So. Freakin’. Excited.
About what? Well, about our new thing. A new toy. A symbol of certain directions we are heading.
As Judeth stated when she saw the photo above—we are bona fide hucksters.
Ever since the Grand Park BookFest (actually, even before that), we’ve been thinking of various forms of mobile bookstores. And with a new idea that is in the very very early stages of becoming even an idea, we decided it was time to try and get something made.
Of course, like all good publishers should when they need a mobile bookstore built, we went to see our bartender!
Not only is Jared White one of our favorite bartenders in the city (you can find him at Spring St. Bar), he is also one of our dearest friends in downtown, a lover and supporter of arts and literature, and an artist himself who is a part of a collective known as Karate Project.
I think all we said to Jared was like hey, mobile bookstore, need one. And he was like, I’m on it.
The next we knew, he was texting me from Home Depot.
We only had two criteria for it—be as mobile as possible and be able to hold a decent number of books.
Jared has come through with both requests. The Writ Large Mobile Bookstore (TM) is a pretty good size, but surprisingly easy to carry by its one handle on top. It also has wheels on the bottom to facilitate even more. And as far as holding books, each shelf has hooks on either side of it to attach a long rubber band or string to secure the books.
Open the latches top and bottom and, BOOM! Instant bookstore!
Jared also added three longer legs to it that, when flipped down, will lift the whole thing another few feet.
Anyway, now we can do what we always dreamed of doing: door to door book sales. I mean, we can take this and pop it up at the park, at town squares, outside of bars, inside a bigger bookstore. The possibilities are endless. Subway stations, bus stops, inside subway trains. School campuses. Readings, of course. Concerts. Clubs. Next to food trucks.
Yup. Hucksters.
We’re going to experiment with more of these mobile bookstores. Different shapes. Different materials that would make it even lighter. Maybe cardboard. We’ll learn as we go and use it.
For now, if you want to see our new pride and joy, come out to the LA Times Festival of Books this weekend. We’ll be showing it off and selling books from it at the awesome Smokin’ Hot Lit Lounge put on by Kaya Press.
And if you’re a small press and/or writer and/or huckster of any kind, hit up Jared and hire him to build one for you.
