Wordsmiths Raises Nearly $25,000
Decatur Metro | August 19, 2008…according to Publisher’s Weekly.
…according to Publisher’s Weekly.
In a post over on the Wordsmiths blog, Zach announces the success of their fund-raising campaign, which will help keep the bookstore open through the fall.
In a rather measured celebratory statement to his readers, Zach writes…
There is still much for us yet to do. We have operating expenses caught up and have made some traction into tomorrow, but we will still be working on paying down our debts for the foreseeable future. I would be remiss to state that all is well and that we are completely in the clear, though we are at least now in a position to address our concerns. I am still working to secure the long-term future of the bookstore and will be open to investment of any level up to that of a partnership in the business. I would like to have investment in the business secured sometime in the coming 90 days, so if you are interested, please email me or call the store to discuss the prospect.
Since there is no mention about hitting 100% of the funds needed, we’ll have to assume they didn’t quite make up the 40% needed over the two-day fundraiser.
And while some may question the action of a for-profit business asking for donations, you have to be impressed by the response they’ve received. Early on, someone questioned the focus Wordsmiths placed on PR…well, when push came to shove, the huge network they had created after only a year in operation saved them from some bad decisions and ultimately closing…for now.
But now the pressure is on. Over the next few months we’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.
Going into tonight, Zach reports that they’ve raised near 60% of the money needed to keep Wordsmiths open.
The two night fund-raising event begins this evening with Jack Pendarvis and Sealions and concludes tomorrow with a special appearance by Kodac Harrison. See the full schedule here.
Best of luck to ya guys!
Here’s the rundown for Night 1 of Wordsmiths’ fundraiser to save itself from extinction…
Additionally, InDecatur notes that a blurb was published in Publishers Weekly regarding the campaign. Also an AJC posting says that the rent at the Old Post Office on Trinity was three times that of the store’s current location. (THREE times!? umm…why?)
Full release after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »
Baby Got Books points out that it goes well-beyond Decatur, in a passionate cry to its audience…
Wordsmiths, in business for less than two years, has been instrumental in helping to create the lit scene that we all deserve here in Atlanta. No one in this town works harder to get authors in front of a crowd than the gang at Wordsmiths. No one. Their readings are always an event that may also feature local bands, national indie musicians, free hairpieces, local chefs, contests, prom backdrops, cupcakes, and – well, you never really know what else may happen. You can rest assured that an evening at a Wordsmiths reading is never going be boring. How good is Wordsmiths programming? New York Times-worthy. Don’t take my word for it. Check out Wordsmiths’ Flickr photostream. Then remind yourself that all of that action is taking place in a bookstore….
I love what Wordsmiths is all about. I think that they have hit upon the winning formula for selling books in the digital age while also creating a literary community. They’ve made going to the bookstore cool again. Bottom line: there is always something happening (or about to happen) at Wordsmiths. I’m sure that we’ll all survive if Wordsmiths disappears from our landscape – but we’ll all be the poorer for it.
Over on the Wordsmiths blog, Zach links to all the blogs/newspapers that have already posted on their campaign. And as someone somewhere already pointed out, if you’re against donating to the store but appreciate its contribution, you could still go purchase a book or two at full-price. Or buy a $10, $50, $100 or $500 Friends of Wordsmiths membership. Then the store makes a profit up front and you get benefits going forward.