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A new chapter for a beloved bookstore

A cherished literary institution is changing hands and needs your support.

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A new chapter for a beloved bookstore

A new chapter for a beloved bookstore

A new chapter for a beloved bookstore

A new chapter for a beloved bookstore

A new chapter for a beloved bookstore

A cherished literary institution is changing hands and needs your support.

A cherished literary institution is changing hands and needs your support.

A cherished literary institution is changing hands and needs your support.

A cherished literary institution is changing hands and needs your support.

Molly Parent
Molly Parent
Molly Parent
Molly Parent
1 Campaign |
Pt. Reyes Station, United States
$37,482 USD 287 backers
124% of $30,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Overview
The owners of Point Reyes Books, an institution beloved by locals and those who venture an hour north of San Francisco for the breathtaking coastline, are selling the store and were looking for buyers with a deep knowledge of and passion for bookstores. They selected us, a soon-to-be-married couple who met while working at a bookstore, to be the new owners. We're raising funds to be able to take over the store, re-vamp its inventory and systems, and start this new adventure in a strong place.

 

Update (10/27)

We are so grateful for the amazing support, encouragement, and enthusiasm from everyone who has contributed to this campaign so far. We've raised $21,000 in a week! Since we still have a few weeks to go and deliberately set our goal lower than our actual need, we want to let you know that any donations are welcome, even if we surpass our original goal. We'll add new perks over the next few days and weeks to encourage more contributions. All of the money raised will go toward transition costs, including deposits, securing lines of credit with publishers, and more.

 

Short Summary

A bookstore is more than just a retail business.

A bookstore is a magnet around which culture and conversation gathers. Bookstores inspire, delight, and spark the imagination. They foster relationships and personal and collective growth. Even in our age of dizzying technological advances, a good, nurturing bookstore is an irreplaceable and integral part of a community.

They may not be glamorous, but bookstores are the connective tissue that hold many of our communities together. Without them our lives would be poorer.

When Steve Costa and Kate Levinson, the owners of Point Reyes Books since 2002, decided in the spring of 2016 to sell the business in order to focus their energy on new ventures, they sent out a notice asking prospective buyers to express their interest in purchasing the business. We were among those who submitted a letter in which we wrote of our lifelong passion for bookselling, literacy, and community-centered work. We were honored and humbled when Steve and Kate chose us as their successors.

This unusual transaction is in keeping with the uniqueness of Point Reyes Books and its owners. Rather than selling to the highest bidder, Steve and Kate understood that the value of the bookstore to West Marin and the Bay Area goes beyond profits. With this in mind, they looked for applicants who have deep knowledge of the book industry, dedication to community-centered work, and enthusiasm in confronting the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Even though we were upfront about our lack of capital--as a career bookseller and employee at a non-profit, we came up far short of the financing necessary to buy the store--Steve and Kate worked with us, suggesting potential investors and facilitating conversations with locals who care deeply about the continuing success of Point Reyes Books.

That brings us here: putting your money into a bookstore is often as much a matter of belief in the value of the space as it is a purely retail transaction. If you are reading this, it’s likely you already appreciate what a bookstore can do. Far from being merely a place at which books are sold, it functions as a gathering spot, an idea factory, and even, as in our case, a place where you can fall in love.

 

Benefit Corporation

In keeping with our principles and belief that bookstores provide social as well as financial benefits to their communities, we have decided to operate Point Reyes Books as a Benefit Corporation.

The emerging Benefit Corporation (B Corp) movement, which includes companies like Patagonia and Hog Island Oyster Co. in nearby Marshall,  provides legal structure for a company to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, transparency, and responsibility to social and environmental causes.

 

What We Need 

We have a circle of investors who have contributed significantly toward our ability to purchase the store. However, we need to raise additional funds in order to successfully navigate through the first year of operation and to implement necessary changes. The money we hope to raise through this campaign will be used to:

  • Cover fees associated with the purchase ($20,000)
  • Certify as a Benefit Corporation ($1,000)
  • Upgrade fixtures and inventory ($4,000)
  • Update the Point Reyes Books website ($1,500)
  • Bring in new merchandise and apparel ($2,500)
  • Open accounts with new vendors ($1,000)

If we don’t reach our funding goal we will use the money we are able to raise to cover costs associated with the transferral of ownership.

 

The Impact

As we’ve made obvious, we are firm believers in the power and value of bookstores in shaping and cohering communities. We are humbled and honored that Steve and Kate see in us the talent and drive to continue the work they’ve done in Point Reyes for the past 15 years.

Our individual and collective work at Green Apple Books (where we met nearly 7 years ago) and Molly's work at 826 Valencia speak to the value and sense of pride we take in sharing our passion for books, reading, and community service. We are committed to maintaining and shaping Point Reyes Books as a gathering place, continuing and expanding the strong tradition of literary events at the store. We will endeavor to widen the store's literary reach, highlighting small presses and books you might not discover elsewhere, and recommend them with heartfelt passion. And we will aim to make the store a hub of learning and discovery, bringing in new ideas and educational experiences for all ages.

If nothing else, we've heard from many people that seeing independent bookstores continue open, expand, and change hands in the age of such supposed doom and gloom about the printed word inspires hope -- we see part of our impact as contributing to that sense of hope, and reminding the Bay Area and the wider community that bookstores still have a place here. 

Risks & Challenges

Purchasing and operating any small business entails risk. We are aware that Point Reyes Station, a small town an hour north of San Francisco, relies heavily on tourism for its economy and that there are significant economic factors beyond our control. We are also aware that, despite the recent surge in brick and mortar bookstore openings (the American Booksellers Association reports that membership is up 20% since 2008, and independent bookstore sales are up nationwide), technology and convenience are persistent threats.

However, given our experience, creative energy, passion for bookselling, and strong Bay Area community ties, we believe we are well-suited to face these challenges. Through a combination of smart ordering, diversification of stock, a dynamic events series, and a welcoming and proactive presence in the community, we believe that under our stewardship Point Reyes Books will continue to serve as the “community living room,” as Steve Costa and Kate Levinson called it, and evolve into a larger cultural force in west Marin.

Other Ways You Can Help

We realize that there are innumerable ventures, projects, and organizations in need of financial support and that everyone has dreams they are chasing. If you are unable to contribute financially but share our unshakeable belief in the value of bookstores, we ask that you help spread the world.

As we hope we’ve made obvious: a bookstore is only as good as its community, however large and geographically dispersed that community is. We’d love for you to become a part of ours.

About Us

Molly Parent worked as a bookseller for three years at Green Apple Books before moving into a full-time position at 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students with their writing skills and helping teachers inspire their students to write. She is now the Programs and Communications Manager. At 826, Molly has managed programming for students ages 6 to 18, including leading major projects such as the Great Personal Statement Weekend, the Young Authors’ Book Project, and Young Authors Workshop, a two-week long day camp for aspiring teen writers. She has served as the editor of the 826 Quarterly and 642 Big Things to Write About: Young Writer’s Edition, among many other titles published by 826 Books.

Stephen Sparks is a career bookseller. While in college in NJ, he managed a bookstore Ocean City and in 2007,  he moved to San Francisco, where he has since had several roles at Green Apple Books (Publishers Weekly’s 2014 Bookstore of the Year), including book buyer, store manager, and events coordinator. He is a board member of Dorothy, a Publishing Project, and Open Letter Books, an independent publisher devoted to translation. He has served on committees for the National Endowments for the Arts, the American Booksellers Association, the Best Translated Book Award, and more. He is a Contributing Editor to the Literary Hub and a member of the Bay Area Book Festival’s Steering Committee.

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Choose your Perk

featured

Books we think you'll love

$25 USD
Thanks on our website and an email featuring our favorite books and why we think you'll like them too.
Included Items
  • Recommended reading list
Estimated Shipping
February 2017
49 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Thank you!

$10 USD
Every little bit helps.
Included Items
  • Thanks on our website
8 claimed

Enamel pin

$50 USD
In addition to thanking you personally on our website, we'll send you a Pt. Reyes Books enamel pin.
Included Items
  • Enamel Pin
Estimated Shipping
February 2017
31 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Tote bag

$100 USD
Thanks on our website, and a limited edition Pt. Reyes Books tote bag (made especially for backers) with a list of book recommendations tucked inside.
Included Items
  • Tote bag
  • Recommended reading list
Estimated Shipping
March 2017
62 claimed
Ships worldwide.

All the swag

$250 USD
Thanks on the website and All. The. Swag.
Included Items
  • Enamel Pin
  • Limited Edition Broadside
  • Tote bag
Estimated Shipping
March 2017
11 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Subscription membership + swag

$500 USD
Thanks on the website, a tote bag, and one year membership in our bi-monthly new book subscription club.
Included Items
  • Tote bag
  • 1 year subscription membership
Estimated Shipping
March 2017
5 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Honorary shelf

$1,000 USD
Thanks on the website, all the swag, and a shelf named in your honor at the store. What's your favorite section?
Included Items
  • Enamel Pin
  • Limited Edition Broadside
  • Tote bag
  • Honorary Shelf
Estimated Shipping
March 2017
3 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Be a guest bookseller

$2,000 USD
In addition to all the swag, you'll get your own "staff pick" on our shelves -- recommend your favorite book to the masses!
Included Items
  • Enamel Pin
  • Limited Edition Broadside
  • Tote bag
  • Your own "staff pick"
1 claimed
Ships worldwide.
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