Here at Read Indie Fantasy, we’re obviously big fans of indie books, so naturally we’re fans of indie bookstores as well! Especially those that stock indie fantasy books. We’re thus super excited to share this awesome interview with Silverstones Books, a US-based store that stocks a variety of sci-fi and fantasy books including indie authors.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to run your own bookstore, or how indie authors can get their books into indie stores, then read on! And if you’re looking for your next favourite read, then we highly recommend you give them a visit. Find Silverstones online:
- The Silverstones Online Store: silverstonesbooks.com
- On Facebook
- On Twitter: @BookSilverstone
- On Instagram: silverstones.books
- On TikTok: @silverstonesbooks
We’re a great believer in supporting independent bookstores and helping them thrive, so please do consider buying your next book from an indie! Now onto the Questions:
Tell us a bit about yourselves! Who runs Silverstones?
Silverstones Books is opened and operated by Kavin Narke, with assistance from his husband Nolan. Opening in March of 2022 as an online store, we made the jump to a physical location in downtown Plattsmouth, NE in November of 2023.
What books do Silverstones sell? Tell us more about your store!
We are a sci-fi/fantasy store that carries titles for pre-teens and adults. We also have a wide selection of bookmarks and stickers, as well as nerdy candles and occasional DnD accessories.
What made you decide to run your own indie bookstore?
Owning a bookstore is something I’ve been musing about for years, and it took several forms of dreaming. Then one day in 2021 I realized I could start as an online store, so I got to work!
What was it like transitioning from an online store to a physical location?
The transition to a physical was, and continues to be, a lot of work. We have a much different clientele that visits our physical location than orders from our website, so figuring out how to balance what both groups want is a huge challenge.
Also the increase in operating costs has been a very huge problem from the jump. When Silverstones Books was just online we only really had inventory, website, and shipping expenses to worry about, but now we have rent, gas, electric, and internet to add to those.
It’s been an adventure for sure!
What are some of your favourite indie books?
I’m a huge Ryan Cahill fan. I read Of Blood and Fire last year and quickly devoured The Fall and Of Darkness and Light after. I’ve had to stop myself from continuing for now so I can get through some other books.
Trials of Ashmount by John Palladino and An Ocean of Others by Joshua Scott Edwards were my top indie reads of 2022. Both great entry points into the indie community.
How do you choose indie books to stock? What goes on the displays up front?
How I decide what indies to stock has a lot of factors. Are people talking about it on social media? Does it have a cool cover that would snag people that don’t know anything about the indie scene? Is it available through Ingram at a decent discount? If all of those are a yes then it’s likely I will get a copy or two in.
My displays up front currently are my budget cart, where I have some books that maybe haven’t had much interest tossed their way by customers for one reason or another, and my PRIDE table which features books by queer authors or books that have queer rep in them, as well as some fun PRIDE stickers and bookmarks.
What’s the coolest thing about running your own book store?
The coolest thing about owning a bookstore is getting to surround myself with people who have the same passions as I do. I love getting to chat with people, whether online or in person, about what they are reading, bonding over our shared love of a particular author or character. I also really love when kids come in and are so excited to get to pick out a new book.
Other than books, what else do you sell?
Like I mentioned I have a selection of bookmarks, stickers, candles, and DnD accessories at the moment. These items are housed in what I call The Gift Shop, a section you can find both on my website and in the shop itself.
Are there any special books you’d love to stock in your store?
Honestly, I would love to become the US branch of The Broken Binding. The chance to collaborate with them to make it easier for US book lovers to get their hands on gorgeous books would be amazing.
How can readers and/or authors support your store?
Readers and authors can support Silverstones Books very easily, by shopping with us. The stock we keep on hand is limited due to the size of our shop, and also money, but we are also on bookshop.org. If you order ANY book from there and choose SIlverstones Books to support 30% of the money you spend is passed to us.
For the audiobook readers, you can support us through Libro.fm, which is an Audible replacement that has been supporting independent bookstores like Silverstones Books for 10 years. If you sign up for a membership through our store then we receive 15-20% of your monthly subscription, and if you buy an audiobook outright we receive 30%.
And as for all small businesses the biggest help is by sharing our posts on social media. Tell your friends and family about us, buy a special someone in your life a gift card to shop with us. The more people know about us the more we can do in the future.
How can indie authors get their books in your store?
Due to space and budget limitations Silverstones Books is currently closed to author submissions, but we do keep a watchful eye on social media to see what everybody is releasing. If we see something that matches the criteria we laid out earlier then we will order a copy or two and see how fast they sell/what kind of feedback we get from our customers. From there we will foster a relationship with said author if they seem like they are in high demand with our customer base.
Is there anything exciting coming to Silverstones soon?
Silverstones Books is currently planning the first ever Plattsmouth Book Fest! It’ll be held in downtown Plattsmouth, Nebraska on October 12th, from 10 to 3. We will have Main Street lined with author booths, and it’ll be a great way for indie authors (of any genre) to meet their readers face to face, and to find new ones that’ll cherish their books! We are currently taking registrations until mid-July, and authors interested in having a booth can register at this link:
https://forms.gle/Wjh6rPeAX6sBPRE59
Anything else you’d like us to know?
If you are an indie author, and you want to get your book into an independent bookstore, understand that every single bookstore is going to have their own requirements. It is frustrating to be told no, we as bookstore owners understand that. But authors must understand that you are most likely not the only author that’s come in that day to pitch us your book. It is a tough process, one that us bookstore owners understand.
The best way to get your book in a bookstore is to play the long game. Be a customer before a solicitor. I have broken my no author submissions rule a few times since I implemented it, and that was strictly for people that introduced themselves to me as customers first, and pitched me their book later after we had gotten to know each other.
It’s a symbiotic relationship you have to form, and that includes shopping with us as much as possible, and (and this is key) telling your readers to buy from us, not Amazon or Barnes & Noble. As a bookstore owner it is very disheartening to see an author you have poured your all into to support constantly posting about their book being on Amazon while you have piles of their books on hand and bills that need paid.
Thank you so much to Kavin and Silverstones Books for taking the time to take part in this interview! Don’t forget to check our their store and consider buying a book or two.
