Wordsmiths Books Asks For Money, Hosts Fundraiser This Weekend

Our friends at Wordsmiths Books are asking for money–and not in exchange for goods or services.  And no, they’re not a nonprofit.

This is, like, blowing people’s minds.

Since Wordsmiths started asking for contributions a few weeks back, they’ve been featured in everything from local blogs like BabyGotBooks and Decatur Metro, to national media outlets like NPR.

It’s been a marketing coup.

Here’s the quickest run-down of the details I can give–

1. Wordsmiths opened last year, chose lackluster location.
2. They moved to the location they originally wanted, saw increases in sales and visibility.
3. Despite success, they’re suffocating under weight of debt from previous location.
4. Owner Zach asks for a hand, makes promises of eventual returns.

You may call this last move tacky.  And maybe it is.  But it also happens to be brilliant.

Wordsmiths could have fizzled out this month and closed its doors with a whimper like so many small, noble businesses.  Which would’ve been a shame.  Who else was going to help us host an event about burning down house museums?

By asking for money, Wordsmiths has prompted many folks not just to take notice, but to form opinions about their bookstore.  Asking didn’t cost them anything, and it has resulted in collecting 60% of their end goal.

Sure, they’ve garnered a lot of criticism along the way.  But really, if you’re Wordsmiths, who cares?

They would close otherwise, and avoiding that fate is certainly their bottom line. Plus, they’ve created allies who are willing to support their business without receiving anything in return.  Local bookstores: the new nonprofits?  Not quite, but these past few weeks have demonstrated just how much they mean to their communities.

The moral: check out Wordsmiths in Decatur this weekend.  They’re hosting a fundraiser.  Jack Pendarvis will be there.  Paste Magazine will be there.  And now’s your chance to see what all the fuss is about before it’s too late.