Without a doubt, 2020 was a difficult year, and these difficulties have extended to our neighborhood independent bookstores. These independent bookstores have had to close, shift their business models, and more to survive during the pandemic, but they are not dead yet. Here’s why and how you can help these stores survive.
covid-19
What We’ve Learned from a Year of Hosting Virtual Book Launch Events
By Stephanie Johnson Lawson
I reached out to graduating project managers Grace Hansen, Cole Bowman, and Bailey Potter who oversaw the successful launch events for LAUREL EVERYWHERE, FAULTLAND, and FINDING THE VEIN, respectively. I asked each of them about advice for planning future virtual events. Within a few hours, I had struck gold. Synthesized below are their replies and some guidance to get started when it is time to plan a celebration of your new book.
Proofreading in a Pandemic: How the Editorial Process is Carrying On in Corona
By Emma Wolf
While many aspects of the publishing industry are still adapting to these evolving circumstances, the way editors utilize programs such as Track Changes and Google Docs has set them up to not just survive during a pandemic, but thrive.
Books and COVID-19
By Sydnee Chesley
There have been a lot of changes to consumers’ buying habits since COVID-19 hit the United States in March. It’s too soon to tell how things will pan out in the long run for our buying and selling habits, but it is clear that things will probably never be the same as before the pandemic hit. Here’s an overview of how the publishing industry has transformed over the last few months.
Black-Owned Bookstores Can Handle It
By Alix Martinez
Not getting your books on time? Putting the blame on Black-owned bookstores does more harm than good. Take some time to understand where the problem starts and why, during a global pandemic, we should aim to be more understanding.
Adjusting Strategies to Fit Life While Social Distancing
By Tia Sprague
Hello from the LAUREL EVERYWHERE team. As you might have noticed, the world looks a little different right now. Like countless other companies and families, the students running Ooligan Press are trying to balance living in quarantine with the laundry list of life’s demands. For me, this means homeschooling a fourth- and sixth-grader while finishing up my graduation requirements, sending out blurb requests, creating a social media plan, and training the next project manager for the team.