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| The back stacks at Murder by the Book |
Today I’m starting a series about my favorite Texas indie
bookstores! You’ll not only get to read about these special stores, but you’ll
also get the chance to win a free pre-order copy of my upcoming THE A WORD
AND a free pre-order pb of THE SWEET DEAD LIFE with the brand new retooled cover!
Thanks to my amazing publisher, Soho Press for sponsoring! And MBTB for
shipping! (giveaway is at end of this post)
So you can learn about the history and people behind Texas’s
independent bookstores AND one of you will win a free, autographed book. I say
that’s a good deal—definitely better than Government shutdown and the looming
catastrophe of default, wouldn’t you? Yup.
And why am I doing this? Because indie book stores have
helped me build my career. Yes, the chains- B&N and the late, great
Borders—have done that, too. But as I’ve written, the indies have taken greater
chances on setting up events and ordering and keeping my books in stock and
have supported me by handselling my books and getting the word out. When I have
big announcements, like my recent FINDING PARIS sale to Balzer and Bray/Harper
Collins, it’s those booksellers who get the news whispered to them early. Those
booksellers who grin from ear to ear keeping my secrets and knowing that the
support they gave has been for good reason! And I love them even more for that.
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| The Murder by the Book Staff |
Up today is Houston’s Murder
by the Book, located on the edge of Rice Village/West University and owned
by McKenna Jordan. They specialize,
as their name obviously hints, in mysteries and thrillers, but they also have a
healthy YA collection and a grand generosity to local authors! Although I’ve
been in and out of the store over the years, in the past year or so, I’ve
gotten to know them better after an introduction through wonderful blogger/book
lover/ Blue Willow Bookshop social media guru Maria Cari Soto. And thus a
relationship with another wonderful indie and its people was born!
I sat down – laptop to laptop—with my friend John Kwiatkowski, their publicity
manager since 2010 and also a kickass human, to chat about the store and its
history and its influence on authors and how they are navigating and thriving
under all the many swift shifts in the publishing world. Here’s what John had
to say:
Joy: Tell us the short version of the Murder by the Book story—history of
how this amazing bookstore came to be and how you came to own and run it. How
did the store get its name? Has it always specialized in mysteries/thrillers?
JK: Martha Farrington was the original owner of MBTB. She opened the store in 1980 because we
wanted a bookstore where she could find the mysteries that she loved. We've been a mystery bookstore since day
one. There are many books with the
title, but our store is named after the Rex Stout title, Murder By The
Book. McKenna Jordan bought the store in
2009 after being the manager for many years.
Joy: What’s a typical day for the booksellers at Murder by the Book? For
management?
JK: One thing a typical day doesn't include is sitting around
reading! Our day is a mix of checking in
and receiving new books, creating displays for upcoming events, and helping
customers. The helping customers part is
the best part of the day. We love
suggesting new titles and helping them find new authors. We also try to call customers when we know a
new title by a favorite authors comes out.
Usually around 5 in the afternoon we start getting set up for that
evening's author event.
Joy: What’s the process involved in getting all those wonderful authors to
visit the store? Any crazy author visit stories you can share? Or just warm and
fuzzy stories?
JK: There are several ways we get authors to visit. Most of our events are set up by submitting
proposals to the publisher, letting them know how we would market an event, how
many people we think will show up, and how many books we think we'll sell. Publishers will also get in touch with us to
see if we're interested in hosting an author.
Sometimes we'll invite an author directly as well. My favorite thing lately has been setting up
fun pairings of authors for joint events.
A few weeks ago
we had Louise Penny in the store for her new release. Earlier in the day she found out that her
book was going to debut at #1 on the New York Times list. It was really special getting to celebrate
that evening with her here in the bookstore.
I'm afraid I don't have any crazy author stories to share. 99% of the authors that come through the
store are really wonderful people.
Joy: We read so much about the
‘death of print,’ but many indie book stores such as yours are thriving. Can
you talk about this and about how you see the role of bookstores, especially
but not limited to indies, in today’s publishing world?
JK: Since the eBook boom started, we've said that at some point the sales
were going to even out. People were
going to find a balance between eBooks and print books. It looks like that's really starting to
happen now. I don't think our role has
changed much. We still keep doing what
we love to do, and that's helping people connect with their favorite authors
and discover new ones.
So much of
reading is an experience, and our store is an extension of that. Bookstores give you a place to discuss your
favorite books and discover new ones. A
lot of our business is event driven now.
Author visits are what really bring people in, and give us a chance to
show off our love of books. Bookstores
have to have a place in the publishing world.
Each bookstore has its own personality, and its own selection of books. That variety helps give us so many diverse
options for what to read. Looking for
something new to read online can be overwhelming. Each book that we have in the store has been
hand selected to sit on our shelves.
Joy: What are you all reading now? Are you noticing any trends? Thoughts
on what you’re seeing?
JK; I'm reading United We Spy by Ally Carter. It's the final book in the Gallagher Girls
series, and I can't wait to see how she wraps everything up. McKenna just finished Never Go Back, the new
Jack Reacher book by Lee Child. Dean
just finished the new Alan Bradley book that's coming out next year and loved
it.
As far as
trends, one that we see and that we're excited about it is publishers taking
chances on new authors and releasing titles as paperback originals. Paperbacks are the easiest way to get someone
to try a new author.
Joy: As booksellers, what advice do
you have for new authors? How about
advice for readers/customers?
JK: For to authors: Make friends
with other writers. The writing
community is a great one to be a part of, and in my experience they're so
supportive of each other.
My advice for
customers/readers is to not be afraid to read outside of your comfort
zone. I've spent some time this year
reading some epic fantasy books. I
didn't necessarily love the books, but I loved the challenge of reading a new
genre with its own set of rules. You
don't have to read something WAY out of your comfort zone. Just stretch it a little.
My advice for
new authors is to make friends with your local booksellers. If you're lucky enough to have an i
Joy: And a brief lightning round:
a.
Coffee
or tea? Tea
b.
Wine
or whiskey? Whiskey
c.
Book
for the deserted island?
d.
Salty
or sweet? Sweet
e.
Memorable
line from a book? “The temperature hit ninety degrees the day she arrived. New
York was steaming–an angry concrete animal caught unawares in an unseasonable
hot spell.” - The first line of Valley of the Dolls.
f.
When
you’re not working or reading, we could find you taking in a musical or a
concert.
And here’s a little about the MBTB Staff
Members:
Dean James: Our former store manager, Dean now works
full-time at the Texas Medical Center Library.
As Miranda James he is the New York Times Bestselling Cat in the Stacks
mysteries.
McKenna Jordan (Owner): McKenna has her Bachelor's Degree in
English and a Master's in Violin Performance from University of Houston. She's
owned Murder By The Book since January 2009.
Brenda Jordan: Brenda's "Claim to Fame" is
she is McKenna's mother.
John Kwiatkowski: In previous career incarnations, John has
sold model and toy trains, and been a barista.
Prior to joining the Murder By The Book team he managed one of the local
chain bookstores.
Sally Woods: Sally has been in the bookselling biz
for almost 20 years. She comes to MBTB
via various Houston indie bookstores.
She did have a life prior to bookstores, but that seems long ago.
Thanks John,
for speaking for McKenna Jordan and the rest of the MBTB gang!
And now for the
giveaway:
Want to win a free pre-ordered copy of next year's SWEET DEAD LIFE sequel, THE A-WORD (Soho Press) AND a free pre-ordered copy of February's paperback edition of THE SWEET DEAD LIFE with its boot-tastic new cover? Both of them signed by me? Then comment here on this blog post and let me know what YOU love about indie bookstores!
CONTEST WILL RUN THROUGH THIS SATURDAY, October 12th, and I'll announce the winner of the two books on Monday, to be sent to you from Murder by the Book! (thanks again to Soho Press for sponsoring the prizes!)
Want to know more about Murder by the Book? Then visit them at their website: http://www.murderbooks.com
