October Wrap-up

Now that November is here, I can officially say the bookstore opened last month! It’s pretty surreal to think about and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact I actually own a bookstore.

There were many things I learned within the last few weeks and still so much I don’t know. I had no idea how to track any analytics or how long a book might take to arrive once it’s ordered. I discovered that promoting an online store is hard, but that I’ve gotten a good response and I know I’m on the right track. I’m currently taking a masterclass on content creation with the hope of bringing more awareness to the website without paying for additional advertising and I’m earning an SEO certificate (if I ever find time to sit down and complete the course). 

It’s been challenging, I’m not going to lie. There are definitely days that I wonder why I gave up my publishing job to do this (that’s for another post) and there are days that I’m really excited to share these books with people I know are going to enjoy them. I really enjoy getting book mail and sharing book merchandise from women-owned businesses. Sometimes I wonder if a physical bookstore would’ve been better as there are marketing tactics I just can’t use with an online-only location. Then some days I remember that I’ve reached an audience in 48 states (Wyoming and South Dakota, where are you?) and that wouldn’t have been possible with just a brick-and-mortar store. 

October showed me there is going to be a learning curve, but I’m entering November with a positive attitude and a passion to bring you great books that you’ll remember for years to come.