Overview
Tombolo Books (tombolobooks.com) has been operating as a pop-up bookshop throughout St. Petersburg for the past two years while looking for our permanent home. Word has spread about the services we offer, demand has grown and we can hardly keep up with all of the book requests without expanding into a full scale, full service bookstore! Fortunately, we found the location of our dreams: next to Black Crow Coffee and Squeeze Juice in the Grand Central District!
I’m the former manager and events director at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, in Asheville, NC. I fell in love with St. Pete a few years ago and found that it needed just one thing: an indie bookstore like Malaprop’s, so I set out to build a creatively engaged bookshop, specifically for St. Pete's readers.
The Cost & Rewards
It costs about $200,000 to open a fully-stocked 1500 square-foot bookstore and through private donors and lenders we’ve raised nearly that amount! We just need another $12,000 to help us open on a solid foundation before the new year. Your support will propel us into the future as a successful, independent bookstore, who will serve your reading habits and those of your family and friends for generations.
I always love to find out which authors and books are inspiring my favorite authors. When they’re not writing, what are they reading? Go to our perks page to see my favorite perks: Author-curated tote bags. We asked some prominent authors what they’ve been reading and loving and to recommend those books to you. We have perks at various price points but the most limited and most exciting are these bundles of books selected for you. Some even come with a signed personalized letter from the author! (Thank you, Ann Patchett!)
To Give or not to Give
Running a bookstore is risky business, but with 20 years’ experience, the infrastructure and tools to operate pop-ups, and the support and guidance from our colleagues in the book industry, we are eager to turn our pop-up into a full scale bookstore!
Please chip in! Please help us by sharing the news of our new location and if you’re able, help us with a financial gift. Your donation will strengthen St. Petersburg’s literary community. Every gift and every share is a big help!
Thank you,
Alsace Walentine
