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by Jeff Potter
I just opened my first ULA zeen store! I handle all the inventory.
Here's the deal... The best indy bookstore in town sells new,
used, mags, small press and collectible books. It's right in the
revival part of downtown, by the capital. He has readings and
signings all the time. I scoped out his shop and came in with a
full deal ready set to go. I didn't want to ask him about my idea
in terms of something for the future, to visualize, and work on,
and mull over. It was too crazy for that. I needed it all ready to
go.
So I bought a big salvage-yard magazine floor rack, and a
wallmount bookrack. $20 total. Got my inventory and loaded up my
trailed and headed down to the shop. I told the owner he could
have the shelves if he'd let me stock em and see what
happened...and I'd give him a good discount and full terms. He
said go for it. I said I got it all right out back. So he let me
into the back room and I said "Let me show you what I'm talking
about. Come on back in 20 minutes." So I assembled the shelves,
then loaded the bookshelf with pure OYB product and great rare
ULA-type books that I have some "new old stock" of. Then I loaded
the mag rack with new ULA zeens, OYB back issues, and a fine
selection of misc used zeens.
Yeah, I spelled it "zeen" on my stylin' signage. My various signs
say "Underground Literary Alliance: zeens to shake up American
literature," "Out Your Backdoor --- modern folk culture press &
media center," "OYB for non-redundant DIY titles" and "OYB Zeen
Scene --- hard-to-find mags and zeens." When he came in he said
Wow! So we just hauled them on out and made room for them.
He's also now carrying all my wife's homemade greeting cards,
giving her a whole side of a spinning rack. He says his customers
want that kind of thing.
He used to manage a B&N. Before that he drove cab. He said he
always wanted to be a publisher. He did a little arts mag for
awhile. But now, instead of being bitter and resentful about
meeting a crazy underground publisher of many wild things, he said
YES! He's not beaten by books. He still sees them as being good
and sees his customers as good, too. Many stores today have staff
who clearly resent me as a publisher and who resent books and
customers as well. Crabby people! We're just not NPR enough for
them. They love to tell me NO. When you find a YES, jump on it.
Customers were coming and going and marveling. You're letting him
take over your store? I told him, "Ya know, I'm doing this to
help. These books are going to move better for you than whatever
else you could've used the space for or I don't want them here.
This is all about you having even better books for your customers
that are available nowhere else. Each of these mags and zeens are
available nowhere else. And they're relevant. This isn't lame
Granta, Glimmer Train, Story jive. This stuff is about sparking
something and moving books for you." I think this will be a cool
shot. My Shop (within a shop) gets to sink or swim on its own
stand-out merits. It will get attention. My books won't be buried
and split up in some spine-out ghetto.
So, for those who know I like your stuff and that it fits with the
ULA/OYB vibe, feel free to forward something. No promises! I'll
buy some extras of my fave zeens.
Obviously it will only work if I offer THE BEST zeens and books.
Click here to buy ULA zeens!