The Boulder Book Store is as unique as the community itself. That local identity is something to keep in mind if you ask the store to carry your book. “Know your audience,” suggests children’s buyer, Liesl Freudenstein. She notes that the residents of this university town tend to be liberal, well-educated, and often spiritual, though not necessarily of western or fundamentalist beliefs. “We carry a broad array, but we’re not going to stock a lot of copies if a work doesn’t match our demographic.”

One look at the vast and eclectic list of titles on the children’s and YA shelves speaks volumes about Boulder Book Store’s commitment to young readers. The choices include classics, new titles representing both literary and commercial fiction, as well as non-fiction.

The eclectic Boulder Book Store is on the Pearl Street Mall. The city is nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.

It’s not only the largest book store in town (100,000 titles, 20,000 square feet and 50-some employees), it’s the oldest, having been founded by the current owner, David Bolduc in 1973. Freudenstein calls the store layout accommodating. The floorplan winds around corners, twists up and down staircases of an historic building, dating back to 1899. The result is a mix of old and new, an enchanting shop that one might find within the pages of a book.

Boulder Book Store is welcoming to new authors, but it’s important to know where your work fits in the mix. “If you’re going to have an author signing, bring an audience with you. The general public won’t show up, if you’re not a household name. Invite everyone you know—and then some. Join writers’ groups and go to other author signings to see how it’s done, and to generate support for your own work.

“Know yourself. If you’re not good at public speaking, maybe a signing isn’t for you,” says Freudenstein.

If you tend to be shy, there are other ways to work with the Boulder Book Store. Offer to come in and sign copies of your book for the store to keep in stock. “But call first. It’s embarrassing to you and to us if we don’t have your book on hand.”

A reading of the Nutcracker at the Boulder Book Store.

There is sometimes a demand for titles by local authors, so Freudenstein suggests talking to the frontline staff members about your work, while being respectful of their job duties. “They’re the ones doing the hand-selling. Customers will ask for recommendations, so you want our people to know what your book is about.

“Because we get to know local authors, we find those hidden gems. We like being the ones to ‘discover’ a new title.”
This can benefit self-published authors. “As an independent bookseller, we have to believe we can sell a book before we’ll stock it. But if we get behind it, we don’t have to run it through a corporate office.”

If you’re willing to do school events, let the staff know. “We’re reaching into the community and across the county, which is more diverse.”

And though it seems obvious, Freudenstein warns against sending emails with a link to Amazon, or putting information about other booksellers on your promotional materials. “We’re not going to advertise competitors in our store. Just use courtesy and common sense.”