Independent Bookstore Feature: Black Heart Books

Independent booksellers are the bloodline of stories, bringing them from warehouses to shelves right in your neighborhood. More than that, they become community centers where like-minded folks gather at bookish events.

Our local community is home to four women-owned independent bookstores. Each has its distinctive personality, and all carry the common theme—literacy is good for the community.

Fresh Water Press caught up with Jessica Phillips at Black Heart Books in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to discover the personality of her downtown store.

FWP: Why did you decide to open a bookstore? How long have you been in business?

Jessica: I’ve always enjoyed reading and I wanted to open the kind of bookstore that I would go to myself. Black Heart Books has been in business for over two years; our first year was as a pop-up bookstore, and in 2024 we moved into our physical location in Manitowoc.

FWP: Do you specialize in anything special or unique?

Jessica: Black Heart Books fills a very specific niche. We specialize in horror, thriller, true crime, speculative fiction, and dark nonfiction. Horror is an incredibly diverse genre! On our shelves you’ll find books with dark themes in all sorts of interest groups—splatterpunk, horror western, sci-fi, dark and monster romance, classic literature, manga, and graphic novels, plus YA and some children’s books. Part of our business model is carrying books not generally found in the “big box” bookstores from indie authors and indie presses. We host monthly book clubs or fiction, nonfiction, and romance. We also have a monthly Stitch ‘N Bitch for the crafters in the community.

FWP: What are the top three things you look at when deciding what books to stock, and which to face-display?

Jessica: When deciding what books to stock we consider whether it falls within the scope of our niche, whether it’s a title we think our customers would enjoy, and in which direction the genre is trending (i.e., are vampires popular right now? Zombies? How about cannibals?, etc.). We consider the same things when deciding which books will be face-displayed, but we also like to promote books and authors that we personally enjoy. Booksellers need to be responsive to the taste of their customers, but it’s important to recognize our role as tastemakers in the industry. We know front-facing books SELL and use that as an opportunity to raise up stories that deserve a chance in a reader’s hands. But sometimes, SOMETIMES, it just has to have a cool cover.

Are you a bookstore owner? Fresh Water Press would love to feature your story. Do you have a favorite bookstore you’d like to learn more about? Let us know at contact@freshwaterpressllc.com and we’ll reach out to request an interview.