Iowa bookstores take the challenge of starting their businesses from scratch in a world of online shopping.
The instant gratification of online shopping has bred the assumption that local businesses, especially bookstores, are a dying breed on their last leg. Yet, indie bookstores, or independent bookstores, such as Storyhouse Book Pub and Dog-Eared Books, show a different narrative.
The ringing doorbell indicating the constant stream of customers coming in and out, the smell of new printed texts lining the shelves, and the small talk between the owner and fellow readers all indicate a typical Saturday afternoon at Storyhouse Book Pub.
Owner Abigail Paxton stumbled into the indie book scene when she traveled home to Colorado. She took a part-time job at a local bookstore. Fast forward years later, Paxton opened a bookstore, right on her lawn in front of her house in Windsor Heights, Iowa.
“People are excited about bookstore stuff,” Paxton says. “It was so fulfilling to see. I had an idea and gave it off to the community, and people were excited about it.”
Forty minutes away from Storyhouse Book Pub is Dog-Eared Books, located in Ames, Iowa. Owners Ellyn Grimm and Amanda Lepper had always “joked around” about creating a children’s bookstore.
Courtesy of Dog-Eared Books
The research process to make their dream into a reality took about a year and consisted of answering the question: Is pursuing the dream of building a bookstore from the ground up a “reasonable and feasible” risk to take?
Courtesy of Dog-Eared Books
The pair visited bookstores around Iowa and attended the American Booksellers Conference to gain insight into the indie bookstore start-up landscape. The conference was a pinnacle moment for the duo, as it solidified their decision to pursue their dream together.
Courtesy of Dog-Eared Books
Grimm and Lepper quickly learned that opening a bookstore in the midst of widespread online shopping came with its challenges.
“Bookstores are a little different compared to other retail businesses,” Grimm says. “Publishers set prices on books—we don’t get to adjust prices based upon where we live or on our own financial needs.”
Shops like Storyhouse Book Pub and Dog-Eared Books do more for their communities than just selling books. By planning and hosting various pop-up events, such as a children’s storytime, Paxton from Storyhouse Book Pub, eventually had the opportunity to showcase her indie bookstore in RAYGUN, a shop in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Paxton and the Owner of RayGun were neighbors in Windsor Heights where the two often conversed, leading to the partnership.
“I just want [Storyhouse Book Pub] to be a spot where people feel really welcomed and want to hang out and talk about books,” Paxton says when describing her goal as a bookstore and local business.
One of the many challenges that comes with operating an indie bookstore is curating an environment that is not only engaging but unique. Paxton meticulously selects books to represent her store and create Storyhouse Book Pub’s aesthetic. Making sure her store is “digestible” is an essential aspect of her brand.
The Storyhouse Book Pub was not the only indie bookshop concerned with creating a positive atmosphere, as Dog-Eared Books traversed the same challenges.
Courtesy of Dog-Eared Books
Making Dog-Eared Books a unique place for people to travel to and spend time at was a challenge but one that was essential to stick out in today’s online world. During the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pair researched backlist titles and developed the store’s mission while gathering a team of graphic designers to work for the store.
