Wordsmiths Books in Decatur “is just two weeks away from possible closure” according to marketing director Russ Marshalek, and is having a benefit this weekend to raise funds. Owner Zachary Steele says they suffer from an event with a well-known author “that required a massive up-front investment that didn’t pan out” as well as debt from the higher rent at their previous location. “The reality of Wordsmiths is that, though it began with a great push, it did so in the wrong location. That location drained its resources and left a lagging parachute of debt that we have been trying […]
Closing
LA's Acres of Books to Go Fallow
The LAT reports on Long Beach-based store Acres of Books: “After 74 years in business, the independent bookstore giant with an inventory that topped 1 million volumes is closing down to make way for a redevelopment project.” Owners Jackie and Phil Smith sold their building to the city three months ago for $2.8 million.LAT
Downtown Bakersfield Store to Close
Russo’s Books will close their downtown Bakersfield bookstore after 12 years, continuing to operate their two other larger mall-based locations. Owner Michael Russo tells the local paper, “The economy is slow and there just wasn’t enough business to continue operating all three, especially when two of them were just three and a half miles apart.”Bakersfield Californian
Publishing News to Close
The UK trade magazine, which has long been somewhat of a loss leader for the parent company’s more profitable operations, like the British Book Awards and their book business research agency BML, will cease publication as of the July 25 issue. Founder and chairman Fred Newman says: “This has been a sad and difficult decision to make, but the nature of the book trade which today offers a multiplicity of ways for publishers to sell books both to booksellers and to consumers, has changed dramatically. For the biggest book publishers the trade press is now only one of many options […]