Bookstore Survival Strategies from Rainy Day Books

That’s a video of Vivien Jennings, founder of Rainy Day Books in Kansas City–the last “general-market independent bookstore” near a city that used to have 30 bookstores.

The Kansas City Star recently profiled her bookstore, studying how this small outfit survived in a city where larger bookstores choked the competition. The article notes that big-name authors have made Jennings’ store a crucial Midwestern book tour stop.

Here’s more from the article: “Since Rainy Day Books hosted Martha Stewart 15 years ago in its first all-out author bash, events have become an integral part of the store’s identity. They often involve food and entertainment, and they are a way to sell books and keep the book selling business viable. ‘People are aware that if we go away, this goes away,’ Jennings said. ‘Nobody else is going to do it because it’s a lot of work. A lot of work.’” (Via Sarah Weinman)

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