Bookseller Interview #1
Bookish: Fort Smith, AR
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For our new bookseller interviews, it only seemed right to start close to home, so we talked with Sara Putman, the owner of Bookish here in Fort Smith. Sara has been one of our strongest supporters from the very beginning. From our first book event ever to their new Small Press Book Club this year, we’re immensely grateful for all they do for us. Even more important, we’re thankful to have this store as a steady source of literary community in an area that has fewer opportunities than some. Read on to learn more!
1. Tell us your origin story.
Bookish began in August of 2018. It was a combination of FOMO and an uncompromising belief that books can change lives. It was clear that Downtown Fort Smith was really beginning to transform and embrace art and culture. We knew that in order to have a community we could be proud of, we needed a literary hub. Sara Putman and Jennifer Battles were both high school English teachers who retired from the classroom in 2018 to open Bookish. We worked with the Arkansas Small Business Technology and Development Center and received the information we needed to create a business plan. It was clear that people in our community were buying books, so our job was to offer programming and events that catered to readers in the community. In 2020, Battles sold her portion of the business to Putman, and Bookish moved from their location at 110 N. B Street to The Bakery District. Here, we continue to create a community of readers, we work to support teachers, we have highly curated inventory that is relevant to the community we serve, and we feed and nurture Barrie, the bookstore cat.
2. How does a typical day look at your store?
I’m the owner (Sara), and I open the store most days. That consists of coming in around 9am, making coffee, and petting Barrie for about 20 minutes. When she’s through with me, I check my email, the mail, and reset the shop for the day. On an average day, we visit with 5-10 customers, talking about books and (at this point) our lives. A lot of our customers are dear to us and we know about their families, their jobs, and of course, what they like to read. Depending on what is scheduled for the day, we may have to set up for an author event. Emily comes to work in the afternoon (depending on her school schedule). We catch up about orders, events, etc., and she usually has some inventory to enter and phone calls to make. On Saturdays we prepare for a story hour in the morning. So in short, every day looks different. It’s a balance of juggling social media, in-store customers, finances, and all of the other things it takes to run a business.
3. What do you think is unique to your store or community?
This has taken me awhile to figure out. A lot of my expectations were built upon what other bookstores do, and I realized very quickly that we are not like other bookstores. We have a core group of smart readers that will support us, we have a handful of local authors and publishers that understand what our role is in their work, and we work to try to give all of them a place here. What we have found, though, is that we have to curate events that are unique. Author talks happen all around us: local museums, markets, etc., so while I would love to be THE PLACE authors want to come to talk about their book, it isn’t what the community needed from us. We did need a place for local poets to share work and work on performance. We did create events like Stems & Stories where I work with a local sommelier and pair books with wine (did we need it? No. Is it a blast? Yes!). We were able to work with private and corporate donors to purchase classroom sets of books for teachers every year. So I think what makes us so unique is that we’re a reflection of our quirky little Fort Smith community. We love and support the arts in all of its forms and keep an eye out for ways we can fill in literary gaps in the community.
4. What do you wish writers knew about your role as a bookseller?
I think the first thing that writers might want to consider is that booksellers can sell a ton of books if they’re able to read it. If we don’t have access to your book, it’s hard for us to sell it. Basically, give us a copy to read and we can do so much more for you. The other thing I’d like writers to know is that it makes us so happy when you tell your audience to get your book from us. You can even post a link to bookshop.org in most cases. It always hurts my feelings when an author shares an Amazon link to their book when I have copies sitting on my shelf. I do realize Amazon is easiest, but sometimes I think writers might need to pick a team. Ultimately, though, I want writers to support each other. I love hosting writers in the shop so they can network and learn from each other. There is such talent here, but I think that if they support one another, they can help support the literary community here.
5. What’s a small press book you’ve recently enjoyed? Do you have favorite small presses?
Obviously I’m so proud to call Belle Point Press one of ours. You all do such a terrific job! I loved Mid/South Sonnets and can’t wait to dive into the prose you have coming out in the new year. I’m also a fan of Black Lawrence Press, a publisher of contemporary poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction out of New York. Microcosm is also fantastic. It is one of our goals to offer more small press options in the shop. We are starting a Small Press Book Club in 2024 featuring Belle Point, Black Lawrence, Hub City, Sarabande, and Tin House, so hopefully I’ll be able to answer this question more intelligently in the future!
6. How do you think small presses and independent bookstores can better support each other?
I recognize how difficult it is for all of us to turn a profit. I think one way small presses can help bookstores is by spending a bit more time with us. I regularly get on sales calls with representatives from the Big 5. They know enough about my store to highlight books they think my customers would appreciate. I get so many emails from publishers and authors that are likely wonderful, but I don’t have the time to sift through, read the ARCs, and make those decisions. Relationships really go a long way, so maybe small presses could reach out to the shops they connect with and help make that happen?
Thanks so much to Sara for her ongoing support and thoughtful responses! You can keep up with Bookish over on Instagram—highlights include bookstore cat Barrie content and regular book recs for a wide range of genres. Up next, we’re especially excited that Sara and Emily will be kicking off their new Small Press Book Club with our very own Letting In Air and Light on January 18! What a brilliant way for independent booksellers to support independent presses. We’d LOVE to hear more examples of small press support that you’ve seen with your own favorite indie bookstores—let us know in the comments below!