A little music out in front of Run for Cover, April 27, 2019. Photo by Judith Starker.
Editordude: the following appeal by Marianne, the owner of Run for Cover Bookstore was posted on its website a few weeks ago. We thought it worthy of reposting.
Run for Cover Bookstore Needs Your Help
Dear Book Lovers,
Our little bookstore opened 6 months ago!
What a crazy, interesting, joyous, fulfilling and challenging ride it has been. The time has come for a first assessment.
In many ways we have experienced great success but financially we are struggling.
Today, in order to continue to be your local bookstore, the place where you meet your friends and neighbors to chat about books, where you get to meet and talk to authors, where you will discover books curated with you in mind,
I need your help.
If success was measured by the friendships in the making, by the endless conversations about books we love, by the kids running to our little book nook, by the smiles on our customers’ faces upon discovering our store, by the “wow, awe and I love the smell of books” we hear every single day, by the authors we have hosted and who have been so kind and generous with their time, knowledge and wit, by the accolades, awards and votes of confidence we have received, then we can say our first 6 months are beyond any of our highest expectations.
But for a small, independent bookstore, success also has to be measured by numbers and not-so-fun figures and graphs. The boundless love we are receiving does not quite translate into the numbers we need to achieve to be deemed a successful bookstore.
In the last week I have had to make the hardest financial decision yet: In order to reduce costs, I let go of my talented and dedicated employees. Carter, Ferril and Trevor have all been an integral part of our bookstore. Their talent and marks will forever be imprinted in the Run for Cover Bookstore brand.
To keep us here you can help in the following ways:
Today:
• If you follow us on social media and enjoy our posts, share (with your own comment if you want your “share” to be efficient) and comment. It helps our visibility. Tag us when you come in and take photos. We love to see everything you share about Run for Cover Bookstore!
This Week:
• Be a true champion of the localism movement: spend your hard-earned dollars in your own community where your local bookstore pays its share of taxes to better our area. We know you don’t want us to be replaced by yet another corporate-like storefront!
• If we have not seen you in a while or if you still intend to come down to Run for Cover and buy books here, please do so!
• If you were planning to order a book from an online store, support your local indie bookstore instead. Call us or come by and we will order the books you want. We are a lot friendlier and our smile is real!
• Encourage your friends, your family, and your colleagues to pay us a visit. You know they won’t regret it but they don’t know that yet if you keep us a secret!
In the Next 30 Days:
• If you teach or work at a local school or if your kids attend a school in San Diego, tell your colleagues, your teachers, your PTA or PTO about us. We would love nothing more than to deliver special orders to your classrooms or libraries, to bring some remarkable authors to your school auditorium or to organize book fairs tailored to your school and your student population. The possibilities are endless!
• If you work in a particular sector and want books to be especially curated for you and your colleagues, let us know. We love special orders!
• If your kids love books and want to celebrate their birthday around their favorite stories, talk to us. If you or someone you know is expecting a new bundle of joy, let us curate their first small library. If books are the perfect gift for a special occasion, ask us about gift baskets, blind date with a book and more!
• Join our Page Turner Program where we thank YOU for shopping with us: for every $100 you spend we give you $10 off your next purchase. This rewards program never expires! It is a small token of our deep appreciation for your support.
With your continued active love and support we will be able to stay where we are as a brick and mortar indie bookstore. We will continue to bring you fabulous authors who will broaden your horizon. We will continue to host craft events. We will keep our store Book Club strong and well attended with books that lead to stimulating conversations. We will introduce Poetry night and trivia night. More importantly, we will continue to curate the books you want, books you don’t know exist but that you will love and books that will enter your personal permanent library!
We want to celebrate our bookstore milestones and anniversaries with all of you. Thank you for giving us a chance to do so.
In books we trust,
Peacefully,
Marianne
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I absolutely love this bookstore! It’s my first stop anytime I want to give a gift to family or friends. The selection of books is wonderful and I have always been able to find just the perfect gift. Run For Cover also carries cool greeting cards and other nifty items. Neighbors: shop local and support Independent Businesses. As Newport Ave. becomes more and more corporate Voltaire St. continues to epitomize all that I love about OB.
Marianne, thank you for reaching out. We will definitely support you and encourage others to as well. Yours is the kind of place that everyone is going to miss if we stop patronizing local businesses in favor of Amazon et al. Best of luck. I am sure that things will turn around and hopefully that happens quickly.