Taking the Mystery out of Bookselling

Submitted by Bobbi Rubingh

Gwen Shuster-Haynes introduced the guest speaker for the May 10th meeting, Cynthia Nye, owner of High Crimes Mystery Bookshop.

A customer at the Rue Morgue, Cynthia purchased the shop from Tom and Enid Schantz on April Fool's Day 2000 and re-named it High Crimes Mystery Bookshop. She's worked hard to keep the record of the longest continually operating mystery bookshop in America running strong and after 7 years Cynthia believes she's getting the hang of it. She is especially proud of the wonderful roster of authors that visit her store every year.

In a question and answer format, Cynthia shared her thoughts and experiences with Gwen and the rest of the group.

G: Why a book store? More specifically why a mystery book store?
C: I always wanted something to do with books. I was raised by voracious readers-my mother's escape from 7 children was her mysteries and my father read the entire encyclopedia on a regular basis. I saw a notice in the newsletter that Rue Morgue was up for sale, and stopped by to chat about it. Four hours later…well, the rest is history.

G: What's been the biggest surprise about owning a bookstore?
C: Bookselling is illogical in so many ways-I was totally unprepared. All the business and finance classes in college did nothing to prepare me. Also, I realized bookselling and bartending are very similar-knowing your customer and initiating a dialog with the customer is important. For instance, at an independent bookstore the booksellers take the time to really get to know the customer and can then tailor suggestions to that person's tastes; that kind of personal attention doesn't happen in the big box stores.

G: How do you get such a diverse list of authors into the store?
C: Tom and Enid did a great job of getting their store on the map for the big publishers. Authors came to them. I'm fortunate that they trust me and come to my store. Signings are an endorsement of the book. They suggest to the customer a level of trust between the bookseller and the author. With hundreds of authors and over 5000 titles, getting authors in for signings is not difficult.

G: How do you keep track of so many books and authors?
C: Over time, I've become somewhat of an idiot savant. All joking aside, I take what I do very seriously. I'm a professional and it is all a part of the job.

G: Do Mystery Awards impress you or influence you?
C: Not so much. I pay attention to the Dagger and Hammett awards but usually don't follow many of the others. I look at who gets nominated, not who wins.

G: What else influences you?
C: Independent bookstores are free to carry whatever appeals to the owners, staff and customers. I order from catalogs and pay special attention to suggestions from the book reps. Trust your reps; they are invaluable. Sales reps know what is out there, they know you, and through you, they know your customers. Sales reps and catalogs are your most powerful tools.

G: What are some of your best sellers?
C: Nevada Barr and Margaret Coel are very popular in the local market.

G: Are you able to read for pleasure?
C: I only read for pleasure. If I don't like a book, I won't be able to sell it. If I didn't read, how could I do what I do well? I want to like a book if I pick it up and take it home to read. Even if it is slow going, sometimes a book will grab you at the end. When I read a book that I love-it is so much fun!   

G: Any hints for an author who wants to get a book into your store?
C:
w Have a publisher; don't self-publish.
w Make it like a date-court the bookseller, make it easy, work it!
w Call for an appointment or just stop by, but be prepared. If you stop by, I may not be free to talk to you, but I will take your information and be glad to make an appointment.
w Have a promotional packet with a cover letter and contact information as well as a copy of your book.
w Keep the conversation short, not confrontational or forced. Don't be aggressive and don't have your friends call.
w Don't start an e-mail campaign. It is irritating and unprofessional.
w Be patient. It might be several weeks-call to check if I've had a chance to look at it-keep your name in my head.
w Give no reason to say "No".

G: Any final thoughts?
C: "
w Writing the book is hard work, but it doesn't end there. It is a long and tedious process to reach the bookseller. Have patience, don't give up!
w Keep in mind that more women buy books than men; if you put in violence, don't make it gross. Characters can be killed off, but don't kill the animals. If it has a pulse and fur, don't kill it!
w Don't self-publish. Writing a book is a very emotional process and is all-consuming. Even with big publishers, the author does 80% of the work; self-published authors do 100% including editing and promotions and marketing. With self-published books, there is no filter. If the point is to get published and end up with boxes of books in the garage, go ahead, self-publish. But if the point is to sell your book, go with a publishing company—even a small one. There are some fantastic small presses out there—use them.

Bobbi Rubingh recently retired as marketing and special events manager from the Auraria Campus Bookstore. She volunteers for Rocky Mountain PBS "Super School News" program and Colorado Center for the Book where she is a judge for the Letters about Literature writing contest and the Colorado Book Awards; and has traveled to Nepal and Nicaragua as a volunteer for Namlo International, an organization that provides educational opportunities to children and adults in developing nations.

She and her husband, Jim, are partners in Greenback Publications, writing and publishing fishing guide books and travel journals. Bobbi and a friend are collaborating on a mystery/thriller they hope to complete in this life-time.