Independent Bookstore Feature: The Nook

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.

Manitowoc, Wisconsin is home to three 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 The Nook owners Lily and Jess. These women provide a space where words live. Read on to find out more about these inspirational stewards of the written word.

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

THE NOOK: The Nook was created out of a love for reading and a yearning for something new and different in our community! We wanted to create a space unlike anything else here in Manitowoc, that welcomed people in to slow down in such a fast-paced world. We have been in business just over a year now!

FWP: Do you specialize in anything special or unique?

THE NOOK: We consider our business as a whole as something unique! Not only are we a bookstore, but we also have a drink and food menu. Our mocktails are our specialty; there is nowhere else around here that serves handcrafted mocktails the way we do! The Nook also hosts anywhere from 10-15 different events each month. Whether it’s murder mystery night, bingo, book club, craft night, or one of our ever so popular small business pop up events… we have something for everyone to enjoy!

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

THE NOOK: We spend a large part of our time deciding just which books to stock for our shelves. A lot of people call us the “Book Tok” bookstore because you’ll find many books on our shelves that are trending on various social media sites. So, the first thing we look at is how popular it is at the moment in the social media world. We also stock many local or smaller authors to try and get their name out there. Our ‘blind dates with a book’ are almost always lesser-known authors, and this just helps our customers pick a book they might have not chosen originally. Lastly, we focus on what our customers enjoy! Based on our last year in business, our target audience prefers fantasy and romance over most genres, so this is what we like to fill our shelves with. We never have a rhyme or reason for which books we face display! Some days it’s a new release, some days it’s a book with an eye-catching cover, some days it’s just what we set on the stand as we are stocking books. Generally, whatever is in our display stands sells quickly so they are changing often!

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.