazon (if
appropriate) as a resource for the types of books mentioned above. If you
would like, we can send you additional copies of our brochure to place in
your waiting room or on your bulletin board. In addition, we are happy to
provide when possible a list of titles available on a specific topic of
interest to you.
Amazon frequently hosts author appearances for many different kinds of books.
There may be times that you and/or your clients may want to have the
opportunity to hear these authors read from their works. These events are
announced in our monthly newsletter. Please let us know if we .can add you to
our mailing list .
Thank you for your interest in the Amazon Bookstore. Please stop by and visit
us. If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to call.
Sincerely,

Mev Miller
Community Outreach

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,'R{ 10:30.; 9:00, rlQ,F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

Amazon

.

.

BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

Dear Health Care Provider,
We recently wrote to you about the ■ ervlce ■ provided by Amazon
Bookstore. As you know, ·we· carry a wide selection of tl tles
specifically for women on many health related issues. Some of these
areas include: eatino disorders, chemical dependency and recovery, ·
sexual abuse and violence, cancer and other medical concerns, aelfesteem, relationships, spiirltual well-belno and much more. We
invite and encouraoe you to come and browse our shelves.
We assume there may be times when you reconnend to your clients
books that you believe would be particularly helpful for them. We
are enclosinq a "book ·prescription" pad for your u■ e in jottino
down those books. As always, we are happy to special order books
that may be out-of-stock or t ·l t lea that we normally do not carry.
Please let us know lf you want more of these notepad ■. Thank you
_for your contlnulno support of Amazon Bookstore.
Sincerely,

Mev Miller
Community Hetworklno
P.S. our
business
resource
bulletlQ

resource book 'ls now up-to-date. We are happy to put your
cards in the card file, place your aervlcea flyer in the
book, and post notices of events and claasea · on our
boards.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M, W.10:00-9:00, T,,r,,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

WOMEN AND BREAST CANCER

The following is a partial list of titles available at .Amazon Bookstore on
the subject of women and breast cancer. This particular area of women's
health is constantly expanding - new books come i nto the store regularly.
Please stop by for a wider selection. We are happy to take special orders for
titles you do not find. We will also fill mail or phone orders via UPS.
Medical Information
Breast Cancer: A Handbook, Linda Harris Brown, $8.95 (A basic guide for
gathering information, understanding the diagnosis, and choosing the
treatment)
The Breast Cancer Handbook: Taking Control After You've Found a Lump, Joan
Swirsky and Barbara Balaban, $10.00 (*)
Cancer as a Woman's Issue: Scratching the Surface, edited by Midge Stocker,
$10.95

(*)

Challenging the Breast Cancer Legacy: A Program of Emotional Support and
Medical Care for Women at Risk, Renee Royak-Schaler and Beryl Lief£ Benderly,
$10.00

Choices, Marion Morra & Eve Potts, $15.00 (The new, most up-to-date
sourcebook for cancer information-from medications and modern therapies to
the latest research, procedures and diagnostic technologies.)
Confronting Cancer, Constructing Change: New Perspectives
Cancer, edited by Midge Stocker, $11.95 (*)

on Women

and

Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, Dr. Susan Love, $14.95 (*)
Estrogen and Breast Cancer: A Warning to Women, Carol Ann Rin2ler, $22.00
How to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer: Featuring the Revolutionary,
Nutritional Guidelines Scientists Believe Can Make a Real Difference, Jon
Michnovicz, MD, and Diane Klien, $21.95
One in Three: Women with Cancer Confront an Epidemic, edited by Judy Brady,
$10.95

Patient No More: The Politics of Breast Cancer, Sharon Batt, $16.95 (*)
Tamoxifen & Breast Cancer, Michael DeGregorio and Valeri_e Wiebe, $10.00
Women Talk About Breast Surgery: From Diagnosis to Recovery, Arny Gross and
Dee Ito, $10.95

1612 Hannon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,W 10:00 - 9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Personal Stories
Affirmations, Meditations and Encouragements for Women Living with Breast
Cancer, Linda Dackman, $11.00
Breast Cancer Journal: A Century of Petals, Juliet Wittman, $14.95
Cancer in Two Voices, by Sandra Butler and Barbara Rosenblum, $12.95 (*)
The Cancer Journals, Audre Lorde, $7.00 (*)
Examining Myself: One Woman's Story on Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery,
Musa Mayer, $10.95
My Breast: One's Woman's Story, Joyce Wadler. $16.95
No Less a Woman: Ten Women Shatter the Myths about Breast Cancer, Deborah
Hobler Kahane. MSW, $11.00
Stories of Hope and Healing:
Strong, MD, $14.95

Six Women Confront Breast Cancer, Leslie E.

Recommended General Health Books
All Women Are Healers: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Healing, Diane Stein,
$12.95
Every Woman;s Body: Everything You Need to Know to Make Informed Choices
about Your Health, Diana Korte, $15.00
The Gynecological Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About ... , M. Sara
Rosenthal, $25.00
The New Our Bodies, Ourselves: Updated and Expanded for the ~90s, Boston
Women's Health Book Collective, $20.00
The Ourselves, Growing Older: A Book for Women over Forty, Paula Doress.Woters and Diana Laskin Siegal, $18.00

..

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~?<I As you may know, ·Amazon 1s a ful l_;stii'rvice'·· feminfst· bookstore i~whi',~h .. :,>:-.: ·:. :--,.,:.: ' .·,,·
i::\t, ·s pecializes in -books, •. sidel !nes , ,_ and music ;.for a .11 women :anc(;qi:r},s \ind ff.
·r •·:: ·t .h eir friends. Amazon is the oldest women• ·s :bookstore --in -; the· unifad :·stat'es '.
:~~'/.:._, As a woman-owned business ·focused ori the feminist words and :i"dea·s ·· of women, ·
;~ ;r·~~ ·we have a stronq commitment to . networkinQ with women ·p rofessor~•·•nd ·>, ·;.· / _ :_.

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::y;:-'. _ .:
· - a depth of feminist and women's writinqs not usually . found '. ,:
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• in most other bookstores ,.:;,,_· · .. :.;.• __;:·::,· ._ · .;_ •. ·\;:/,<,: a:~·:·
- . a wi 11 inqness to order coursebooks for yo_ur. students . ::-: ·::<··
a willlnqnesstooffer book knowledqe and book lists on
· special topics ·.·
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. • . •.
• •.•• • • • • .
.

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:,¥J(.: students .· to use us as · a resource for feminisf books __o1')nan.y , topics; : a11d.: ~.o . _.·
·::i/f'--•. consider Amazon as •a friendly pl ace that wi 11 . seriously address •y-our . :_: • -/ ·.~ .
/~t?:'/:·, f einin is t book needs . Not · on 1y do we •carry ' books / :but·.we a1so 'carry . · .,~ · ·_: \ : -<.'
·/a/:-~~ maqazines and newspapers, : gifts, and music by, for, and about women. In· • . .: •
{:.,\ '~· :addition, our bulletin boards provide space for _- the community·· to post ':::.: .· :·.
~{t\.· events, qatherinqs, and other _information. · · , • . : .. • ·.·.· - --: '· . •••• •.: ·•-·· .... · -·

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i {/i:<If .you are interested:, . I would . be wi 1
to·•·-~eet wi ~h ·you· -~~~i·~ r:· your •• -: _·.:··
•+:Slts .t udents for a short information sharinq meet~.·ng. ;·Y.o u. : art! . al.so -,w,lcome tC? .i/· arranqe a "field trip" to .Amazon .with .your students:-:so __ that - we :,can .show you
{(?> what we offer.
·
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forward to · workin·o with you in th:e . future. ~~ :~ . ~ay of ·t ~~vldinq the
:.'}{f:<,.university and colleqe communities with
variety of __feminist ·and women's

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Amaz,n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore ln the U.S.

May, 1994
Dear University Professor:
As the end of the reqular school year comes to a close, we'd like to th?nk
those of you who have ·supported Amazon Bookstore in a variety of ways
throuqhout this past year. We enjoy beino a resource center for you and your
students.
•
Because we are a feminist bookstore committed to keeplno women's words and
thouqhts available to all women, we ask that you keep us in mind as you make
your plans for the .next fall semester and school year. We will continue to
provide the followlno services:
- order titles that you'd like to use as coursebooks
- provide recommended lists of new and /or important titles in various
subject areas
- provide the opportunity for you to brino students on a "field trip" to
the store or attend one of your classes to discuss the herstorical
and political importance of women's bookstores and woman-owned
businesses as well as provide an overview of the types of books we
carry
- sell books at special events or conferences
In September, we plan to hold a special open house for university ~tudents
and professors. We'll send more information as the time approaches. If you
advise us of new faculty members supportive of our efforts, please pass their
names on to us so that we may add them to our invitation list.
Whether you're working or playing in the next few months, we hope you enjoy
a happy summer. 'We look forward to seeing you aoaln sometime soon . And,
aqaln, thank you for your contlnuino support.
Sincerely,

ler
Community Networklnq

Mev Ml l

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
.

U,J

'l1i..A

Hours: M~ 10:80 - 9:00, T,lf,F 10:&0-7:00
Sat 10:60-6:00, Sun 14:00-5:00

Amaz@n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore ln the U.S.

May, 1994
Dear Travel Aqent:
We know that this is a busy time of year for travel aoents as
people begin to make ' plans for the summer. We also know that you
may have lesbian or oay clients who have special requests for
places that are lesbian and gay friendly or that specifically cater
to their interests and needs.
We regularly stock a rather laroe selection of titles that would be
of interest to the lesbian or oay traveller looking for listings of
these kinds of places. We enclose copies of this list for your use .
Please feel free to copy it to oive to your clients.
Thank you for your support of Amazon Bookstore. Don't hesitate to
let us know if we can be of additional help to you in the future.
We wish you a prosperous season and a happy summer!
Sincerely,

• Mev Miller
Community Networkino

w
Th
Hours: M,'lh 10:BO - 9:00, T,lf,F 10~0-7:00
Sat 10~0-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
.... .. .. . .

-· • .: •••. .•.... •

··• •-·

.. . • · ..

• ··

·• · ·-

·•--··-----·· - ---·- ~ - - - -

Amazon Bookstore
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis, _MN 55403
612-3389'.6560

TRAVEL GUIDES ARD OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST TO THE TRAVELLER
May 1994
Travel Guides
(All of these ouldes are lesblan _and 'oay friendly)
Are You Two ... Tooether? .,,.Lindsy · Van Gelder and Pamela Brandt,
$18.00. ·A Gay and Lesbian Travel Gulde to Europe.
Bent Gulde to Gay and Lesbian Canada, Bentbooks, $9.95
Damrom Address Book, '94, Damron Co., $13.95. over 8,000 listinos
in USA, Canada, and Mexico, mostly focused for oay men.
Goddess Sites: Europe, Annel1 Rufus and Kristan Lawson, $12.95.
Discover places where the ooddess has been celebrated and
w6rshi~ped throuohout time.
Inn Places, 1994, Worldwide Gay & Lesbl-an Accommodations, Ferrari,
$14.95. Also contains a RV and campino section.
Places for Women 1994, Ferrari, . $13.00. Oriented for women, it
includes international information on hotels, ·B&B's, tours, local
places of interest and much more.
•
Women Goino Places, 1994-5, Zoe, $14.00. International ouide. •
Women's Traveller 1994.,
Damron, $10.95

Guide to USA,

Canada,

and Caribbean,

. Guides especially for those aolna to Stonewall celebration ln NYC
Detour's Hew Yorks The Alternative Gulde, Jos·eph Downton & .Eva
Leonard, $14.95. (For those who don't necessarily travel · the
straioht and narrow)
Gay and Lesbian Handbook to Hew York City, Richard Laermer, $10.95

General Interest for Travellers
Adventures in Good Company, Thalia Zepatos, $14.95. A second book
by the author of A Journey of One's OWn, contains even more travel
advice, especially for those doino outdoors activities.
•

f

Australia for Women, Susan Hawthorne (Price unknown- won't be
available until July or August) A collection of writinos about
women's culture in Australia.
Down the Wild River Horth, Constance Helmericks, • $1"2.95. The
• remarkable Arctic wilderness adventure of a woman and her teenage
dauohters.
A Journey of One's own, Thalia Zepatos, $14. 95. Uncommon Advice for
the Independent Woman Tr·a veler.
L~adlno Out, Rache.l d2' Silva, $16.95. Women climbers reaching for
'::he top.
Malden Voyages, Mary Morris, $14.00. Writings by women travelers .
KY Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir, Susan Allen Toth,
$10·. 00
Older Than Time, Allegra Taylor, $13.00. A woman travels around the
world
in search of wisdom..
.
Rivers Running Free, Judith Niemi and Barb Wieser, $14.95; Canoeing
stories by adventurous women.
Simple Food for the Pack,

c.

Axcell, $9.00

T~acks, Robyn Davidson, $12.00. The exhilarating tale of a willful
woman's solo trek across 1,700 miles of Australian outback.
Unconnon Waters, Holly Morris, $14.95. Women write about fishing.
The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes, Notes from Nepal, Barbara Scot,
$12.95~

McBookstores Make McBucks on McLiterature
While Feminist Bookstores Struggle
by Mary Bricker.Jenkins
There is a splendid scene in Leslie Feinberg's novel Stone Butch Blues in which the character's emerging feminist consciousness is nurtured by conversations she overhears while lurking in the bookst.ore aisles near the women's studies section. The scene is reminiscent for many of us who found our first feminist communities in bookst.ores, which continue t.o
be centers for organizing, networking, and cultural work as well as wellsprings of intellectual development in our communities. But feminfat bookstores are endangered today, not only because of the vagaries of the market, but because of the
market politics of the publishing and bookselling industries.
All over the country, service-01iented independent bookst.ores are being squeezed out of the market by corporate
chains, which di&:ount heavily and which, once they are established in a community, typically sell a shrinking list of the
most marketl'ble iread politically "mainstream," if not conservative) books. The publishing industry responds by shrinking its list of potentially small-market and/or controversial books. Needless to say, mainstream publishers prioritize the
most "marketable" manuscripts, and the alternative presses and book distributors are folding faster than flowers after
the first frost.
Feminist bookstores are particularly hard hit by these trends. Having a relatively small and specialized cust.omer
base - and, by definition, a social change as well as a marketing mission - many are losing cust.omers t.o the chain
stores and experiencing serious cash flow problems. And there is a domino effect: It is primarily feminist bookstores that
stock and sell feminist press backlist titles - a primary source ofrevenue for feminist and other small presses. If feminist bookstores close, who will champion feminist press books, and what will happen t.o them?
In some cases, feminist bookstores have been deliberately targeted by chains. In Connecticut, a newly opened Borders
Books offered a share of its profits to a local AIDS organization that had been closely allied with the community's feminist bookstore for years, which could not offer the level of financial support being offered by Borders. Clear about the corporate agenda, the AIDS organization courageously declined the offer. The Borders chain, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
K-Mart, has seized upon the "corporate social responsibility" theme t.o appeal t.o the upscale liberal market, for which it
also provides a carefully crafted, pre-packaged "ambience" of a community-based "alternative" bookstore/coffee house.
While better than most of the rapacious chain st.ores (wouldn't you rather eat Ben & Jerry's than Sealtest?), Borders offers a relatively miniscule portion of its profits to community-based groups, and the chain certainly does not have the
libert.ory social transformatoin agenda of the feminist bookstores it is attempting to eliminate from our communities. We
must not be misled by corporate cleverness in exploiting "alternative" markets: McDonald& may be selling a few healthylooking salads and experimenting with tofu burgers, but it's the Big Mac that dominates its world-wide market.
Last Fall, the Feminist Bookstore Network (FBNet) held a retreat to develop survival strategies. In addition to providing each other technical consultation on marketing and management, the bookstores have undertaken several initiatives
in which we, their community members and customers, can participate. Here are some of the ways:
• First and most importantly, buy your books from feminist bookstores. You may pay a few dollars more than you would
in the chain stores, but you will be contributing to the survival offeminist discourse and cultural/political action.
• If you don't have a feminist bookstore near you, you can mail order from one. FBNet has a stunning catalog of feminist
literature which includes a directory of many of the stores and mail-order outlets in the U.S. and Canada. For a copy of
the catalog, send $1 to FBN, PO Box 882554, San Francisco, CA 94188.
• If you teach, ask students to buy their books from feminist bookstores. Most will provide very special _service and attention to you and your students about current trends in theory and culture.
• If you're in practice, ask your local feminist bookstore for recommendations for readings for your clients. Many offer special programs and networking on such issues as eating disorders, drug and alcohol recovery, battering, sexual abuse, lesbian identity and family issues, etc. Help your bookstore organize groups and events that will help you and your clients
experience the community and cultural dimensions of feminist social work practice.
• Ask your local school and public libraries to order feminist books and to order them from a feminist bookseller. Again, a
call to your feminist bookstore will help you select a few titles that need exposure.
• If you write, consider a feminist or small press for your book. Sign the "author'pledge" to support feminist bookst.ores
and presses - for information on the pledge, ask your local femininst bookseller or call FB-Net (415-626-1556).
-

Revised & reprinted with pennission from TM Conn«tion: Association for Woimn in Social Won\ Ntw.ZCtter

'
I



March 1995 Vol. 2 #2

The Feminist Bookstores Network Newsletter

Welcome to Hotflashe& l,a!
This issue is thick with ideas and successes f:om other bookstores.
• Thinking about doing fundraising? Herland had a better idea. Kayla and Jennifer threw a New Year's Ball for their community, everyone had a great time
and they cleared $12,000. See below.
• Borders opened across the street from Sisterhood. And Sisterhood, aided by
the media in the LA area, fought back. Sales stayed steady through December.
Seepage 12.
• Thinking about implementing a Frequent Reader Discount? Three years into
their program New Words thinks it may hurt more than it helps. See page 3.
• How can 1400 writers and publishers gather in one place and barely discuss
the crisis in bookselling? Mary Ellen Kavanaugh reports from OutWrite. See
page 9.
• A year or more ago Amazon Bookstore hired Mev Miller as a community
networker. Unable to attend the Strategic Planning Conference, Mev wrote up
a lot of what she did and sent along samples of support materials - brochures,
letters, press releases - that she developed along the way. We've reproduced it
all here at the end of this issue. There were so many great ideas that we kept
finding ourselves referring to "needing a mev" (an outreach worker) and to
"meving" - doing great bookstore promotion. Kasha went back to the Book
Garden and hired "a mev" to do 8 hours/week of "meving" for her store. Does it
Continued on page 4

Berland Threw a Party And Raised $12,000!
by Beth Morgan
For the second year in a row, Herland (Santa Cruz) threw a Lesbian New
Year's Eve Ball for their community, and in one evening managed to raise upwards of $12,000, enough money to assure that their business loan will be paid
off at the end of 1995! Here's the scoop on how Kayla and Jennifer pulled it off
and what they learned in the process ...
When Kayla and Jennifer initially came up with the idea, they knew they
wanted it to be a "fancy ball" - a place where lesbian women in their commu. nity could go on New Year's Eve and feel welcome and celebratory. Their first
step was to call around to all the big hotels in the area to find out rental rates
and capacity, making sure to inform the hotels that this would be a lesbian
event and that they would be selling tickets to offset the
Continued on page 2

1

Inland's New
Return Policy
Thanks to a lot of clear-headed
work by Carolyn Gabel and
'lbllie Miller (Reader's Feast), Inland will be sending you an announcement about their new,
revised, returns policy. Carolyn
and 'lbllie discovered, as they
were making their post-holiday
returns, that Inland had revised
their returns policy last fall in
such a way that it included a significant penalty for returning
backlist. While the new returns
terms were printed in Inland's
fall catalog, Readers Feast had
received no other notice and,
after discussing the situation
with other booksellers and InBook publishers, met with David
Wilk to discuss the situation.
The short version of the story is
that the return policy published
in the Fall catalog will not be applied and new terms will be announced by letter (in statements,
bills, etc.) in April. Carolyn reports that the whole process was
very respectful and that, while
the new terms will include a 2%
penalty on on Inland titles (InBook titles will be returnable at
each store's average InBook discount), they are very satisfied
with the changes.
o

Berland continued from page 1

Does anyone out
there remember ...
what we had in mind at the Strategic Planning Conference when
we decided to ask Mev Miller to
compile an "anti-chain packet"?
This reference was in the notes,
but no one seems to recall exactly
what it means. If you do, give
Mev, Carol or Beth a call!

Herland's Second Annual
Lesbian New Year's Eve
Ball*
Expenses
Hotel Rental/Dinner
Cheese/Fruit Plate .
DJ&Sound . . . .
Ads/Fliers/l'ickets
Banners/Party Favors
Raffle Prizes
.
Unforeseen .

.

.

. .
. ..

Total

. . . . . .. . . .

. $8,000
.. $400
. . $800
.. $500
. $450
.. $150
.. $250
$10,550

Revenue
Price per ticket:
. . . $60
Tickets sold:** .
. .. 380
Total: . . . . . . . . . . $22,800

Net Profit: . .

$12,250

Kayla estimates that both she
and Jennifer "donated" approximately 20 hours each into planning the event and making it
happen, plus all day the day of
the event. Part of this time was
the one-hour weekly store meeting they regularly schedule with
one another anyway.
*Figures are approximate
**Herland reserved twenty tickets for staff to attend free and/or
for promotional purposes.

cost. This part of the planning happened early - space needs to be
booked in January/February of the
year before the planned event, and
exclusive blocks of hotel rooms
should be reserved at the same
time. Both years Kayla and Jennifer got the hotels to wa:.ve rental
fees for the party space L,y agreeing
to have the hotel serve dir.ner.
New Year's Eve Ball '9r (NYEB '93)
was limited to 100 courles and was
held at the Chaminade. Tickets sold
out quickly and over 200 women
were turned away, so for New Year's
Eve Ball '94, (NYEB '94) they
booked a larger venue that doubed
the capacity of the event
(Peachwood's). Kayla reports that
both hotels were very interested in
tapping into the lesbian/gay market
and wanted to be known as gayfriendly places where women might
consider holding commitment ceremonies, etc., in the future.
Both years, the cost of putting on
the event came to about $11,000
(the Chaminade was pricier than
Peachwood's), including dinner, advertising, decorations, and two DJs
to do the music. (There were two
separate dancing rooms - the Gertrude & Alice Room, playing "romantic" music, jazz and oldies; and the
Max & Eli Room, featuring hip-hop
and house music.)

Promoting the Ball
'lb advertise the Lesbian New Year's
Eve Balls, Kayla and Jennifer did a
direct mailing to the Herland mailing list; sent posters to all Bay Area
women's bookstores, lesbian & gay
bookstores and gay-friendly places;
placed a large ad in the local feminist newspaper; listed on local community radio; and let word-ofmouth do the rest. They specifically
decided not to advertise in the local
mainstream paper - they've suf-

fered backlash from advertising
there in the past and didn't want to
deal either with harassing phone
calls or harassment at the actual
event.
Special effort went into making
beautiful ticket&'brochures to send
to women attending the event. The
tickets were printed on heavy-stock
lavender paper with silver ink, and
were sent with a brochure describing dinner options, how to reserve a
hotel room for the night of the ball,
directions to the hotel, and even the
address and phone number of a
local woman who makes tuxedos for
women!

What They Learned
Kayla made the following observations about NYEB '93 versus '94:
• Bigger is not necessarily better.
Having turned away so many
women the first year, Herland
booked NYEB '94 at Peachwood's
larger venue, and requested tableservice dinner instead ofbuffetstyle dinner. But despite assurances
from Peachwood's that they could
handle the event, some women
weren't served dinner until 10 PM
(Herland received a a partial refund
for this glitch.) Additionally, the
larger event drew women from as
far away as Seattle and L.A. many of these women had never
been to Herland and didn't know
the event was a fundraiser; they
seemed quick to complain about
problems that cropped up.
• The bottom line is that the bigger
event led to more glitches. Next
year Herland will go back to having
a smaller event, for local women
who support the store year round.
Kayla also plans to return to the
buffet-style dinner, so that guests
can eat on their own schedule.
• Both years the respective hotels
broke their agreement to reserve a
block ofrooms exclusively for HerContinued on page 11

2

The Downside of
Frequent Reader Discounts
by Jean MacRae
New Words
In the past several years, some
women's and other independent
bookstores have implemented various kinds of discount programs as a
response to increased competition.
In Fall of'91, New Words established a Frequent Reader Discount
program the purpose of which was
to build customer loyalty at a time
when a second women's bookstore
had opened in the city and larger
bookstores were offering more discounts. Customers receive a stamp
for every $10 they spend, and when
they have ten stamps, they are entitled to a 20% discount on their next
purchase ofup to $250.
After over three years of experience
with this program, New Words can
make the following observations:
With the exception of the occasional
small sale of a card or button
bought in order to reach the $10 increment entitling a customer to a
stamp, there is no clear indication
that the existence of the frequent
reader program has increased sales
of merchandise at full price over
what they would have been without
the program. Whether customers
would have bought the books they
currently buy at the 20% discount
even if they didn't receive a discount, or whether they buy more
books because they have the discount is also unknowable.
We do know that the vast majority
of sales receiving the discount are
sales of under $100, with more than
half of those being sales of under
$50. This suggests that customers
are not buying lots of extra books
they would not have bought without

the discount. Perhaps most impor•
tant is that the dollar value of discounts given to customers has
grown steadily from year to year to
a point where it represents a per,,
centage of sales which is significant
to the store.
Customers' comments that they like
the discount program is anecdotal
evidence that it has perhaps encouraged customers to shop here rather
than elsewhere (although it's possible that they like it because it allows them to buy at a lower cost
books they would have bought at
New Words anyway), but it has
done so at the cost of the business.
With respect to the level of the discount, there is a built-in catch: in
order to build customer loyalty the
discount has to be significant to the
customers, but the more significant
it is, the more it costs the business.
Looking at two extreme cases, it is
easy to see that if a store offered a
50% discount on all sales, it would
inspire a great deal ofloyalty but
would be unable to survive. If a
store offered a 2% discount to frequent readers the cost might not be
great, but such a small discount
would have an insignificant impact
on customer loyalty.
Is there a happy medium, a discount level at which a store can acquire loyalty but not incur too great
a cost? It depends on how many people use the discount and what the
discounts amount to. Given the fact
that bookstore profits are generally
in the range ofl-2%, losses to discounts don't have to be too big to
Continued on page 8

3

Sidelines Corner
by Kasha Songer
The Book Garden
After a three-and-a-half-day tour of
bookstores in the San Francisco region with Carol Seajay (thanks,
Carol!), I have many new sidelines
to repcrt. My SF trip was one of
those benefits I keep mentioning
when you become involved in your
Regional Booksellers Association or
ABA. The trip was free because
MPBA was sending me to Palm
Springs for a three-day meeting
with the ABABoard and other Regional Associations. Oh yes, I
squeezed in two-and-a-half days of
romping in the ocean as well. Next
year I'll be visiting Vancouver compliments ofMPBA- call your Regional Association or ABA. Become
involved!
And now for the sidelines:
Two Sisters (Palo Alto) was a wonderful surprise. They have the best
bookstore energy rve discovered in
years. Plus lots of new Goddess art
and big woman imagery throughout
the store. The displays sparkled they were well-loved, clean, spacious and original. It reminded me
to come home and hug my store.
Seajay called it "store petting.•
She's right. Don't forget to love up
your store.
Two Sisters sidelines sources:
• Hawk Dancing Studio (715-2652756): Good goddesses that tit nicely
in your hand. They were ~onderfully displayed in a shallow bowl of
white rice.
• My Grandmother's Hands (707528-9089): Kim Soare's leather journals will sell very well! They are
Continued on page 8

Intro continued from page 1

work? Amazon is holding their own

- and growing - despite the influx
of chains in Minneapolis. Several
great new restaurants in the neighborhood are part of the equation,
but they sure do have great customer loyalty!
• And at the end of this newsletter
you'll find another great article to
copy and circulate among your
customers reminding them why
they want to shop feminist bookstores rather than chain stores.
Elsewhere in the mail, you should
have received a mailing from Barb
Wieser (Amazon) and Ann

Christopherson (Women and Children First) about Feminist Bookstore Days (June 1 & 2) in Chicago
and the first mailing on National
Feminist Bookstore Week. (Mailing
#2 will follow right after this news-

Dear Carol & Everyone Who Was at
the FB-Net Conference in October,
I just finished reading all the info
on what you accomplished at the
meeting. Wonderful! You had great
ideas, good strategies, and plans for
action. What a fantastic output of
work you did. And I love Carol's
quote, "We are an intelligent, overqualified group of people: if we could
start our stores in the first place,
dealing with the chains shouldn't be
that big of a deal.•
fm finally getting excited again!
Joan Denman
Rubyfruit
Dear FBN-ers,
We love the bookmarks; thank you!
We did survive moving and computerizing at the same time, but I do
not recommend it. We've also come

letter.) Ms is running a 2000 word article about feminist bookstores, the
chains, and NFBW in their
May/June iBBue - I know 'cause I
spent the last week writing it and
just sent it offl
Bad news/good news at FBN: We did
succeed in getting a green card for
Helen, the woman fve been holding
FBN's production job for since April
1993. The bad news is that in December, six days after she received her
temporary green card (and thus was
able to work), she reactivated an old
back injury and hasn't been able to
work at FBN since. While her injury
is healing, it seems quite clear that
she won't be able to do extensive computer and paste-up work for a long
time to come, and so she has resigned from FBN. Helen provided
FBN with a lot of excellent consultation on last year's catalog and we
have missed being able to work with

out of our worst cash flow crisis in
recent years, and I think the new location is going to make the difference for us. It is a much more
exciting place for us in many ways.
In sisterhood,
Izzy Harbaugh
Mother Kali's
Dear Carol & Beth,
How did you manage getting out
such a great newsletter in the midst
of all your other projects? It's a marvel. You pulled together, into coherent sentences, the flood of ideas we
poured out at the Conference now the rest of New Words will finally know what went on during
those four infamous days! What a
productive group, especially with
you two at the helm.
My excitement returned as I read

4

her full time. The good news is that,
two weeks after deciding to open the
job up again, I was ~le to hire Kathryn Werhane, a graphic artist and
printer with many years of experience in both fields, to be FBN's Production Coordinator. Kathryn has
done freelance work for FBN in
years past f.'ld knows and loves feminist bookstores. rm excited to be
working with her again on a regular
basis. She'll join us on April 3 and
will stari; of,;" by laying out the ABA
iBBue ofFBN.
· And many thanks to Beth, who gathered up all this information and
turned it into the newsletter you
-Carol 0
hold in your hands!

committee reports, and other info
and updates. But my sadneBB was
equally strong, reading the letter
from Carol and Sally. I knew it was
coming, and understand all too well
the choices they faced - but we so
much hoped they could make it, despite the odds. We're seeing too
many sister bookstores in the Northeast close down.
The article in Women$ Review of
Books says it all. This is a piece
we'll copy and distribute to
customers - and one to quote from
in the midst of the perennial conversation with friends that begins,
"But what's wrong with shopping at
Borders?"
Thanks again for putting together
exactly what we need!
-Laura Zimmerman
New Words o

Brigit Books

Buying & Selling Used Books

Breakdown of Sales*
1/94 - 10/94

by Patty Callaghan
Brigit Books
Inspired by several requests for re•
prints of Patty Call.aghan's 1992
FBN article on selling used books, I
asked Patty ifwe could run it again
in Hotf1,ashes, and she said, •sure!"
and updated it for us.
Selling used books - the same
kinds of books that sell best for you
in the rest of the store, plus a few outof-print finds - is one more way to
distinguish your store from the
chains. Furthermore, according to
ABA's research department, sales in
used bookstores nearly doubled during the year studied (April 1992 to
March 1993) and, during the same
period, independent bookstores lost
4% of their sales to used bookstores.
ABA doesn't study feminist bookstores in particular, but I'd "bet
money that most of us are losing
sales to used bookstores, tOQ. And
that some of our would-be customers
are reading not-particularly-feminist used books because that's what
they can find and afford. When it
comes to selling used books, the
hardest part - and a skill wellworth developing - is saying "no'" to
the books that you aren't confident
will sell quickly. But what you get
are: happy customers, increased loyalty, good profits, and another
source of income. Well worth the ef-Carol
fort!

Why Sell Used Books?
Selling used books along with new
ones is a win-win-win situation. The
woman selling her used books to the
bookstore gets cash (hopefully to
spend in the store) and makes more
room on her shelves for more books;
the customer buying the used book
saves money; and the bookseller

BOOKS

makes a profit (and benefits in
other ways as well).
Recently there was an article in
Publisher's Weekly by an author
whose opinion is that used books
•steal" sales from new books. Although sometimes this may be the
case, I have found used and new
books to be different commodities. I
have customers who buy only used
books and who would buy them
elsewhere if I didn't have any. Used
books help increase foot traffic and
increase the possibility you will sell
a new book, or other item, to the
customer. I also have customers
who buy new books and not used
even if a used one is available. If a
new book comes out by a popular
author people don't wait for a used
copy. And generally, only new books
are given as gifts. Carrying used
books helps me expand my stock
with books that are out of print, or
books I might not have carried as
new titles. A reason to sell used lesbian books specifically is that no
one else may be doing that in your
community and you can make
books available to women who cannot afford new copies. I have had
customers buy a used book and
then want to read other books by
that author so they buy some new
books. I also use my used book section as a •dumping ground" for new
books I can't or don't return and
that have been around awhile.
Hopefully I can get back what I
paid for them. Used books are easy
to handle, too. I keep no inventory
records on them because they
aren't replaced.
One last, but best, reason to sell
Continued on page 6

5

.. 59.9%
New Books
. . . . . . 5.26%
Used Books
Periodicals
. 4.18%
Subtotal . . . . . . . . . 69.34%

SIDELINES
Buttons/Stickers . . . . . 2.0%
. . . . . . 0.72%
Calendars
. . . . . . 6.0%
Cards
. 2.69%
'The Shirts
Incense
. . . . . . -1.38%
Jewelry
. . . . . . . . . 5.38%
Music (CDs, cassettes)
. 8.58%
Subt.otal . . . . . . . . . 32.09%
MISC

. . . . . . . . . . . 3.91%

* figures approximate

And Elsewhere ...
Martha Cabrera of'Thxtures in
San Ant.onio started her used
books section at the request of
customers. Martha's experience
is that folks who buy from the
used books section are usually on
a tight budget. Martha buys at
10-25% of the cover price, depending on age and condition (she
gives st.ore credit only - no
cash). She sells the books at 50%
of cover price - and there's no
shipping charges t.o take a bite
out of the profit!
Does your store have a used books
section? If so, FB-Net would love
to hear how you run it and how
.well its working for your store.
-Beth
Drop us a line!

I

--------------------------------------I II
Used Boob continued from page 5
used books is that it's fun. I love seeing again some of the books from
the beginning days of the lesbian/feminist movement - from
presses like Diana, Daughters, and
Persephone - The First Sex, Mothers and Amazons, early Judy
Grahn. What a rich culture we have!

How To Begin
I start.ed to sell used books, on the
advice of my lover, when I first
opened, and so publicized it when I
advertised. An already existing
store could make flyers, advertise in
local publications or put out a press
release that you're buying used
books. Let women know the kinds of
books you want to buy. Maybe offer
an incentive to get them in to sell
you so you can start off the section
with enough books. Let them know
you pay cash. You can also look in
thrift stores and go to used book
sales. In the beginning I went to
other used bookstores and bought if
the price was right. Check your own
bookshelves. There are probably
some books you could part with.
Once you get started and people
know you pay a fair price, they will
bring in their used books. It seems
to run in spurts and I've asked my
astrologer about it, but so far we've
found no answer in the stars.

dition. 'Inal and error will help you
know what to buy. If I'm not here (I
do all the buying) they leave the
books and I call to tell them their
credit. I just keep the adding machine tape with their name and
date. Most people don't seem to
mind.
Pricing varies from store to store. It
may help to look at other stores in
your area and find out what they
pay. I pay 20% of the cover price for
paperbacks and sell them for 60% •
(or more) of the cover price. I pay
only $2 for hardbacks with dust
jackets because I find they sell best
for $4-6. You may have to pay more
and may be able to sell them for
more. Sometimes I pay a little more
for out-of-print books I know I can
sell quickly.
I pay cash, give credit, or write a
check on occasion. Most people
want the credit to use right away,
some to use later, and some need
the cash for groceries.

Profit on Used
and New Books
Lesbian Novel $8.95
USED

NEW
40%

NEW
45%

RETAIL

6.00

8.95

8.95

Pricing

COST

1.80

5.37

4.92

Buy good quality books only, not
marked in, not too dogeared. Your
customers will appreciate your selection. Ifl don't want any or all of
someone's books I give them alternative stores to try. Books I sell best
used are the same category I sell
best new: lesbian novels, "women's
studies," women's fiction, spirituality, psychology/recovery and metaphysical. I don't buy used children's
books .. I only buy magazines if they
are out-of-print or popular ones like
Woman of Power and only in top con-

PROFI'I 4.20

3.58

4.03

Mass Market $4.95
USED

NEW
40%

NEW
46%

3.00

4.95

4.95

1.00

2.97

2.77

PROFIT 2.00

1.98

2.18

RETAIL
COST

(Freight cost not included.)

6

The time it takes to handle, say, 2030 used books is maybe 5-10 minutes to buy, mark the price, and
shelve. I also put a red sticker on
the spine to distinguish them.

Shelving
I shelve used books separately.
Some stores interfile them with
new books. The used lesbian books
are just across the aisle from the
new ones. Other categories I shelve
together in another space under categories mentioned above. I use
"women's studies" as a used book
category because it's a broad category and many used book buyers
are browsers. I don't shelve the
books in any order within categories (except fiction) because I only
have about 1,000 used books and if
someone wants a specific title I can
usually find it. About once a year or
when I need the space I weed the
used books and put them on a sale
table to get them out the door. It's
important to turn them over once in
a while.
Two books with additional information are: the ABAManual on Bookselling which has one chapter on
selling used books and The Com•
plete Guide to Starting a Used Book•
store by Dale L. Gilbert, Chicago
Review Press, $11.95. Although this
has a lot of redundant information
for an already existing store, there
are some useful ideas. He explains
how to trade books if you prefer to
do it that way.
I have -Used Books" as a depa~
ment on Booklog and my used sales
are between 5-6% of my total sales
- about 10% of my book sales. My
shelves seem to be almost full most
of the time, so I'm selling and buying at a uniform pace. If the shelves
start to get too full, I become more
selective. I'd like to hear ideas from
others of you who sell used books or
0
are considering it.

~~
Sharing
Section Lists
Donna Niles of Amazon Books reports that she has thus far received
three requests for section lists; all
three for the list of gay and lesbian
youth titles. Each list was sent out
promptly, but since there's no vehicle in place for feedback, Donna can
only assume that the lists were h~lpful.
-Amazon Books

FB-Net
Bookmark Update
The first annual (?) Feminist Bookstore Network bookmark was completed and mailed out to Network
stores at the end of November. If
you didn't get one, call My Sisters'
Words, 315-428-0227.
The bookmark has both the artwork
Nicole Hollander did for our current
ad and a quotation from Alice
Walker. Carolyn at Reader's Feast
worked with Ms. Walker and obtained her permission to use the excerpt from her statement in the
letter that is circulating to feminist
authors regarding supporting feminist bookstores. Amy Bartell of Syracuse Cultural Workers, and an
artist in her own right, did the
graphics. Amy, who was living in
my house at the time, did the work
in exchange for November's rent.
Here at My Sisters'Words, the bookmarks have been a hit. fve printed
them on bright colors and as we
hand them out to customers, we
talk about the Feminist Bookstore
Network.
No store has given me any feedback, so rm not sure who's using
the bookmarks or how they are
working. If we're going to do this
again, let's think about what works
and what doesn't. One last note the last issue ofHotflashes advised
you to send $5 to me to cover the
costs if you didn't pay me in October

at the conference. Not so! rve been
repaid by FB-Net, so send your $5
to FB-Net and clearly mark what
the money is for.
Thanks to Harriet, Carolyn, Beth,
and Ann for their work and support!
-Mary Ellen Kavanaugh

Reader's Feast
"Grandmothered"
into FB-Net
Membership
The results of the postcard vote to
"grandmother" Reader's Feast into
Network membership are in, and
the ayes have it! Here's the vote
breakdown:
• 57 YES (46 YES, 11 "If it's ok with
the Steering Committee, it's ok with
us")

Great Quotes!
"Find a Feminist Bookstore
as near to where you live as
possible and go there to find
your books and buy as many
as possible."

"This is a revolution that has
written more in 20 years
than most do iJ! 200 years."
-Carolyn G. Heilbrun
Women Reviewing Women Conference
November '93

Keep your business in the
community. Keep your community in business!
- Herland Books

• 2NO

• Comments: lfwe do this for
Reader's Feast, we should also
admit the Gualala Girls into membership.
Congrats to Reader's Feast! -fbn 0

Hot Flashes Deadlines
Deadline next issue (#4):
Apri127
Deadline #5 (tentative):
June9

Brilliant Strategies!
Mary Ellen Kavanaugh (My Sisters'Words) runs the following announcement in the store newsletter: Every Thurday and Friday evening between
5-8 PM, we11 hide a $15 gift certificate in a book somewhere in the store. If
you find it, it's yours! And even if you don't find it, you'll certainly find some
real gems you might have missed on earlier visits to the store.

Statement of Purpose
The purpose of the Feminist Bookstore Network is to support feminist bookstores. This is a working organization for women-run, women-owned bookstores that are primarily committed to feminist (including lesbian) work.
With strong membership, the Feminist Bookstore Network will facilitate
stronger communication between feminist bookstores; organize joint projects to benefit member bookstores, provide greater visibility of feminist
bookstores to the general bookselling and publishing communities and to
the public, provide a united public image for feminist bookstores whenever
necessary or desired; serve as a lobbying force for feminist bookstores; and
organize Feminist Bookstore days at the ABA. O

7

Sidelines continued from page 3

brightly-dyed soft leather with medicine pouches attached to the front
cover. Buy these!
• Earthmother Taliswoman (916235-2717): Andrea creates
goddesses from $4 in a rainbow of
colors, to $150 for glazed goddesses
- the beige and copper goddess
flies out the door.
• Art & Soul (602-284-1899, area
code changes to 520 on June 1,
1995): LeAnn Cortese creates goddess switch plates cut out of metal
and hand-painted (see graphic this
page). Approximately $25.
Herland (Santa Cruz) sideline
sources:
• Herland has the best hats I've
seen! They're from the Feel Good
Company (510-548-3467): Julie Stevens is the woman to speak with.
My favorite is a bell cap with stick
figures of a "Dyke and her Dog" embroidered on the back.
• Ravenwood (800-777-5021): They
have black cat candles that will be
just right for some stores. These
candles sell well at Herland.
Boadecia's (Kensington) has some
good sidelines I'm surprised I
haven't seen before:
• Freedom Ring Earrings: If you
aren't doing business with Gayla G
(800-429-5248), then try Diane
Manley (510-527-0511). It looks like
Diane may give a tad better quality
for a slightly lower price.
• Evolution Designs (512-3389671): It took me a while to find
these authentic, slightly-less-expensive Darwin fish stickers.

hard to describe, but rm taking one
home with me. These clocks look
like white plaster, lightly brushed
with a bright color. Instead of numbers there are 12 tasteful nude
women. Write to Carolyn Whitehorn, PO Box 339, Willits CA 95490.
• Runes by Penny Carr (510-8485966): If you're not sick to death of
runes, these caught my fancy.
They're small (chiclet sized!), deep
bold colors with a matching handsewn cloth bag- $20.
And finally, Lioness Books (Sacramento) has had the courage to try
the t-shirt display showing up in
music stores. Each t-shirt is
wrapped around a square of cardboard then slipped into a ziploc bag.
The bags are 12" x 12". Then you
file the shirts in cubicles (wire or
milk carton) and stack the cubes.
It's a little work intensive, but no
more rickety racks or losses on
dirty shirts. The customers don't
pull the shirts out of the bags that was my concern. I think it's a
fresh look for an old sideline. There
is no one secret source for the cardboards and ziplocs. Call the bag and
cardboard companies in your city.
We plan to unwrap the shirt as it's
sold. The customer gets to check it
out and we can reuse the cardboard
and plastic.
-Kasha Songer
The Book Garden 0
Editor's Note: Kasha encourages everyone to call sidelines companies
instead of writing to them -writing takes the same amount of
money, more time, and less information is gathered. If you disagree and
would like addresses run with sidelines in the future, give us a call
here at FB-Net headquarters!

• Remember Feminist Forge?
They're doing clocks now. They're

8

Discount. continued from page 3

have a negative impact on the business. In order to sustain any loss to
discounts, a bookstore probably has
to be big enough to achieve some
economies of scale, a level of volume
which may be too much higher than
that of women's bookstores.
The big catch is that the more successful a discount program is, the
more it costs the business. If it's not
successful, it has little positive impact, and ifit is successful, it has a
greater negative impact.
Those bookstore owners considering
starting a discount program can call
New Words for more detailed information on our experience with this
o
program.
Note: Does anyone have an analysis
of Membership Programs in which
customers pay money upfront for a
membership and then receivve a discount on books? Are these programs
cost effective, or do they, too, cut into
the bottom line?
-Carol

REPORT FROM OUTWRITE '95
by Mary Ellen Kavanaugh
My Sisters' Words

No Comment ...

MIA'1o·••wir: •~~--~'• flo ~~ll~li ··; "'
Newt Gingrich will addresa

OutWrite '95 was held in Boston March 3-5. After some friendly encouragement from Carolyn at Reader's Feast and very persuasive encouragement
from my girlfriend to "get out of town," I jumped in the car with a friend and
made the five hour trip from Syracuse.
The conference was extremely well organized and the digs were luscious.
The agenda for the weekend covered topics ofinterest to writers and publishers, but nary a word about bookselling was offered at any panel. Feeling
a bit invisible, I spoke with Carolyn and 'lbllie, and Laura from New Words
in Boston, and we agreed something needed to be said/done. Laura graciously agreed to talk with the organizers, who agreed this had been an oversight and that, because the closing plenary was to be a performance piece,
there wasn't much that could be done this year. They did however agree to
take this into consideration next year.
Well, I'm stymied. Didn't anyone have a clue about the state ofbookselling
in the U.S. now? Didn't anyone wonder how that might affect publishers or
writers? I find it more than odd that at a conference of this size (1400 :registrants, including 300 panelists as of 8 PM Friday), no one chose to address at
any length the state ofbookselling. I did notice some authors taking the opportunity in one-on-one conversations, but it didn't come up much anyplace
that I was.
I had two experiences where I felt as if feminist bookstores took a bit of a
beating. One of the conference workers told me that her heterosexual sister
used to shop in my store when she lived in Syracuse and felt uncomfortable
there. She then generalized that well, perhaps it was all feminist bookstores. When I pressed her for details there were none and she finally
backed off with "I only had 20 minutes sleep last night." A few hours later at
a panel on the generation gap among lesbians, I made the point that in
some cities, younger lesbians were identifying with the lesbian/gay movement and therefore spending their money at lesbian/gay bookstores instead
offeminist bookstores. A young woman responded that she knows of at least
one feminist bookstore that lost its young customers by refusing to carry
more cutting-edge stuff(with a reference to SIM stuff). Even though these
questions make me feel a twinge defensive, I think the points are well worth
considering. How clearly can you identify who your audience is? Who else
might your audience be? Are there groups who don't feel welcome in your
store? How do we balance carrying what we believe we should carry with
what the public wants? Are those two things often different? How do we reconcile that difference?

·a "Power Lunch" at the June·

. convention of the American
_Booksellers Association in~
•cago, but Chicago boobellera
who were invited to recom- , -~
,·mend speakers aren't happy
. with the arrangements.
:,~,- ''We're just Insulted thatlt-•
was done behind our back. And
we don't even know when bis
book is coming out," committee
:member Roberta Rubin told.
the Wasblngton Post. • ANA executive director
'lernle lath, the guy who invited the HoUBe majority leader,
ams to think that If the comDilttee doesn'tUke 1t. they can
lumpit. ..
''The committee members
were under the Impression that
they were making all the decisions," Rath told the Post, "but
they serve an advisory tune- . _
.tion. rm putting together a
poweilunch. Newt's got a mil• _
Hon-copy book coming out'ln
the fall. I asked Newt and he
said yes."
•

Gngrich~ a~

Opening Plenary
Linda Villarosa (Body & Soul: The Black Women's Guide to Physical Health
and Emotional Well-Being) and 'Tony Kushner (Angels in America) were the
opening speakers. Both were excellent. Villarosa thoughtfully encouraged
the lesbian/gay movement to learn lessons from the Civil Rights movement
Continued on page 10

9

offar he didn't;':_:

'. ~ " -•:.,.._:.'':'~~j'i .. •·'!·~:

~!~:~ ,, ,::... ••.... t:

.;

Rept1,nted from the San Francisco Chronicle Datebook Section,
March 7, 1995

II/1
OutWrite continued from page 9

of the '60s. She urged white gay activists to forge relationships with
black communities and urged all to
do better than just ask for a place
at the table. She also pointed out
that her book is not for Black
women only; that white women
we,.,~ free to search its pages for
useful information just as Black
women have had t.o search through
white women's health books for
ages. Right on, Linda!
Because Cherrie Moraga was ill
and could not attend to give the
Audre Lorde memorial lecture, A
Litany of Survival: The Life and
Work ofAudre Lorde was shown.
The film by Ada Gay Griffin and
Michelle Parkerson has been 10
years in the malting and is stunning. Although they did not provide information about
distribution, the filmmakers can
be reached at Third World Newsreel, 335 W. 38th St., New York,
NY 10018, 212-947-9277.

The Panels
The panels were numerous, and
since I couldn't be in more than
one place at a time, I can only tell
you about those I attended.
• Creative Non-Fiction -A Queer
Genre:-This panel was a great
opener. Minnie Bruce Pratt said
she thinks the great struggle of
this century is between "either/or"
_and "both/and.• A great deal of conversation centered around what is
truth and can one tell the truth
without the facts and about how
we are creating our truth every moment out of the chaos around us. It
was a good mindstretch for my
brain which I fear has become
rusty with ISBNs and bill paying
and it gave me a great new category for the store (for all those
books that aren't exactly fiction or
exactly essays or exactly memoirs).

As a side note, I heard a great deal
(of complaints) from authors about
where their books are shelved in
bookstores.
• Lavender Herrings - Queer
Guilt and Mysteries: This panel
was both a disappointment and
fun. Apparently someone had suggested that guilt might play some
part in our fascination with mysteries. None of the panelists thought
so, so that ended that discussion.
Sandra Scoppetone thought that
life was a mess and mysteries were
neat, and that may explain their
appeal. Someone else (Ellen Hart,
maybe) suggested they are modem
morality tales. A lot of conversation centered around who is reading lesbian/gay mysteries (straight
versus queer).
• Feminism and Lesbian Writing
- Is There a Generation Gap?: I
personally found this one of the
better panels. Rachel Pepper
(Deneuve) claimed young women
are more image conscious. Donna
Allegra said it hurt to hear young
dykes c1 iticize the contlibntions of
those who've been around. She also
cautioned dykes not to think that
the mainstream is representing us
as we are. It was at this panel that
I spoke up about feminist bookstores and the discussion mentioned above went on for a while.
• Gay and Lesbian Fiction Writers
Before and After the Boo~: This
panel was both irritating and enlightening. All the authors on the
panel are published by mainstream houses. Lisa Alther, who
claims to be happily out of touch in
Vermont, said she did not see any
boom happening for lesbians. She
said it was dangerous for women
to forget their feminism and that
women still make only 71 cents to
men's dollar and that it must be
this 29 cents that is allowing men
to buy hardcover books. Carla

10

Tomaso said she could only tell the
story of her own experience of moving from a feminist press to a mainstream press. She dismissed a
question someone had asked at a
previous panel about the difference
between what was being published
at feminist presses and what was
being published at mainstream
presses - too bad; I thought it was
a discussion worth pursuing.
David Groff, the only (ex) editor on
the panel asked how writ.en are
setting their visions. He sees plays
as being more expansive than fiction and asked ifwe have a language to communicat.e across age
differences. He cautioned authors
not to be slaves to their market
and later briefly explained t.o the
audience why they needed to be
buying their books at lesbian/gay
~tores and not superst.ores (no
mention offeminist stores). An audience member repeated information from another discussion: there
seemed to be some agreement between a feminist publisher and a
representative from a large house
that the print run on lesbian/gay titles is probably about the same
whether it occurs at a small press
or a larger one.
• Women in the Shadows - Lesbian Life, Love and Literature Before Stonewall: This panel warmed
the cockles ofmy little lesbian
heart. The great story of the afternoon was from Ann Bannon, who,
it turns out, was mentored by Sandra Scoppetone and Vin Packer
(alias Ann Aldrich alias M.E.
Kerr). Bannon surfaced to talk
about her life. She was an elegant
speaker who advised us "that because someone is masquerading as
a housewife in Southern California
doesn•~ mean the tires aren't burning." She called Barbara Grier a
national treasure and praised her
Continued on page 11

OutWrite continued frorn page 10

for saving women's voices. Grier
talked about the library she and
Donna McBride have donated to the
San Francisco Public Library for the
archives to be housed there. She
also noted that Xerox donated
$250,000 to put all this work on CD
ROM and that the NEA has funded
$216,000 to de- acidify the books.
Donna said that 78% of what has
been catalogued so far has never before been catalogued. Linnea Stetson was the "academic historian" on
the panel and thanked Grier and
Maida Tilchen for the groundbreaking work each of them has done outside the academy which made it
possible for her to even begin to do
academic work in the area oflesbian herst.ory/literature. More than
any panel, this one reminded me of
why I do the work I do and was a
great way to end the conference.
The closing plenary was a perfor-

mance by Luis Alfaro, a MexicanAmerican from L.A I watched a few
minutes ofhis very exciting show,
but had to leave for home. His work
looks good and you might want to
watch for a visit from him to your
O
hometown.

Last Minute
Mail!
"Keep up the good
work! We are already excited
about Feminist
Bookstores Week."
- Prairie Moon Bookstore
Palatine, IL

Berland continued frorn palJe 2

land guests, resulting in some harassment of women by other guests
at the hotels. Kayla and Jennifer
will seriously addreBS this issue
with management at the Charninade if they return to the smaller
hotel for New Year's Eve Ball '95.
• The first year Herland provided
champagne and non-alcoholic champagne at mid.night, but this turned
out to be quite wasteful; the second
year they provided a no-host bar.
• Based on feedback from NYEB
'93, Kayla and Jennifer put a lot
more energy into decorating and
party favors for NYEB '94, and this
went over very well with those who
attended. (They'd love to find a company that produces environmentally
sound party favors and decorations
- if you know of any such suppliers, give Herland a call: 408-429663G.)

• NYEB '93 was professionally videotaped, but Herland didn't keep a
formal guestlist, so the effort didn't
pay off in terms of selling the video
to those who attended (guests were
also given the option to be edited
from the video). A local photographer set up shop at NYEB '94, taking polaroid shots and selling them
to guests. Herland got a percentage
of each sale, and the photographer
got a lot of community "exposure."

PR Panache

IMtwi,,r
11

•And finally, two strategies that illustrate Herland's flair for good public
relations: Since the NYEB is specifically lesbian, Herland will throw a
pool party this summer, open to everyone in the Herland community.
And instead of trying to parcel out
the Peachwood dinner-glitch refund
money to women whose dinner was
served late, Herland will instead
put on a free all•women dance this
o
Spring.

Great Press and Great Promotion
Get the Job Done for Sisterhood
It's every store's nightmare, and
some st.ores' daily reality, but what
really happens when "the chains
come marching in?" It can vary
from region t.o region and from store
to st.ore. For instance, Valley
Women (Fresno) reports that
Barnes & Noble moved in and C:uplicated all of Valley Women's services
(including poetry night and other
kinds of groups), and that people in
Fresno "worship the big st.ore like a
cathedral." Carolyn Gabel at
Reader's Feast (Hartford) told us
that sales - already down 3% from
the recession - dropped 12% the
minute Borders opened, even
though Barnes & Noble had previously opened a store in the area
without causing a similar drop in
business. The difference, says
Gabel, is that Borders actively solicits the customer base of Reader's
Feast. This story illustrates how
crucial it is for feminist bookstores

(and other independents) to educate
the customers they already have.
That kind of education can happen
on many fronts, and media exposure of the real issues involved is
one crucjal strategy. Sisterhood
Books in L.A is a case in point.
Even though a Borders opened up
across the street from them,
through a combined strategy of
good press and an intensive promotional effort, their sales stayed
steady through December.
Here's what the press did for Sisterhood and other local independent
bookst.ores: The Westside, a local
news section of the Los Angeles
1Imes, ran a long and detailed article (by Penelope Moffet) heavily
slanted toward Sisterhood. The
front page features a full-page, fourcolor phot.o of Sisterhhod facing off
Borders and is captioned, "A War of
Words: Sisterhood, an Independent
Bookst.ore in Westwood, Makes a

More Great Press!
My Sisters' Words (Syracuse) recently received some outstanding (and lengthy!) press
in The Herald American, their local paper.
The article, by Katherine Scobey, begins by
talking about Judith's Room closing in New
York City, and goes on to outline the creative
and very successful strategies Mary Ellen
Kavanaugh has come up with to educate her
community about the impact of the chains
and t.o enlist community support to make
sure feminist bookselling continues to survive and thrive in New York State (see
Hotfl.ashes January '95 for Mary Ellen's letter to her community and their overwhelmingly positive response). Congrats Mary
Ellen!
- fbn 0

12

Stand Against a Big National Chain
Opening Across the Street.• (We ran
a small b&w version of this phot.o in
the Bookstore News column in FBN
• 17#6). And the Westsider, a local
L.A independent paper, ran a
smaller article prior to Borders moving in, with a similar front-page
photo, lots of info about local independent booksellers who had closed,
and several paragraphs about
Sisterhood's unique niche in the
L.A. bookselling community. The
Lesbian News and other local papers ran similar articles.
But Sisterhood hasn't left it all up
to the press - they've launched a
concerted promotional effort to educate their community and to draw
new business. The next seven pages
will give you an idea of what Sisterhood has been doing, and what you •
might consider doing at your store.
-Beth 0

SISTERHOOD
b o o k s t · o re
1351 Westwood Boulevard• Los Angeles• CA 90024 • (310) 4ll-7300

When a woman writer is wdcomcd by the mainsttcam press, it gives all of us a sense o f '
accomplishment. Congratulations! At Sisterhood Bookstore we are very excited about your succ.css.

00,

Like other women's bookstores around the country,
Sisterhood has done a great deal in the
last two decades to create an atmosphere of encouragement for women writers--with readings,
signings, and prominent displays. Now that you've "arrived", we hope that you will continue to
support our work. When your publisher's publicity department plans
a tour to promote your
new book, ·we'd Ilk• to be Included.

a

Don't assume that the publicity department will schedule a reading or signing at Sisterhood. They
probably don't even know that we exist. They know about book chains; they often don't know about
independent booksellers.
~

So, since the publicity people may not think to include a stop at Sisterhood, will you take the time
~ to tell them that you'd like them to schedule a reading or signing with us? You have power now.

Women's bookstores, and independent booksellers in general, are in great jeopardy in this economy.
We ·need your help. Please consider it part of your political work to sec that we're included in your
book promotion tour. ~

UPPORT SISTERHOOD BOOKSTORE
UPPORT INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES
For twenty-two years, Sisterhood Bookstore has been taking a stand.
Now we are asking you to stand with us.
Through all the years when women's issues were ·in" and through all the years when they weren't, we have been
here for you. Although there are periodic media announcements that women have at last achieved equality, our overflowing
bookshelves, our crowded bulletin boards, and the posters on our walls tell a different story.
We would like to be able to continue telling that story. This is why we are asking for your
support. Our sales have been down this past year due in part to the recession, the earthquake, and the proliferation of
corporate-owned chain bookstores.
Chain ·superstores· have become a particular problem in recent years to all independent bookstores.
While achain store may carry some of the same titles we do, perhaps at a lower price, profit is always their bottom line, 1 ,
not the concepts and values in the books they are selling. The gender and lesbian studies section in a chain store
•' '
will disappear the moment it ceases to be profitable. And that decision will be made thousands of miles away at
•
,_,.
corporate headquarters. Sisterhood Bookstore is a community resource that stands up for women's and gay rights
whether or not it is popular to do so.
•
Our commihnent to empowering women will never take a back seat to the profit motive.

please turn over

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bookstore
1351 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-477-7300
Open 7 days 10-8

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UPPORT DIVERSITY IN BOOKSELLING!
UPPORT INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES!
Bookstore chains arc in the news again. With the national decline of mall shopping, the big bookstore
chains have found themsdves in financial trouble. In response to this devdopment, they arc striking out
at independent book stores by opening up so called "superstores•. These stores, modded l~dy on large
independents, seek to target the same markets. In many instances the chains open stores ncn door or
across the street from successful independents. Their aim is dearly to ruin these hone table independent
stores and displace them.
But do not be fooled by the chains' broad aisles and stained wood veneer book shelves. 1bey are not
like independents, and their oligopolistic marketing strategy poses a serious thrca~ to diversity in the
book business and in the world of ideas.
The •superstores• arc formula stores, managed from a central office with no real links to the local
communities. Their employees have high _turnover, because they are paid low wages. For the most pan,
they are not experienced booksdlers. Chain book buying for the stores is done at the central offices
without regard for the unique character of the communities they serve. In many cases, these arc the
same buyers who buy for the mass market book stores in the shopping malls. As mass merchants, the
chains conceive of ideas as so much "product,'" to be marketed like cans of tuna.
Retail bookselling is the primary system for the distribution of ideas in.our culture. Publishers may
discover new writers or brilliant and original intellectuals, but booksellers bring these writers and their
ideas to their readers. We are concemecl that th• retail distribution of books Is Increasingly
concentrated in the hands of a few large corporations. Economic concentration is occurring in
many sectors of the world economy, but we feel that book distribution is unique and critically
important to our culture. It is too vital to leave in the hands of a few large corporations.
Bookselling at its best is not just a job: it's a vocation or a calling. Independent booksellers bring their
own individual sensibilities to their stores. They ~ rooted in the communities they serve. Together,
independent booksellers guarantee that there will be a diverse market for the broadest range of books,
not just for highly commercial bestsellers.
The growth of chain stores has been fueled by secret deals and unfair trade practices, advantages
extracted from publishers by the chains' ecor:iomic clout. The Federal Trade Commission has been
investigating these practices for a number of years. These unfair practices have made it more and more
difficult for independent stores to compete with these giants on a level playing fidd.

In the final analysis, the only ally of the independent bookseller is you, the book reading public. In the
name of all that we value in our literary culture, do not let the independent booksdlcr become an
endangered species.

We urge you to support your independent bookstores.
Reprinted from Andy Ross, Cody's Books, Bcrkdcy, California

SISTERHOOD
bookstore

1351 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles• CA 90024
310..cn-1300

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is three blocks south of Wilshire Blvd.,
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a convenient location in the UCLA neighborhood.

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1351 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-◄77-7300 phone

Location: Our location at 1351 Westwood Blvd.

Credit Cards: We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.

Store Hours: Open 7 days,
10:00 am to 8:oo pm.

-~,· Instructor Discount: Instructors

'~~

310-478-9404 fax

1

who order_exclusively through our
store receive A 201 DISCOUNT ON

ALL PUltCHASES FOR THE ENTIRE ACADEMIC YEAR.

Ordering Deadlines: For your convenience YOU MAY
PLACE ORDERS AS LATE AS SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE

Dear UCLA Instructor,

BEGINNING OF THE QUARTER. FOil SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ACCEPT ORDERS ANYTIME.

Thank you for ordering your
text books at Sisterhood Bookstore.

PLACE YOUR ORDERS BY MAIL,

('-'

310-477-7300
Oil FAX 310-478-9404

PHONE

As an independent bookstore in Westwood since 1972,
we apprecjate the support of the UCLA community.
When you order your textbooks through our store,
you treat your students like scholars, sending them to
an environment that educates and empowers them.

Desk copies available upon request.

. Student Discount: Your students will receive a coupon
for 20% off on any non-text book purchase made in our
store during the quarter. For your students' convenience:
shopping in our store is easy; normally no one waits
more than five minutes for service.
Returns 6 Buy-back policy: Our textbook
'~ Jt!!:il returns policy is identical to campus bookstores;
we have a limited buy-back policy. Campus
bookstores buy used texts depending on
• demand, not depending upon where they were purchased.

Thank you.

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Please send in your membership
D $100
one year (valid through 12/951 Priestess of Literacy
D $250
five years • High Priestess of Literacy
D $500
10 years • Goddess of the Printed Word
D $1,000
life membership• Exalted Goddess of the Printed Word
Please tum over for membership information.

MEMBERSHIP CARD:

FRONT

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BACK

'If

Thank you for supporting Sisterhood Bookstore through these economically challenging tnes.
Membership in the Sisterhood Sisterhood entitles you to
1. 10% discount on all purchases
z. Priority mailing for all bookstore events
3. Private pre-holiday sale and gala social gathering
4. Sisterhood Sisterhood t-shirt.
N■ me

Address

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.□ Discover#

Sign1111re

Exp.date

Phone

Sisterhood Bookstore 310-477-7300
M1k1 check payable to Sisterhood llookltore.

1351 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA90024
• Open 7 days 10-8

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am to 8:oo pm.

1351 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Location: Our location at

310-4n-7300

1351

Westwood Blvd. is three blocks south of Wilshire Blvd.,

a convenient location In the UCLA neighborhood.

Dear UCLA Student,

Thank you for purchasing your
text books at Sisterhood Bookstore.

Credit cards: We accept
Also checks with 1.0.

As an independent bookstore in Westwood since 1972,
we appreciate the support of the UCLA community.
Please turn over for additional information.

Returns: Text books are fully returnable for

cash the first three weeks of the quarter. They
may be returned for store credit through the

Thank you.

fifth week. By the beginning of the sixth week
they are no longer returnable.

Bring in this card
anytime this quarter for

20%

Customer Service: Please feel free to call us for

off

any questions or suggestions you may have.

on purchase other than text books
(one time this quarter only).

.!

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STUDENT CARD:

FRONT

DISCOUNT CARD:

BACK

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FRONT

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...............................................................................-...................................................

SISTERHOOD
book1tor1
20% discount on your
I 0th purchase

Slgnolvra

'Y Make a $10 minimt.m p.rchase and gel yotK card stamped.
• On yoLI l 0th p.rchase, presenl your card for a 20% discount

!sale Items and text books excluded).
310-477-7300
1351 Westwood Bouevotd, los Angeles, CA 90024
Special Order /Mlil Order/UPS/800-747•0220

Get Mev'ed!
Ayear or more ago Amazon Bookstore hired
Mev Miller as a community networker. Unable
to attend the Strategic Planning Conference,
Mev wrote up a lot of what she did and sent
along samples of support materials -bro-.
chures, letters, press releases -that she developed along the way. We've reproduced it all here
at the end of this issue. There were so many
great ideas that we kept finding ourselves referring to "needing a mev" (an outreach worker)
and to "meving"- doing great bookstore promotion. Kasha went back to the Book Garden
and hired "a mev" to do 8 hours/week of "meving'' for her store. Does it work? Amazon is holding their own- and growing- despite the
influx of chains in Minneapolis. Several great
new restaurants in the neighborhood are part
of the equation, but they sure do have great
customer loyalty!
There's some wonderful ideas in the following packet. Some are so ready-to-go you can just
copy them onto your own stationery and fly
with them!
Enormous thanks to Mev and to Amazon
Books for putting all of this together and sharing it with the rest of us.

Notes on Community Networking for Feminist Bookstores
(as done by Mev at Amazon)
I spend eight hours of time per week at Amazon focusing on community networking (outreach).
During these hours, the staff has agreed that I NOT be interrupted with the daily business of the
store (no answering phones or working the cash register). Because we have the room·off the sales
floor, I have my own desk and phone and index cards so that I can do this work in an organized
way (a luxury I know few stores probably have!). My job description as first written early
included the following items:
1) contact feminist/women's organizations in the Twin Cities & outstate areas in order to
acivise them of the presence of Amazon Bookstore, remind them of our services, find out the
kinds of work they do (if not immediately obvious) and establish some kind of on-going contact
with them
2) contact (and re-contact) university women's studies professors, especially at the Univ.
of Minn. but also other area colleges. Also, the women's studies depts., women's centers & other
campus organization ... ditto #1. As part of this, I also continue to cultivate the professors in order
to encourage them to order coursebooks from us
3) put together a pamphlet about the stores services and store packet similar to Women &
Children First
4) update and maintain the bulletin boards, resource books, etc.~evelop a sort of
"Welcome Packet" for women new to the area which is kept in the store
I've been doing this work for the past year now and the job has expanded a bit beyond the above
description. What I will list here are some of the strategies rve used, ideas that the staff has
developed, and specific tasks I've done over the past year. They are not listed here in 'any
particular order. Some of them I'm sure you already have done or currently do but it's good for all
of us to be reminded periodically of obvious things,
- having focused, uninterrupted time has been a great help. 8 hours still isn't much which means
that having it be protected time means I get a lot more done with it
- whoever does this work should be good with details, able to do many things simultaneously, be
outrageously creative, have good phone personality, write a good letter, etc. (all the traits
necessary for any feminist bookstore worker!)
- IMMEDIATE follow-up (call backs, thank yous, mailed information, etc.) is essential. I split
my 8 hours into two 4 hour chunks. It gives people more opportunity to reach me and helps my
response time to be a bit quicker. Also, I check in at the store periodically for messages and,
because I mostly work at home, the staff knows they can call me for urgent items (and probably
I'll call back within a day if I happen to be out).
- I'm trying to train myself (and Barb) to think of more things as newsworthy items that deserve a
press release (it's free advertising if you can get the media to use it!). Obviously, you don't want
to do evezything this way, but I think there's a lot more we can do with it than we know. (See the
attached press release I recently did about Amazon's services as an example.) fve put the ,eneral
outline of a press release into the computer so that when I want to, I can just fill in the particular
details

- develop a media list: TV, radio, newspapers, community papers & special interest papers AND
DON't FORGET-a lot of organizations have mailing lists and regular newsletters. If they think
it's important to their constituency, they include it so send press releases to them too as
appropriate!
- we have a monthly newsletter that Barb puts together with new books, events, etc. I try as much
as possible to put some community networking item in it: reminder about the resource books, call
for volunteers, reminders that we sell books at conferences, etc.
- many o~~ the organizations etc. are on our mailing list in the computer so that they will get our
newsletter but I keep my own file box of organizations close at hand (I don't alwais have access
to the computer and, oersonally, this is one thing I prefer to do the "old-fashioned way). Items
on the card include: organization name, address, phone number, contact person and dated notes
about any kind of interaction I have with them including mailings sent
- get hold of any local community directories you can. I have the following: Women's Press
Business Directory (contains many women's businesses and organizations), CerNet Directory
(contains all the gay and lesbian groups, businesses, etc.)., Black Yellow Pages, Asian-American
Yellow Pages, First Call for Help (several state regional locations-service organizations
compiled by the United Way)-and rm always looking for more. Advertisements in community
papers also have helped me add to my lists
- look through with a watchful eye as many local community papers as you can stand. Around
here, there's a lot: 2 gay papers, the women's press, Asian Pages, 2 Native American papers, 2
African-American papers, a paper for the recovery community and more-and as many
organizational newsletters that may get mailed to you. I pay special close attention to the
women's and gay papers. I look for event advertising, community groups I might not already
know about, specific kinds of news-anything that will put me in touch with imr,?rtant groups or
individuals. I've been able to glean a lot of infonnation from this and it has provided me with
some ideas for other events, etc. that we can do. I also use it as a way to find out who is
sponsoring conferences. I contact them so that we can get asked to do sales at their next event! (I
also do this too with event flyers that come in from organizations,)
- get on as many mailing lists as you can. I haven't done it yet but a future idea I have is to start
putting them in a place where our customers can read these newsletters too!
- keep a log of everything you do and read through it periodically. For one thing, it reminds you
of how muchlou've done, especially when you feel like you've done nothing! Also, it helps
remind you o good ideas you once had and helps you remember if you did something in
particular or not (especially useful for us aging, getting forgetful types!).
.
- This is what I did for contacting organizations:
a) wrote a letter introducing them to the store (copy attached)
b) followed up with a phone call a few weeks later to see if they had any questions or if
there was anything in particular we could do for them at this time - also to update
and make sure we had the appropriate contact person
c) a couple of months later, I sent them a brochure about the store reminding them they
could have extra copies for their waiting room (in some cases, I hand delivered
multiple copies and I call them periodically to see if they want more!)
d) at this stage, it's important to get real creative. I don't want to bug them but I do want
them to know I'm still interested in them. I created a Hot Flash sheet on which I can
write down new titles and send it to the organizations. I try to make it as appropriate,
specific and timely as possible (see attached copy). Sometimes, I call them-NOT

OFfEN. Sometimes, I send a note if I notice they got some good press about
something (congratulations on ... or whatever)
- We give a 10% discount to women's organiz.ations-sometimes this gets extended to nonprofits that have specific services for women. With the help of our bookkeeper, I developed a
Tenns Sheet and "credit app." for organiz.ations wanting to set-up an account with us in addition
to buyinJ, at organiz.atiorial discount. I OONT send this out to everyone-only those who look
like they 11 really buy or who indicate they have a library or whatever. (Examples attached)
- As I have the time and w.i.th the slightest provocation, I will create a bibliography for just about
anything! Usually they're st:ort or fairly specific. For example, we've had reason in the east to
make one on breast cancer i~sues. Recently, I updated it and sent it to the various orgamz.ations
around town that specifically provide services {or women with breast cancer (sent along w/ info
on setting up an organiz.ational account with us!!). As it turned out, we also sold books at a breast
cancer conference and took the bibliographies to that as well. Usually, I create bibliographies
upon request of organizations but sometimes I take the initiative and just create them Recently, I
noticed OWL was doing an bus tour for elders on retirement communities. I put together a
bibliography of the 5-10 books we had for women on retirement planning etc. and sent it to them.
We'll see what happens! Also, if I make a bibliography for a particular organization, I also look
around to see who else might be interested in it and send it to them as well. For example,
someone wanted a booklist on women with disabilities for an event-I sent cofies of it to the two
access publications in town for their newsletters ·and a few other organizations.
- BE SURE your bibliographies have the store name, address and phone number on them, the
date they were created, a mention that its a partial list and invite them to the store to see the
growing number of titles on the topic, and--if you mailorder-how they can get the book from
you if they don't come to the store AND that you're happy to special order any other books that
may not be listed or currently in stock!
- create a brochure about the store and its services (Amazon copy attached). Take it with you
wherever you go, especially when you sell at events. I try to remember to keep a stash of
brochures, newsletters, and business cards in my car because I just never know when I'll find a
place to leave them. Encourage staff members to do the same! (We tend NOT to just leave them
on the store counter for customers-they are expensive and get used as scrap paper BUT we do
have them close by for those times when it's really good to hand them to someone!) I stick them
in correspondence all the time as appropriate.
- About conferences: Amazon has done them for years. In the past, we've generally had
organizations come to us and we would do them depending on timing, profitability, etc. As we
all know, they're hard work, sometimes with little return, create stress on our budgets, backs and
staff hours. BUT they do generate goodwill, visibility, new customers and sometimes good sales.
After a few months of doing outreach, the staff decided that I should also be the one to
coordinate events. The rule is this: if it doesn't cost too much (for the table), isn't too far away,
and I can guarantee someone (usually me) to staff it, then (most likely) we'll do it. Of course,
there's plenty we tum down. But with me taking more responsibility we are now taking more on.
And I am working on cultivating them too-I continually remind organizations that they should
ask us to sell books at their events. BUT, BUT, BUT sometimes, we don't have to go but can still
be present. Several times this year, we have not gone to events and I have arranged for us to have
brochures, bookmarks, newsletters and BIBLIOGRAPHIES at the event. This, at least, gives us
. some visibility to audiences who may not know us. Also, the store will sometimes take an ad in a
program book and invite people to the store with a 10% discount if th~ bring the ad with them.
We do this less often but it works especially well for events when they re at the Mpls. Conference
Ctr (within walking distance) or a big hotel near us.

- in addition to setting up conferences, being sure there's staff coverage, etc. I also help the
buyers a little bit in deciding what books need to be pulled or ordered. Because I've talked to the
people, I sometimes have a better sense of it-and it gives the buyers some relief. The biggest
problem, of course, is learning how much to bring, when to know what conferences are likely to
really work, and balancing the buying budget all around it! (Barb and Donna can tell you more
about this)
•
- Though Barb does most of the event planning, I .sometimes work with her to generate ideas for
special things we can do that will appeal to various communities that may not usually come to
the store. Some of these events have included:
- Open House for women's organizations
- Riot Grrls Read Out (a hopefully on-going event)
- Patrick was a Patriarch (an 1mti-St. Pat's day event where we celebrated the goddess)
- International No Diet Day Discussion Group
- with MCASA (a group working against sexual assault) we did a panel discussion and
strategy workshop for sexual assault awareness month
- Open House for students and faculty soon after school started its fall session
- we borrowed an old idea from Lammas that came to us via Donna. I created a book prescription
pad and sent it to all the area health care providers, therapists, counseling centers, naturopathic
providers, etc. We also have a sample on our front bulletin board and encourage therapists to ask
for them (some do). Though I've never actually seen a customer walk into the store with the piece
of paper in their hands, I have received several letters of praise from health care workers
thanking us for them and saying they would use them. In a few months, I plan to call around and
see who actually did use them and if they need more. (see attached copy of pad and
accompanying letters)
- This is what I did with University Professors:
(we're fortunate to already have several profs who are supportive of the store. They send students
on assignments, order coursebooks, and more. They have also been good enough to provide us
with contact names and other suggestions.)
a) call the women's center, the women's studies department or any other human resources
part of the university that can supply you with a faculty list- both women's studies professors
and any others who are supportive. In many universities, women who teach women's studies type
courses are actually in other departments-English, History, whatever- so you have to be
persistent and always on the watch. Get a course catalogue showing the professors' names if you
can. Whenever students come in looking for something, fll often ask them the name of the
professor and add it to my list (it's surprising, though, how many DON'T know the profs name!!)
This has to be done regularly since there's always new faculty. And try to find the TA's too!
b) sent a letter to the profs introducing them to the store and what we have to offer,
encouraging them to order coursebooks from us, and encouraging them to have the students use
us as a resource center. etc.
c) it's too hard to get them by phone so I don't try-but periodically send them a personal
note if necessary
d) sent them a letter at the end of the school year thanking them for their support through
out the year and reminding them to keep us in mind for the fall semester
e) sent them an invitation to our back-to-school open house
- BE AUDACIOUS. At the beginning of the vacation season, I sent gay-friendly and women
travel agents a list of the travel guides we have and other appropriate books (such as canoeing,
etc.). With 8th Mtn. and Feminist Press doing more travel books, this ought to grow in the future.
I also sent a list of our self-defense books to the local women's martial arts programs.

- Look out for speaking engagements. The Women's Consortium here does a wee.kly brown bag
lunch. They invite women to come over for an hour lunch and they feature an organizational .
speaker or topic each week. I called up and asked if I could speak on behalf of the bookstore and
generally about supporting woman-owned businesses and specifically about chain bookstore
competition and the politics etc. Few women showed up that week BUT they always summarize
the lunches in their weekly newsletter so what I had to say did get out to a larger audience. I hope
to find more such opportunities in the future.
- I've been trying to figure out ways of getting girls into the store as well. The Riot Grrl event
was a way of trying to appeal to youth. I'm also hoping to do more with District 202 which is a
local organization that services gay/lesbian youth. An.d with some local VISTA volunteers who
were working with a girls program in the parks and I'e4.Teation system, we started a reading group
for girls. They have since decided to meet outside the store but I do occasionally ?7- to get them
to an in-store event. They have been doing their own ,::riting and have produced a zine so we
want to have a launching party for it in the store! I also want to expand this program with the girl
scouts and girl power program.
- The store has not typically used volunteers but periodically women ask us if they can help out.
I'm starting to take names and phones numbers with the idea of having them help us in certain
ways. I especially want to have women feel like the store is important for them and to have them
help us to PR and whatever!
- try to work with local organizations about certain theme months. In addition to Black History,
Women's History and Lesbian/Gay, there's also assorted others. Earlier in the year, we worked
with an organization for Sexual Assault Awareness month. We create a bibliography of books
and put it in a display of books along with brochures from the organization. In October, we did it
for Lupus Awareness Month. The Lupus Foundation sent us posters and brochures that we put
out with books and bibliography. It gives the organization visibility and they love it. In addition,
I send to them extra copies of bibliographies and store brochures that they take with them to their
events as well!
- whenever I send stuff out to new organizations, I try to follow-up with a phone call
- for general letters, don't put dates on them! that way, you can Xerox a bunch and have them to
send out as necessary (BUT -be sure to date press releases!)
- I keep a file of all the correspondence I get back from people.
- we tried a "Design an Amazon Float" contest for iay pride but it didn't work. rm not sure why.
(in exchange for a gift certificate, we asked for designs for a float that we could take in the pride
parade.)
- at staff meetings, I try to solicit input and ideas from other staff members about connections,
event ideas, resources etc. Because we all travel in different circles, this gives me some insight
and ideas that I otherwise wouldn't get. I also try to have staff help me with certain projects as
·well.
- I think the most useful thing is to have general brainstorming sessions. Also, I tend to have
huge, scattered, and outrageous ideas. I purposefully try to think big and broad knowing that
there's no way we can possibly do everything. BUT I find it useful to have a pool of ideas and
then scale them down to some sort of manageable size. The biggest challenge is to try and get
new clientele into the store.

- once you've started this sort of networking project, everything has to happen over and over
again. It's imJX)rtant not to drop the ball and to stay as visible as possible-not only to those who
are already using the store but for new folks as well.
This is a list of projects that I haven't started yet but hope to tackle in the upcoming year.
- according to one of our staff people who works in corporate America, there's a growing group.
of women who are coming into feminist consciousness who work in the burbs and don't have a
clue about women's bookstores. She and I will strategize on how to reach this crowd. It's possible
that a "bookmobile to the burbs" might help and some other clever marketing projects.
- I really want to do some work with women's literacy programs. It seems natural to me that
businesses centered around reading and women's words ought to have some contact with the
community of new women readers. rd like our bookstores to be comfortable places for them. I
see this project as two-fold. First of all, I'd like to have actual "classes" or tutoring sessions
happen at the bookstore. I know this isn't possible for many stores due to space limitations but we
have a bit of room and I'd like to make some room for it in the store. Secondly, I want to figure
out how we can create feminist literacy materials for women. So much of the work is not only
about reading but also about basic life skills information. I know some of the literacy materials
do cover issues like women's health, pregnancy etc. but I think there's more that we can do as
well (e.g., materials on sexual harassment and violence, self-esteem, women's history and
biographies, lesbian reading materials, etc. -I'd like to find one women's publisher willing to
help develop this!) I'm planning to do more research on this in the upcoming months.
- I know that some libraries have discretionary budget and that they sometimes buy books
through local bookstores. I want one of those stores to be Amazon. Also, I have a contract with
18 women's presses to promote their books into libraries. I'm going to try a pilot project at
Amazon and hopefully extend it out to other women's bookstores. My idea 1s this: to have a
reception at the store hosted by Amazon and the women's presses participating in the library
project. I will invite librarians to the store so they can know what we have to offer, provide a big
display of books of the publishers in the library project, and serve refreshments (in Minn. there's
already a library organization working to connect librarians with each other -I will co-sponsor
the event with this group). This event will promote the store and promote the women's presses
and hopefully encourage them to use Amazon as a resource place to buy their supplement of
women's studies books. After I do it here and see how it goes, I will be contacting other stores
for similar events.
- Because Minnesota is so big and we're basically it for the state, I want to figure out a way of
doing an outstate bookmobile (an idea who's time might never come!) At the very least, I want to
expand out mail-order capacity throughout the state. The FBNetwork catalogue might just be a
catalyst for that.
- Sponsor events with other community centers in the Twin Cities
- Do some in-store music events that will promote the music that we sell and get women who
may not be book buyers into the store for sidelines and music. Also, I want to promote some of
the music we sell to dance and meditation groups. I realize that I tend to think ONLY about •
promoting our books (weird, huh?) but have to remind myself.-and others-that we have a lot
more to offer!

Amazon
BOOKSTORE
..

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

Dear Women's Service Provider/Organization:
Greetings from the Amazon Bookstore.
I am writing to you on behalf of the Amazon Bookstore for the purpose of
advising (or reminding) you of our services. I would also like to make
personal contact with you so as to learn how we can be of on-going
assistance to your organization:
As you may know, Amazon is a full-service feminist bookstore which
specializes in books, sidelines, and music for all women and girls and
their friends. Amazon is the oldest women's bookstore in the United States.
As a woman-owned business focused on the words and ideas of women, we have
a strong commitment to networking with and serving various women's
communities. Therefore, we want to offer several resources to your
organization. These include:
- provide a 10% organizational discount on all books ordered
- order books of interest to your organization (special
orders)
- provide books and/or book displays for your meetings or
conferences
- post flyers or brochures on Amazon's bulletin boards
advertising your services, special events, job openings,
and so on
- provide ticket sales outlet for women's concerts and other
related events
- offer book knowledge and book lists on special topics
- give your organization brochures (in quantity) describing
Amazon's services
- mail to you the monthly Amazon newsletter
In the next few weeks, I will contact you by phone to learn how we can be
of assistance to your organization. (Or, you may contact me on Mondays at
the store.) If you are interested, I am also willing to meet with you
and/or your staff for a short information sharing·meeting.
We look forward to working with you in the future as a way of providing
Minnesotan women with a variety of resources and information.
Sincerely,
Mev Miller
Community Outreach

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W;F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

Amazon Boobto~ is located at the
north edge of Loring Park, just off
Hennepin by Minneapolis Community
College.

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Lyndale/Hennepin Exit Go North on
Hennepin to Maple (by Basilica of St. Mary).
Turn Right on Maple. Turn Right on Harmon
Place. We are mid-block on the right side.
•Prom South or North, take 1-35 to 1-94 West,
then follow the directiom above.
From the West, take 1-94 to Hennepin/
Dunwoody. Tum left at bottom of exit. Right
on Maple. Right on Harmon Place.
Street meter parking Is available.

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Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-338-65(,o

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Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-338-6560

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M,W: 10:00-9:00
T,lb,F: 10:00-7:00
Sat: 10:00-600 Sun: 10:00-5:00

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BOOKSTORE

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Vlsrr 'DIE OIDEST FFMINIST BOOKSTpRE IN 'DIE COUNTRY AND BROWSE
111ROUGH OUR EXTENSIVE SELECO0~ OF BOOKS, MUSIC, AND GIFTS.
OUR SfAFF IS FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLB-ANXI0US TO HELP Wl11I
YOUR QUESTIONS.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
PmwsoPHY
Amazon Bookstore is a full-service
feminist bookstore for all women,
girls and their friends. We offer a
diversity of books, gifts, music and art
by, for and about women. Amazon
provides products and services that
foster and encourage the strength,
wisdom, beauty and diversity of
women, girls and our families.
B<>oK SECDONS INCllJDE

Non-racist/Non-sexist Books
for Children
Violence Against Women
Women of Color Fiction/Non-fiction
Health
Parenting & Education
Lesbian Fiction & Culture
Spirituality
Feminist Theory
Ecology/Ecofeminism
International Fiction
Mysteries and Science Fiction
Travel
Poetry
Psychology and Self-Help
Cookbooks
Blank Books and Journals
Sale Books and Remainders
and more ....

lfERsToRY
In 1970, two industrious women
gathered books, manifestos, periodicals and other writings of the
emerging women's movement and
offered ·them for sale out of their
home. This was the birth of Amazon
Bookstore. In order to make the
information more available, the store
moved to the Lesbian Resource
Center. Since then, Amazon has had
two other storefront homes before
moving to our current Loring Park
location. In its earliest days, Amazon
primarily carried writings on social
theory. Later the stock expanded to
include fiction and poetry. As the
feminist movement grew, affecting
every area of women's lives,
Amazon grew to accommodate and
reflect the new needs. Currently we
stock thousands of books by women
on a great variety of topics. In our
commitment to encourage women
artists, we carry a wide selection of
unique woman-made gifts and music.
The store is owned and run
by a worker collective.

't

We c.any More 1ban
Just Books/!!
Glft5 and Art
Jewelry, Pottery, Posters, T-shirts,
Cards, Vibrators & Safe Sex Items,
Buttons, Bumperstickers,
and much more.....
Music by Women: CD's & Cassettes
Magazines & Newspapers

SERVICES & REsoURCES
-Membership program for store discounts
-Large Audio and Video rental selection
-Author readings and special events
-Book groups
-Monthly discussion groups
-Organizational discounts
-Ticket sales
-Assistance to teachers, women studies
. departments, libraries,-:....for planning,
purchasing and ordering
-Sales at conferences and special events
-Full national & international mail-order
service
-Discount on Book of the Month
-Bulletin board and housing book
-Monthly newsletter & mailing list
-Special orders

MC/VISA Welcome
Wheelchair Accessible
Child Friendly/Male Friendly

Amaz,n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

For Imnediate Release
Contact Person: Mev Miller
612-338-6560 '
October 10, 1994

Amazon Bookstore Expands Role
as Women's Community center
Minneapolis, MN -- In anticipation of its 25th Anniversary in
1995, Amazon Bookstore (the oldest continuing women's bookstore in
the North America) has expanded its commitment to serve women as a
community resource center. Founded during the feminist movement in
1970, Amazon Bookstore has continued to

serve women not

only

through its large selection of women's books but by acting as a
clearinghouse for information and resources which address the needs
of or provide serves to women and children.

To revitalize and continue . this tradition, Amazon Bookstore has
updated its resource books and bulletin boards, expanded its weekly
prog~amming, started several book groups, and added a community
networking staff position. Future plans include remodelinq the back
of the store for additional gatherinq space, utiliz~nq volunteers,

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
-

.

Hours: M,W 10:00-9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

and faci 1 i ta ting more open houses and social gatherings·.

These

activities are welcome additions to the on-goinc;;r work don~ by the
store: ticket sales, book sales at area conferences, orc;;ranizational
discounts,

creation of informational subject lists, mail-order

services, monthly newsletter, and much more.

Organizations which serve the needs of or sponsor events for women
and children are encouraged to send information to Amazon Bookstore
for inclusion in the resource books and to provide event flyers for
posting. If you are interested in any of the above listed services
or would like someone from the store to come and speak with your
organization

or

staff,

please

contact

Mev

Miller,

Community

Networking Coordinator, 612-338-6560.

Our mission statement: Amazon Bookstore is a full-service feminist
bookstore for all women, c;;rirls and their friends.

It offers a

diversity of books, gifts, music and art by, for and about women.
Amazon provides products and services that foster and encourage the
strength, wisdom, beauty and diversity of women, girls and our
families. The store is worker-owned.

fl##

Amazon.
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

TERMS AND PROCEDURES FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTS
AT THE AMAZON BOOJCSTORE
- Organizations qualify for a 101 discount on BOOKS ONLY.
additional discounts apply.)

(No

- Completed credit form and tax exempt number must be on file at
Amazon Bookstore.
- oroanizations may also place special orders for books not in
stock. PLEASE NOTE, some special order books may not qualify for a
discount. Please check with a buyer BEFORE special orderino books.
Please allow 4-6 weeks for special orders.
- Books may be purchased in person or by mail or phone.
- We wi 11 ship books by UPS if requested. UPS needs a street
address to deliver. The shipping and handl ino charges are $3. 00 for
the first book and $.35 for each additional book.
- Payment may be made to Amazon at time of purchase with a business
check.
- Our terms are net 30 days for books purchased on account.
- Make checks payable to: Amazon Bookstore.
- Please remember: We can provide a suggested list of titles on any
subject. Also, we are willing to sell books at conferences and
special events.
Please do not hesitate to phone if you have additional questions.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W~ 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

CREDIT FORK FOR ORGAHIZATONS
Date:
Organization
Shlpplnr _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Addref",ll

Billing
Address

Fax f ___________

Phone f

Director's Name....;__________________________
Contact Person .for Accounts Payable __________________
Phone I for Accounts Payable
Persons authorized to buy books on account at Amazon:

Tax ·Exempt #:
Please check all that apply:

___n.on-prof 1t
___privately run

___for-profit

___government agency

___other (be specific)

We would most be interested in buying boots ln the following aubject areasa

Please put us on the malling list.

_ __.Yes

___,no

Authorized Signature:
(please return this completed form to Kath Sharp at the Amazon Btstr)
1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,Th 10:30 - 9:00, T,W;F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

•

~ Book Prescription .

AN Ut\~pll"

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Amaron Bookstore
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-338-6560
M,W 10:00 • 9:00
T,Th,F 10:00 - 7:00

Sat. 10:00 - 6:00
Sun. 10:00 - 5:00
.•

•.

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Feminist Bookstore in the U.S.

Amazon Bookstore
This title recently arrived in our bookstore. We thouqht it miqht
be of interest to your orqanization.

- Organizational discount: 101
- With an easy credit application, we can set-up your
orqanization with an account.
- MC/Visa are welcome.
- We are happy to ship books via UPS. The cost is $3.50
for the 1st book and $.SO each additional.
For more information on this or any other title, please call · us durinq
reqular business hours.
Thank you for your on-qolnq suppoit.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,W 10:00-9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

Dear Health Care Professional:
I am writing to you on behalf of Amazon Bookstore for the purpose of advising
(or reminding) you of our services. As you may know, Amazon Bo«;)kstore is a
full-service feminist bookstor~ which specializes in books, Qifts, and music
for all women and girls and ··: hoir friends. As a woman-owned business focused
on the words and ideas of women, we have a strong commitment to serving
various women's communities. Enclosed is a copy of our . brochure which
explains the many products and services we offer.
Because of our focus, we are able to carry a very broad range of topics and
titles of interest to women and Qirls. These areas include but are not
limited to: self-help and psycholoqy; incest, rape and other forms of
violence against women; spirituality and personal growth; issues of midlife
and ageing; recovery issues and meditation books; health issues including
breast cancer and AIDS and alternative and conventional methods of healing;
issues of importance to teenagers such as sexuality, drug use, self-esteem
and so on; and much more. If a particular title does not happen to be in
stock, we are more than willing to special order it.
We imagine that there are opportunities for you to recommend titles to your
clients for their own use. We ask you to please recommend Amazon (if
appropriate) as a resource for the types of books mentioned above. If you
would like, we can send you additional copies of our brochure to place in
your waiting room or on your bulletin board. In addition, we are happy to
provide when possible a list of titles available on a specific topic of
interest to you.
Amazon frequently hosts author appearances for many different kinds of books.
There may be times that you and/or your clients may want to have the
opportunity to hear these authors read from their works. These events are
announced in our monthly newsletter. Please let us know if we .can add you to
our mailing list .
Thank you for your interest in the Amazon Bookstore. Please stop by and visit
us. If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to call.
Sincerely,

Mev Miller
Community Outreach

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,'R{ 10:30.; 9:00, rlQ,F 10:30-7:00
Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:00

Amazon

.

.

BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

Dear Health Care Provider,
We recently wrote to you about the ■ ervlce ■ provided by Amazon
Bookstore. As you know, ·we· carry a wide selection of tl tles
specifically for women on many health related issues. Some of these
areas include: eatino disorders, chemical dependency and recovery, ·
sexual abuse and violence, cancer and other medical concerns, aelfesteem, relationships, spiirltual well-belno and much more. We
invite and encouraoe you to come and browse our shelves.
We assume there may be times when you reconnend to your clients
books that you believe would be particularly helpful for them. We
are enclosinq a "book ·prescription" pad for your u■ e in jottino
down those books. As always, we are happy to special order books
that may be out-of-stock or t ·l t lea that we normally do not carry.
Please let us know lf you want more of these notepad ■. Thank you
_for your contlnulno support of Amazon Bookstore.
Sincerely,

Mev Miller
Community Hetworklno
P.S. our
business
resource
bulletlQ

resource book 'ls now up-to-date. We are happy to put your
cards in the card file, place your aervlcea flyer in the
book, and post notices of events and claasea · on our
boards.

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M, W.10:00-9:00, T,,r,,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Amazon
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore In the U.S.

WOMEN AND BREAST CANCER

The following is a partial list of titles available at .Amazon Bookstore on
the subject of women and breast cancer. This particular area of women's
health is constantly expanding - new books come i nto the store regularly.
Please stop by for a wider selection. We are happy to take special orders for
titles you do not find. We will also fill mail or phone orders via UPS.
Medical Information
Breast Cancer: A Handbook, Linda Harris Brown, $8.95 (A basic guide for
gathering information, understanding the diagnosis, and choosing the
treatment)
The Breast Cancer Handbook: Taking Control After You've Found a Lump, Joan
Swirsky and Barbara Balaban, $10.00 (*)
Cancer as a Woman's Issue: Scratching the Surface, edited by Midge Stocker,
$10.95

(*)

Challenging the Breast Cancer Legacy: A Program of Emotional Support and
Medical Care for Women at Risk, Renee Royak-Schaler and Beryl Lief£ Benderly,
$10.00

Choices, Marion Morra & Eve Potts, $15.00 (The new, most up-to-date
sourcebook for cancer information-from medications and modern therapies to
the latest research, procedures and diagnostic technologies.)
Confronting Cancer, Constructing Change: New Perspectives
Cancer, edited by Midge Stocker, $11.95 (*)

on Women

and

Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, Dr. Susan Love, $14.95 (*)
Estrogen and Breast Cancer: A Warning to Women, Carol Ann Rin2ler, $22.00
How to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer: Featuring the Revolutionary,
Nutritional Guidelines Scientists Believe Can Make a Real Difference, Jon
Michnovicz, MD, and Diane Klien, $21.95
One in Three: Women with Cancer Confront an Epidemic, edited by Judy Brady,
$10.95

Patient No More: The Politics of Breast Cancer, Sharon Batt, $16.95 (*)
Tamoxifen & Breast Cancer, Michael DeGregorio and Valeri_e Wiebe, $10.00
Women Talk About Breast Surgery: From Diagnosis to Recovery, Arny Gross and
Dee Ito, $10.95

1612 Hannon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560

Hours: M,W 10:00 - 9:00, T,Th,F 10:00-7:00
Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

Personal Stories
Affirmations, Meditations and Encouragements for Women Living with Breast
Cancer, Linda Dackman, $11.00
Breast Cancer Journal: A Century of Petals, Juliet Wittman, $14.95
Cancer in Two Voices, by Sandra Butler and Barbara Rosenblum, $12.95 (*)
The Cancer Journals, Audre Lorde, $7.00 (*)
Examining Myself: One Woman's Story on Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery,
Musa Mayer, $10.95
My Breast: One's Woman's Story, Joyce Wadler. $16.95
No Less a Woman: Ten Women Shatter the Myths about Breast Cancer, Deborah
Hobler Kahane. MSW, $11.00
Stories of Hope and Healing:
Strong, MD, $14.95

Six Women Confront Breast Cancer, Leslie E.

Recommended General Health Books
All Women Are Healers: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Healing, Diane Stein,
$12.95
Every Woman;s Body: Everything You Need to Know to Make Informed Choices
about Your Health, Diana Korte, $15.00
The Gynecological Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About ... , M. Sara
Rosenthal, $25.00
The New Our Bodies, Ourselves: Updated and Expanded for the ~90s, Boston
Women's Health Book Collective, $20.00
The Ourselves, Growing Older: A Book for Women over Forty, Paula Doress.Woters and Diana Laskin Siegal, $18.00

..

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BOOKSTORE

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University Professor:

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fr_om the_Amazon Bookstore.
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wri tinq to you on behalf of ·. the Amazon Bookstore ·tor· d1e _j>urpose of .•.

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!i~:1~'.:'} ~~i sin cf_<_~r r~ 1_n~ i ~ q) 7;o ~ -t f·-· ~~:~-- ,' !;~-~~;~:~~ ~ .~a :~--.:,:·. /. ·:
~?<I As you may know, ·Amazon 1s a ful l_;stii'rvice'·· feminfst· bookstore i~whi',~h .. :,>:-.: ·:. :--,.,:.: ' .·,,·
i::\t, ·s pecializes in -books, •. sidel !nes , ,_ and music ;.for a .11 women :anc(;qi:r},s \ind ff.
·r •·:: ·t .h eir friends. Amazon is the oldest women• ·s :bookstore --in -; the· unifad :·stat'es '.
:~~'/.:._, As a woman-owned business ·focused ori the feminist words and :i"dea·s ·· of women, ·
;~ ;r·~~ ·we have a stronq commitment to . networkinQ with women ·p rofessor~•·•nd ·>, ·;.· / _ :_.

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~ !udents __ 1_n universities and _col~ _e o:_s/·;.~- _ '::;.:~/:'.~:;·;

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:/.:..:·._ Therefore, we would like to offer· several resources to you. These include:
::y;:-'. _ .:
· - a depth of feminist and women's writinqs not usually . found '. ,:
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•
• in most other bookstores ,.:;,,_· · .. :.;.• __;:·::,· ._ · .;_ •. ·\;:/,<,: a:~·:·
- . a wi 11 inqness to order coursebooks for yo_ur. students . ::-: ·::<··
a willlnqnesstooffer book knowledqe and book lists on
· special topics ·.·
•··.
. • . •.
• •.•• • • • • .
.

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(!¾.;1~\-'"F/\''.~': a · broc_hure about Amazon that we·· can · provide in·q,1arit:°it'y ? fo/ :·;i . </~·. ':
./-:'':-.-:. ___. . .: ·
handout purposes
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~i:}/:.j,e · encouraqe you to ·. use Amazon · as ·a resource: center, : to advise ·, your ·•• · ::: =:.\_ •..... ..
:,¥J(.: students .· to use us as · a resource for feminisf books __o1')nan.y , topics; : a11d.: ~.o . _.·
·::i/f'--•. consider Amazon as •a friendly pl ace that wi 11 . seriously address •y-our . :_: • -/ ·.~ .
/~t?:'/:·, f einin is t book needs . Not · on 1y do we •carry ' books / :but·.we a1so 'carry . · .,~ · ·_: \ : -<.'
·/a/:-~~ maqazines and newspapers, : gifts, and music by, for, and about women. In· • . .: •
{:.,\ '~· :addition, our bulletin boards provide space for _- the community·· to post ':::.: .· :·.
~{t\.· events, qatherinqs, and other _information. · · , • . : .. • ·.·.· - --: '· . •••• •.: ·•-·· .... · -·

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i {/i:<If .you are interested:, . I would . be wi 1
to·•·-~eet wi ~h ·you· -~~~i·~ r:· your •• -: _·.:··
•+:Slts .t udents for a short information sharinq meet~.·ng. ;·Y.o u. : art! . al.so -,w,lcome tC? .i/· arranqe a "field trip" to .Amazon .with .your students:-:so __ that - we :,can .show you
{(?> what we offer.
·
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~f;t· ·w·e · look

forward to · workin·o with you in th:e . future. ~~ :~ . ~ay of ·t ~~vldinq the
:.'}{f:<,.university and colleqe communities with
variety of __feminist ·and women's

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Amaz,n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore ln the U.S.

May, 1994
Dear University Professor:
As the end of the reqular school year comes to a close, we'd like to th?nk
those of you who have ·supported Amazon Bookstore in a variety of ways
throuqhout this past year. We enjoy beino a resource center for you and your
students.
•
Because we are a feminist bookstore committed to keeplno women's words and
thouqhts available to all women, we ask that you keep us in mind as you make
your plans for the .next fall semester and school year. We will continue to
provide the followlno services:
- order titles that you'd like to use as coursebooks
- provide recommended lists of new and /or important titles in various
subject areas
- provide the opportunity for you to brino students on a "field trip" to
the store or attend one of your classes to discuss the herstorical
and political importance of women's bookstores and woman-owned
businesses as well as provide an overview of the types of books we
carry
- sell books at special events or conferences
In September, we plan to hold a special open house for university ~tudents
and professors. We'll send more information as the time approaches. If you
advise us of new faculty members supportive of our efforts, please pass their
names on to us so that we may add them to our invitation list.
Whether you're working or playing in the next few months, we hope you enjoy
a happy summer. 'We look forward to seeing you aoaln sometime soon . And,
aqaln, thank you for your contlnuino support.
Sincerely,

ler
Community Networklnq

Mev Ml l

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
.

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'l1i..A

Hours: M~ 10:80 - 9:00, T,lf,F 10:&0-7:00
Sat 10:60-6:00, Sun 14:00-5:00

Amaz@n
BOOKSTORE

Oldest Femlnlst Bookstore ln the U.S.

May, 1994
Dear Travel Aqent:
We know that this is a busy time of year for travel aoents as
people begin to make ' plans for the summer. We also know that you
may have lesbian or oay clients who have special requests for
places that are lesbian and gay friendly or that specifically cater
to their interests and needs.
We regularly stock a rather laroe selection of titles that would be
of interest to the lesbian or oay traveller looking for listings of
these kinds of places. We enclose copies of this list for your use .
Please feel free to copy it to oive to your clients.
Thank you for your support of Amazon Bookstore. Don't hesitate to
let us know if we can be of additional help to you in the future.
We wish you a prosperous season and a happy summer!
Sincerely,

• Mev Miller
Community Networkino

w
Th
Hours: M,'lh 10:BO - 9:00, T,lf,F 10~0-7:00
Sat 10~0-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00

1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-6560
.... .. .. . .

-· • .: •••. .•.... •

··• •-·

.. . • · ..

• ··

·• · ·-

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Amazon Bookstore
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis, _MN 55403
612-3389'.6560

TRAVEL GUIDES ARD OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST TO THE TRAVELLER
May 1994
Travel Guides
(All of these ouldes are lesblan _and 'oay friendly)
Are You Two ... Tooether? .,,.Lindsy · Van Gelder and Pamela Brandt,
$18.00. ·A Gay and Lesbian Travel Gulde to Europe.
Bent Gulde to Gay and Lesbian Canada, Bentbooks, $9.95
Damrom Address Book, '94, Damron Co., $13.95. over 8,000 listinos
in USA, Canada, and Mexico, mostly focused for oay men.
Goddess Sites: Europe, Annel1 Rufus and Kristan Lawson, $12.95.
Discover places where the ooddess has been celebrated and
w6rshi~ped throuohout time.
Inn Places, 1994, Worldwide Gay & Lesbl-an Accommodations, Ferrari,
$14.95. Also contains a RV and campino section.
Places for Women 1994, Ferrari, . $13.00. Oriented for women, it
includes international information on hotels, ·B&B's, tours, local
places of interest and much more.
•
Women Goino Places, 1994-5, Zoe, $14.00. International ouide. •
Women's Traveller 1994.,
Damron, $10.95

Guide to USA,

Canada,

and Caribbean,

. Guides especially for those aolna to Stonewall celebration ln NYC
Detour's Hew Yorks The Alternative Gulde, Jos·eph Downton & .Eva
Leonard, $14.95. (For those who don't necessarily travel · the
straioht and narrow)
Gay and Lesbian Handbook to Hew York City, Richard Laermer, $10.95

General Interest for Travellers
Adventures in Good Company, Thalia Zepatos, $14.95. A second book
by the author of A Journey of One's OWn, contains even more travel
advice, especially for those doino outdoors activities.
•

f

Australia for Women, Susan Hawthorne (Price unknown- won't be
available until July or August) A collection of writinos about
women's culture in Australia.
Down the Wild River Horth, Constance Helmericks, • $1"2.95. The
• remarkable Arctic wilderness adventure of a woman and her teenage
dauohters.
A Journey of One's own, Thalia Zepatos, $14. 95. Uncommon Advice for
the Independent Woman Tr·a veler.
L~adlno Out, Rache.l d2' Silva, $16.95. Women climbers reaching for
'::he top.
Malden Voyages, Mary Morris, $14.00. Writings by women travelers .
KY Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir, Susan Allen Toth,
$10·. 00
Older Than Time, Allegra Taylor, $13.00. A woman travels around the
world
in search of wisdom..
.
Rivers Running Free, Judith Niemi and Barb Wieser, $14.95; Canoeing
stories by adventurous women.
Simple Food for the Pack,

c.

Axcell, $9.00

T~acks, Robyn Davidson, $12.00. The exhilarating tale of a willful
woman's solo trek across 1,700 miles of Australian outback.
Unconnon Waters, Holly Morris, $14.95. Women write about fishing.
The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes, Notes from Nepal, Barbara Scot,
$12.95~

McBookstores Make McBucks on McLiterature
While Feminist Bookstores Struggle
by Mary Bricker.Jenkins
There is a splendid scene in Leslie Feinberg's novel Stone Butch Blues in which the character's emerging feminist consciousness is nurtured by conversations she overhears while lurking in the bookst.ore aisles near the women's studies section. The scene is reminiscent for many of us who found our first feminist communities in bookst.ores, which continue t.o
be centers for organizing, networking, and cultural work as well as wellsprings of intellectual development in our communities. But feminfat bookstores are endangered today, not only because of the vagaries of the market, but because of the
market politics of the publishing and bookselling industries.
All over the country, service-01iented independent bookst.ores are being squeezed out of the market by corporate
chains, which di&:ount heavily and which, once they are established in a community, typically sell a shrinking list of the
most marketl'ble iread politically "mainstream," if not conservative) books. The publishing industry responds by shrinking its list of potentially small-market and/or controversial books. Needless to say, mainstream publishers prioritize the
most "marketable" manuscripts, and the alternative presses and book distributors are folding faster than flowers after
the first frost.
Feminist bookstores are particularly hard hit by these trends. Having a relatively small and specialized cust.omer
base - and, by definition, a social change as well as a marketing mission - many are losing cust.omers t.o the chain
stores and experiencing serious cash flow problems. And there is a domino effect: It is primarily feminist bookstores that
stock and sell feminist press backlist titles - a primary source ofrevenue for feminist and other small presses. If feminist bookstores close, who will champion feminist press books, and what will happen t.o them?
In some cases, feminist bookstores have been deliberately targeted by chains. In Connecticut, a newly opened Borders
Books offered a share of its profits to a local AIDS organization that had been closely allied with the community's feminist bookstore for years, which could not offer the level of financial support being offered by Borders. Clear about the corporate agenda, the AIDS organization courageously declined the offer. The Borders chain, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
K-Mart, has seized upon the "corporate social responsibility" theme t.o appeal t.o the upscale liberal market, for which it
also provides a carefully crafted, pre-packaged "ambience" of a community-based "alternative" bookstore/coffee house.
While better than most of the rapacious chain st.ores (wouldn't you rather eat Ben & Jerry's than Sealtest?), Borders offers a relatively miniscule portion of its profits to community-based groups, and the chain certainly does not have the
libert.ory social transformatoin agenda of the feminist bookstores it is attempting to eliminate from our communities. We
must not be misled by corporate cleverness in exploiting "alternative" markets: McDonald& may be selling a few healthylooking salads and experimenting with tofu burgers, but it's the Big Mac that dominates its world-wide market.
Last Fall, the Feminist Bookstore Network (FBNet) held a retreat to develop survival strategies. In addition to providing each other technical consultation on marketing and management, the bookstores have undertaken several initiatives
in which we, their community members and customers, can participate. Here are some of the ways:
• First and most importantly, buy your books from feminist bookstores. You may pay a few dollars more than you would
in the chain stores, but you will be contributing to the survival offeminist discourse and cultural/political action.
• If you don't have a feminist bookstore near you, you can mail order from one. FBNet has a stunning catalog of feminist
literature which includes a directory of many of the stores and mail-order outlets in the U.S. and Canada. For a copy of
the catalog, send $1 to FBN, PO Box 882554, San Francisco, CA 94188.
• If you teach, ask students to buy their books from feminist bookstores. Most will provide very special _service and attention to you and your students about current trends in theory and culture.
• If you're in practice, ask your local feminist bookstore for recommendations for readings for your clients. Many offer special programs and networking on such issues as eating disorders, drug and alcohol recovery, battering, sexual abuse, lesbian identity and family issues, etc. Help your bookstore organize groups and events that will help you and your clients
experience the community and cultural dimensions of feminist social work practice.
• Ask your local school and public libraries to order feminist books and to order them from a feminist bookseller. Again, a
call to your feminist bookstore will help you select a few titles that need exposure.
• If you write, consider a feminist or small press for your book. Sign the "author'pledge" to support feminist bookst.ores
and presses - for information on the pledge, ask your local femininst bookseller or call FB-Net (415-626-1556).
-

Revised & reprinted with pennission from TM Conn«tion: Association for Woimn in Social Won\ Ntw.ZCtter

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