Hello Dear Sponsors,
I hope that December is treating you all very, very well. We've been busy around the shop (which is a great thing) and it's made us very happy to see so many of you out and about.
As promised, the web page is ready for you to pre-order your 2017 sponsorships. The link is https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship17.htmll . As you will see there, your credit card will not be charged until January 1st, 2017.
If you would prefer to stop by in person to renew, you're welcome to do so but . . . it's a little bit easier for us if you do so by credit card or by check. We'll take cash (of course!) but it takes a little extra handling.
Likewise, if you want to mail a check, please do -- but, if you would post-date it January 1st, 2017, that will make things easier for us. And yes, all this hoop-jumping is to keep the taxes simple and the tax-folks happy.
Thank you all for your support through 2016 and thank you for considering the same for 2017. I think that we're doing something really wonderful with the sponsor program but, moreso, I think that we are doing something really wonderful with Borderlands. We've made a place that feels like home to so many people (for example, we hosted our third wedding at the shop just a few weeks ago). Given that the world may seem like a darker and scarier place right now, I and the rest of the staff consider it an honor to be able to give people a sense of comfort and belonging.
And I'm honored by the faith you've shown me with your trust and belief that we can keep going strong.
I hope that this month and the New Year bring you joy, peace, love and all that you could possibly wish.
Warmest Regards,
Alan
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Sponsor Letter, December 8th 2016
Hey Everybody,
It's almost time to prove again that what we started last year actually works. I'm a bit scared and excited at the same time. Last year we started the sponsor program and saved Borderlands. This year showed that it wasn't a one-time fluke. But 2017 is going to be the final test. In 2015 we had around 850 sponsors. This year we had around 650. That is, roughly, a 25% drop. To be honest, that is better than I was expecting.
In 2015, Borderlands closing was big news. People were paying attention and emotions were high. Being a sponsor in 2015 was a statement. It was, if you will, a shout out to the world, "Dammit, bookstores matter!" It was a punch in the face to all the things that have, over the years, closed our beloved bookstores (and record shops and video rental joints).
But being a sponsor in 2016 was a different sort of statement. It was, delivered in a flat, dispassionate growl, "I'm going to keep Borderlands open." It was the start of a wrestling match on the barroom floor; a match that might go on 'til last call. So, it's no surprise that fewer people want to sign up for that sort of fight.
Which is not to say that I don't appreciate the hell out of the people who stood up in 2015, took a swing, and then went on to another good fight. Their sheer numbers sent me and plenty of other people a message that we needed.
This year is going to send me a message as well. If we drop by another 25% this year, down to around 400 sponsors or so, I'm going to have some serious concerns about this working over the long term. Because that progression means we barely make the 300 we need come 2018. And, in 2019, we won't make it and we're closing.
On or around the 15th of this month, the web-page for sponsor renewals will go live (I'll be sending a short note to you to let you know when that happens). I'm hoping that you'll all decide to go another round with us but, if you decide not to, thank you so much for your support -- we've had a good year and we've done some great things. Without you, we wouldn't have had this year or the last one. So, thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Have a peaceful and calm holiday, and may the New Year bring you all you wish.
All Best,
Alan
PS A big thank you to the folks who made the last sponsor social a big success: Meg, our fantastic tarot reader <http://www.megstarotreadings.com/> whose efforts were much appreciated by all. Philip Cuadra, founder of San Francisco's Highlawn Wine Company <http://www.highlawnwine.com/>, who plied our guests with some very tasty beverages. And our DJ, Steven R. Boyett <http://www.steveboy.com/index.html>. Steve recorded his mix from that night and has it here for your delectation <listen - http://traffic.libsyn.com/djsteveboy/funk_by_the_book_-_live_at_borderlands.mp3 download / playlist (mix is called "Funk by the Book" - http://www.groovelectric.com/mixes.html )
The Twitter Version
1) We'll be hosting a brief private reception for a small group of sponsors with James S.A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck), on Saturday December 10th at 4 pm, before their public event at the store. If you would like to be in the drawing to attend the private event, please reply to this email and say so (and, do look at the details in the next section of this note).
2) We'll be touring the offices of the Long Now Foundation at Fort Mason Center (2 Marina Blvd. Fort Mason Center Bldg. A San Francisco, CA 94123) on Monday, December 12th at 7:00 pm. You're welcome to bring a guest but please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com.
3) Thanks to the Balboa Theatre <http://www.balboamovies.com> and SF in SF <http://www.sfinsf.org>, Borderlands Sponsors have an opportunity to attend a special preview of the new Star Wars movie "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" at 7 pm on Thursday, December 15th. For details, email sfinsfevents@gmail.com and mention that you're a Borderlands Sponsor.
4) Bringing in the new year, we'll take a tour of the Speakeasy Brewery on Saturday, January 14th at 2:15 pm. There will be a small charge for the tour and guests are welcome.
5) I, and several other folks, thought it might be nice to have a little social gathering on Friday, January 20th to mark an event that is, at the very least, slightly science-fictional and surreal. So, we'll be getting together at the store for cookies, tea and company from 7 pm to 10 pm. Guests are very welcome and, if you've got cookies that you're especially proud of, please do bring some.
6) The first sponsor social of 2017 will be on Saturday, February 11th from 7 pm to 11 pm.
7) We're going to take a group visit to UC Berkeley's Doe Library exhibition, "Beyond Tintin and Superman: The Diversity of Global Comics", on Sunday, February 26th at 2 pm.
It's almost time to prove again that what we started last year actually works. I'm a bit scared and excited at the same time. Last year we started the sponsor program and saved Borderlands. This year showed that it wasn't a one-time fluke. But 2017 is going to be the final test. In 2015 we had around 850 sponsors. This year we had around 650. That is, roughly, a 25% drop. To be honest, that is better than I was expecting.
In 2015, Borderlands closing was big news. People were paying attention and emotions were high. Being a sponsor in 2015 was a statement. It was, if you will, a shout out to the world, "Dammit, bookstores matter!" It was a punch in the face to all the things that have, over the years, closed our beloved bookstores (and record shops and video rental joints).
But being a sponsor in 2016 was a different sort of statement. It was, delivered in a flat, dispassionate growl, "I'm going to keep Borderlands open." It was the start of a wrestling match on the barroom floor; a match that might go on 'til last call. So, it's no surprise that fewer people want to sign up for that sort of fight.
Which is not to say that I don't appreciate the hell out of the people who stood up in 2015, took a swing, and then went on to another good fight. Their sheer numbers sent me and plenty of other people a message that we needed.
This year is going to send me a message as well. If we drop by another 25% this year, down to around 400 sponsors or so, I'm going to have some serious concerns about this working over the long term. Because that progression means we barely make the 300 we need come 2018. And, in 2019, we won't make it and we're closing.
On or around the 15th of this month, the web-page for sponsor renewals will go live (I'll be sending a short note to you to let you know when that happens). I'm hoping that you'll all decide to go another round with us but, if you decide not to, thank you so much for your support -- we've had a good year and we've done some great things. Without you, we wouldn't have had this year or the last one. So, thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Have a peaceful and calm holiday, and may the New Year bring you all you wish.
All Best,
Alan
PS A big thank you to the folks who made the last sponsor social a big success: Meg, our fantastic tarot reader <http://www.megstarotreadings.com/> whose efforts were much appreciated by all. Philip Cuadra, founder of San Francisco's Highlawn Wine Company <http://www.highlawnwine.com/>, who plied our guests with some very tasty beverages. And our DJ, Steven R. Boyett <http://www.steveboy.com/index.html>. Steve recorded his mix from that night and has it here for your delectation <listen - http://traffic.libsyn.com/djsteveboy/funk_by_the_book_-_live_at_borderlands.mp3 download / playlist (mix is called "Funk by the Book" - http://www.groovelectric.com/mixes.html )
The Twitter Version
1) We'll be hosting a brief private reception for a small group of sponsors with James S.A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck), on Saturday December 10th at 4 pm, before their public event at the store. If you would like to be in the drawing to attend the private event, please reply to this email and say so (and, do look at the details in the next section of this note).
2) We'll be touring the offices of the Long Now Foundation at Fort Mason Center (2 Marina Blvd. Fort Mason Center Bldg. A San Francisco, CA 94123) on Monday, December 12th at 7:00 pm. You're welcome to bring a guest but please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com.
3) Thanks to the Balboa Theatre <http://www.balboamovies.com> and SF in SF <http://www.sfinsf.org>, Borderlands Sponsors have an opportunity to attend a special preview of the new Star Wars movie "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" at 7 pm on Thursday, December 15th. For details, email sfinsfevents@gmail.com and mention that you're a Borderlands Sponsor.
4) Bringing in the new year, we'll take a tour of the Speakeasy Brewery on Saturday, January 14th at 2:15 pm. There will be a small charge for the tour and guests are welcome.
5) I, and several other folks, thought it might be nice to have a little social gathering on Friday, January 20th to mark an event that is, at the very least, slightly science-fictional and surreal. So, we'll be getting together at the store for cookies, tea and company from 7 pm to 10 pm. Guests are very welcome and, if you've got cookies that you're especially proud of, please do bring some.
6) The first sponsor social of 2017 will be on Saturday, February 11th from 7 pm to 11 pm.
7) We're going to take a group visit to UC Berkeley's Doe Library exhibition, "Beyond Tintin and Superman: The Diversity of Global Comics", on Sunday, February 26th at 2 pm.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Sponsor Letter, November 7th 2016
Hi All,
Well here we go, we're into November and into the chute leading up to the Holidays. I quite like this time of year but it is busy, busy, busy. This month is also notable in that it's the beginning of our 20th year in business. I opened the shop on November 3rd, 1997. As you can imagine, I've got a few plans for our 20th anniversary at the end of next year and, of course, some special stuff in mind for you all particularly. But, it's nothing I want to talk about yet though I will give you a hint -- I think that there are going to be some book collectors who will be sad in the latter part of next year that they are not sponsors.
All those plans are contingent on getting 300 sponsors next year, but I'm feeling pretty good about that. We've over 650 for this year so far and I don't expect that will drop by more than 50% next year. Just like last year, we'll be opening up pre-payments for existing sponsors sometime in December and then well start charging credit cards and accepting new sponsors on January 1st. I'll have all the details about that in the next sponsor note but you can expect that it will work much the same as it did this year.
If you can make it to the sponsor social next Saturday, November the 12th, please do. This year we're not doing a public anniversary party but I think we'll be whooping it up a bit at the social. We're also going to have two guests from out of town. Chris Roberson has written a huge range of stuff and right now is mostly working on comics. After a stint writing for DC's Superman comic he went on to create iZOMBIE (the TV show based on that comic is now in its third season on The CW). Nowadays he writes Hellboy with Mike Mignola, when he's not writing novels. Also visiting will be Rani Graff. Rani started and runs Graff Publishing, which is the second largest publisher of SF and fantasy in Israel and has introduced more great authors to that country than I can count. Chris and Rani are two of my favorite people in our business and it's going to be great to have them hanging out at the party.
Regarding sponsor socials and the upcoming year, I have a question for you. This year we scheduled the socials to alternate between Thursdays and Saturdays. After talking with some folks, I'm not sure that is a good pattern, but I want to hear from you. Should we keep up that alternation, or should we just have all the socials in 2017 on Saturday evenings?
I think that's it for now. Have a great month and please enjoy your Thanksgiving, whether it be turkey with all the trimmings or Chinese take-out. I've had both and, I've got to say, I sorta prefer the Chinese take-out.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
All Best,
Alan
The Yeager Version
1) BOOKED UP Mary Robinette Kowal's Whiskey Tasting will be on Friday, November 11th, at 8 pm. As expected this event filled up very quickly and, at this point, there are no spaces left (along with a full wait-list).
2) Sponsor Social. Our next Sponsor Social (and last one of 2016) will be Saturday, the 12th of November, from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm. As always, you're welcome to bring a guest, and RSVPs are appreciated but not required. This quarter we'll have tarot readings, wine tasting, and a special guest DJ.
3) We'll be touring the offices of the Long Now Foundation at Fort Mason Center (2 Marina Blvd. Fort Mason Center Bldg. A San Francisco, CA 94123) on Monday, December 12th at 7:00 pm. You're welcome to bring a guest but please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com.
4) Bringing in the new year, we'll take a tour of the Speakeasy Brewery on Saturday, January 14th at 2:15 pm. There will be a small charge for the tour and guests are welcome.
5) The first sponsor social of 2017 will be on Saturday, February 11th from 7 pm to 11 pm.
Jude, Scott and I are in the process of setting the sponsor event schedule for 2017 and we've got some fun stuff ahead for you. Likely events are a "Buffy: The Musical" sing-along, a tour of the SF Center for the Book, rollerskating at The Church of Eight Wheels, and much more.
Well here we go, we're into November and into the chute leading up to the Holidays. I quite like this time of year but it is busy, busy, busy. This month is also notable in that it's the beginning of our 20th year in business. I opened the shop on November 3rd, 1997. As you can imagine, I've got a few plans for our 20th anniversary at the end of next year and, of course, some special stuff in mind for you all particularly. But, it's nothing I want to talk about yet though I will give you a hint -- I think that there are going to be some book collectors who will be sad in the latter part of next year that they are not sponsors.
All those plans are contingent on getting 300 sponsors next year, but I'm feeling pretty good about that. We've over 650 for this year so far and I don't expect that will drop by more than 50% next year. Just like last year, we'll be opening up pre-payments for existing sponsors sometime in December and then well start charging credit cards and accepting new sponsors on January 1st. I'll have all the details about that in the next sponsor note but you can expect that it will work much the same as it did this year.
If you can make it to the sponsor social next Saturday, November the 12th, please do. This year we're not doing a public anniversary party but I think we'll be whooping it up a bit at the social. We're also going to have two guests from out of town. Chris Roberson has written a huge range of stuff and right now is mostly working on comics. After a stint writing for DC's Superman comic he went on to create iZOMBIE (the TV show based on that comic is now in its third season on The CW). Nowadays he writes Hellboy with Mike Mignola, when he's not writing novels. Also visiting will be Rani Graff. Rani started and runs Graff Publishing, which is the second largest publisher of SF and fantasy in Israel and has introduced more great authors to that country than I can count. Chris and Rani are two of my favorite people in our business and it's going to be great to have them hanging out at the party.
Regarding sponsor socials and the upcoming year, I have a question for you. This year we scheduled the socials to alternate between Thursdays and Saturdays. After talking with some folks, I'm not sure that is a good pattern, but I want to hear from you. Should we keep up that alternation, or should we just have all the socials in 2017 on Saturday evenings?
I think that's it for now. Have a great month and please enjoy your Thanksgiving, whether it be turkey with all the trimmings or Chinese take-out. I've had both and, I've got to say, I sorta prefer the Chinese take-out.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
All Best,
Alan
The Yeager Version
1) BOOKED UP Mary Robinette Kowal's Whiskey Tasting will be on Friday, November 11th, at 8 pm. As expected this event filled up very quickly and, at this point, there are no spaces left (along with a full wait-list).
2) Sponsor Social. Our next Sponsor Social (and last one of 2016) will be Saturday, the 12th of November, from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm. As always, you're welcome to bring a guest, and RSVPs are appreciated but not required. This quarter we'll have tarot readings, wine tasting, and a special guest DJ.
3) We'll be touring the offices of the Long Now Foundation at Fort Mason Center (2 Marina Blvd. Fort Mason Center Bldg. A San Francisco, CA 94123) on Monday, December 12th at 7:00 pm. You're welcome to bring a guest but please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com.
4) Bringing in the new year, we'll take a tour of the Speakeasy Brewery on Saturday, January 14th at 2:15 pm. There will be a small charge for the tour and guests are welcome.
5) The first sponsor social of 2017 will be on Saturday, February 11th from 7 pm to 11 pm.
Jude, Scott and I are in the process of setting the sponsor event schedule for 2017 and we've got some fun stuff ahead for you. Likely events are a "Buffy: The Musical" sing-along, a tour of the SF Center for the Book, rollerskating at The Church of Eight Wheels, and much more.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Sponsor Letter, October 14th 2016
Hi Folks,
This note is going to be kind of short this month. As I mentioned a few months ago, I've had some personal projects to get taken care of, which are very close to completion but still taking up a fair bit of time. Should be finished by next month, however -- just in time for the holiday season. Another thing that I'm getting close to completion on is the process of getting Borderlands a building before our lease expires in 2021. For good and sufficient reasons, I'm probably not going to be able to go into great detail about that, even when I've got the path worked out, but I hope to have more to tell you next month or the month after. But, things are looking very positive over the long term.
I've also come to the conclusion that either setting up a non-profit or working with an existing non-profit to support the store and, on a larger scale, genre literature in the Bay Area is something that is very much in the cards. The time scale on that is still to be determined but is probably in the one-to- three-year range.
Overall, despite my absence at sponsor events, I've made some pretty big steps on the large-scale questions that have been in front of us this year. It's looking pretty rosy, all in all. Assuming, of course, that we continue to earn the absolutely vital support that you've given us over the past two years. Based on what I've heard from people, we're managing to do that but, if you think we're falling short, please do let me know.
It is still hard to get my mind around how much things have changed for the better at Borderlands because of our sponsors. But everyday, when I walk past the list of all your names on the wall, I'm reminded of what a remarkable thing we've accomplished.
Warmst Regards,
Alan
Hydrogen Version
1) Open Mic Night. Join us Friday, October 21st, for the next Sponsors' Open Mic Night.
2) Picnic in Golden Gate Park. October's Sponsor event is enjoying the great outdoors and San Francisco's actual summer time. We have reserved our own section of Golden Gate Park for food and fun on Saturday, October 22nd from noon to 4pm. Look for Table 17 in Lindley Meadow on the South side of JFK Drive. Guests, friends and children are welcome. If you're planning on coming, please let us know at sponsors@borderlands-books.com
3) World Fantasy Convention. Two events at this years convention in Ohio. A public party Friday night starting at eight and going 'til Midnight and a sponsors-only get together Saturday afternoon from three to five. I don't have the room number yet but I will by Friday afternoon (October 28th). You can email me for that info or just ask me when you see me at the convention.
If you'd like to come to the Saturday event, please RSVP directly to me at abeatts@borderlands-books.com.
4) Sponsor Social. Our next Sponsor Social (and last one of 2016) will be Saturday, the 12th of November, from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm.
5) Mary Robinette Kowal's Whiskey Tasting will be on Friday, November 11th, at 8 pm. Space is limited and so please let us know if you'd like to attend by RSVPing to sponsors@borderlands-books.com. There will be a small fee of $25, payable at the door, to cover costs.
6) We'll be touring the offices of the Long Now Foundation at the Presidio in mid-December.
This note is going to be kind of short this month. As I mentioned a few months ago, I've had some personal projects to get taken care of, which are very close to completion but still taking up a fair bit of time. Should be finished by next month, however -- just in time for the holiday season. Another thing that I'm getting close to completion on is the process of getting Borderlands a building before our lease expires in 2021. For good and sufficient reasons, I'm probably not going to be able to go into great detail about that, even when I've got the path worked out, but I hope to have more to tell you next month or the month after. But, things are looking very positive over the long term.
I've also come to the conclusion that either setting up a non-profit or working with an existing non-profit to support the store and, on a larger scale, genre literature in the Bay Area is something that is very much in the cards. The time scale on that is still to be determined but is probably in the one-to- three-year range.
Overall, despite my absence at sponsor events, I've made some pretty big steps on the large-scale questions that have been in front of us this year. It's looking pretty rosy, all in all. Assuming, of course, that we continue to earn the absolutely vital support that you've given us over the past two years. Based on what I've heard from people, we're managing to do that but, if you think we're falling short, please do let me know.
It is still hard to get my mind around how much things have changed for the better at Borderlands because of our sponsors. But everyday, when I walk past the list of all your names on the wall, I'm reminded of what a remarkable thing we've accomplished.
Warmst Regards,
Alan
Hydrogen Version
1) Open Mic Night. Join us Friday, October 21st, for the next Sponsors' Open Mic Night.
2) Picnic in Golden Gate Park. October's Sponsor event is enjoying the great outdoors and San Francisco's actual summer time. We have reserved our own section of Golden Gate Park for food and fun on Saturday, October 22nd from noon to 4pm. Look for Table 17 in Lindley Meadow on the South side of JFK Drive. Guests, friends and children are welcome. If you're planning on coming, please let us know at sponsors@borderlands-books.com
3) World Fantasy Convention. Two events at this years convention in Ohio. A public party Friday night starting at eight and going 'til Midnight and a sponsors-only get together Saturday afternoon from three to five. I don't have the room number yet but I will by Friday afternoon (October 28th). You can email me for that info or just ask me when you see me at the convention.
If you'd like to come to the Saturday event, please RSVP directly to me at abeatts@borderlands-books.com.
4) Sponsor Social. Our next Sponsor Social (and last one of 2016) will be Saturday, the 12th of November, from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm.
5) Mary Robinette Kowal's Whiskey Tasting will be on Friday, November 11th, at 8 pm. Space is limited and so please let us know if you'd like to attend by RSVPing to sponsors@borderlands-books.com. There will be a small fee of $25, payable at the door, to cover costs.
6) We'll be touring the offices of the Long Now Foundation at the Presidio in mid-December.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Sponsor Letter, September 15th 2016
Howdy Pardners,
Scott Cox, your Sponsor Liaison, here. A few things you should know. . . First, it finally feels like summer here in San Francisco and Alan is not happy about it. Second, just when you thought our assortment couldn't get any better, we've tweaked the layout of the store a bit to allow more room for hardcover and trade paperback books. Third, we're also featuring our bestselling books for each month in their own bookcase. The last and best news is all of the upcoming sponsor events we have planned both near and far!
Short
1) Game Night at the Cafe. September's Sponsor event is inspired by the rollicking good time our gamers had at the last social. So, we're going full tilt game night. On Sunday, September 25th, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, we'll be hosting our very first Game Night at the Cafe! Many games and game masters will be on hand, but if you have a favorite game you want to share, please feel free to bring it along (please limit the games to those that can be completed in 2-3 hours or less). As always feel free to bring any drinks or snacks you would care to share.
2) Open Mic Night. Join us Friday, October 21st, for the next Sponsors' Open Mic Night.
3) Picnic in Golden Gate Park. October's Sponsor event is enjoying the great outdoors and San Francisco's actual summer time. We have reserved our own section of Golden Gate Park for food and fun on Saturday, October 22nd from noon to 4pm. Look for Table 17 in Lindley Meadow on the South side of JFK Drive.
4) World Fantasy Convention. We will be hosting our first-ever out of town event to celebrate Borderlands' continued existence at the World Fantasy Convention. We will be hosting an intimate get-together in our hospitality suite in the afternoon on Saturday, October 29th. We'll have more details as we get closer to the event. We'll also be hosting an open party on Friday night. Look for details here and in the store newsletter.
5) Sponsor Social. Our next Sponsor Social (and last one of 2016) will be Saturday, the 12th of November, from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm.
6) Mary Robinette Kowal's Whiskey Tasting will be a few days earlier or later than the Social. No need to reserve yet as we are still firming up plans.
7) We'll be touring the offices of the Long Now Foundation at the Presidio in early December. Look for more details to come.
Scott Cox, your Sponsor Liaison, here. A few things you should know. . . First, it finally feels like summer here in San Francisco and Alan is not happy about it. Second, just when you thought our assortment couldn't get any better, we've tweaked the layout of the store a bit to allow more room for hardcover and trade paperback books. Third, we're also featuring our bestselling books for each month in their own bookcase. The last and best news is all of the upcoming sponsor events we have planned both near and far!
Short
1) Game Night at the Cafe. September's Sponsor event is inspired by the rollicking good time our gamers had at the last social. So, we're going full tilt game night. On Sunday, September 25th, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, we'll be hosting our very first Game Night at the Cafe! Many games and game masters will be on hand, but if you have a favorite game you want to share, please feel free to bring it along (please limit the games to those that can be completed in 2-3 hours or less). As always feel free to bring any drinks or snacks you would care to share.
2) Open Mic Night. Join us Friday, October 21st, for the next Sponsors' Open Mic Night.
3) Picnic in Golden Gate Park. October's Sponsor event is enjoying the great outdoors and San Francisco's actual summer time. We have reserved our own section of Golden Gate Park for food and fun on Saturday, October 22nd from noon to 4pm. Look for Table 17 in Lindley Meadow on the South side of JFK Drive.
4) World Fantasy Convention. We will be hosting our first-ever out of town event to celebrate Borderlands' continued existence at the World Fantasy Convention. We will be hosting an intimate get-together in our hospitality suite in the afternoon on Saturday, October 29th. We'll have more details as we get closer to the event. We'll also be hosting an open party on Friday night. Look for details here and in the store newsletter.
5) Sponsor Social. Our next Sponsor Social (and last one of 2016) will be Saturday, the 12th of November, from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm.
6) Mary Robinette Kowal's Whiskey Tasting will be a few days earlier or later than the Social. No need to reserve yet as we are still firming up plans.
7) We'll be touring the offices of the Long Now Foundation at the Presidio in early December. Look for more details to come.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Sponsor Letter, August 11th 2016
Hi Everyone,
I hope you've been enjoying your summer. We've been having a bit of fun around here (rearranging the rare book section, moving some shelves around and so on) and I've been getting a chance to do some work around the house. For me it's mostly been paint prep, which I don't enjoy very much. My place hasn't been very much maintained since it was built in 1923 and so there has been a lot of work to do. But, it's not at all as bad as the store was when we moved in (not to mention, my place is much smaller than the shop), so I should not be complaining.
We're getting ready to swing into the Fall and the start of the school year. That doesn't affect things at the bookstore much but, in the cafe, it means a complete schedule overhaul. Thankfully that's more Z'ev's problem than mine. I'm very lucky in the folks who work with me.
Going over the schedule at the cafe has made it clear that we need some more staff there. We've two staffers leaving for college and so, we're hiring. If any of you know anyone who might be interested in an exciting (or, at the very least, interesting) job at the cafe, please ask them to get in touch. Scheduling is pretty well suited to someone in school. That includes high-school students, who we're quite happy to work with. Plus, no experience is needed.
The final advantage of working in the cafe -- the cafe staff are the first people we turn to when we're looking for bookstore staff. So it's a great way to get into working at the bookstore. Interested parties should send me a cover letter and resume to abeatts@borderlands-books.com.
Other than that, we're getting ready for the Fall and we've got some very neat events planned for the later part of the year. We're also working on the event schedule for next year. I know it might be a little premature but, based on what I've been hearing from you all and how well things went this year, I feel pretty confident that we'll make our sponsorship goals for 2017. So, we might as well start the planning now for the fun and games -- right now here are some of the things we're thinking about: a scavenger hunt at the store (including the creepy, creepy basement), tours of both the SF Center for the Book <https://www.sfcb.org> and The Arion Press <http://www.arionpress.com>, a sing-along showing of Buffy, The Musical, a roller skating trip to The Church of Eight Wheels <http://www.churchof8wheels.com>, and much more interesting stuff.
Have a good August and I'll look forward to seeing you around the shop!
All Best,
Alan
Upcoming Events:
The Sgian Dubh Version
1) Don Herron is offering our sponsors a mashup of his famous literary Dashiell Hammett and Fritz Leiber walking tours for the reduced rate of $10 per person on Sunday, August 28th at 1:00pm. Guests are welcome and pre-payment will be necessary; please RSVP as soon as you can. http://www.donherron.com/the-tour/
2) Game Night at the Cafe, Sunday, September 25th from 7 pm to 10 pm - Join fellow sponsors & "game" staff for chess, Cards Against Humanity, Scrabble, Pictionary, or whatever other board games you'd like to bring to play! Guests are very welcome.
3) We're having a BBQ potluck at Golden Gate Park on Saturday, October 22nd from Noon to 4 pm. This is at table #17, Lindley Meadow. Guests are welcome and, per Rec and Parks, no glass bottles please.
4) Whisky Tasting with Mary Robinette Kowal, November, day and time to be determined. We unfortunately cannot allow guests for this event. This was delayed a bit because Mary Robinette's book and tour were delayed by the publisher.
5) The Fall Sponsor Social, last one for the year, will take place on November 12th from 7 pm to 11 pm.
6) Tour of The Long Now Foundation, early December, day and time to be determined. We'll take a visit to their office / cafe and hear about their current projects and long, long, long term plans. http://longnow.org/
I hope you've been enjoying your summer. We've been having a bit of fun around here (rearranging the rare book section, moving some shelves around and so on) and I've been getting a chance to do some work around the house. For me it's mostly been paint prep, which I don't enjoy very much. My place hasn't been very much maintained since it was built in 1923 and so there has been a lot of work to do. But, it's not at all as bad as the store was when we moved in (not to mention, my place is much smaller than the shop), so I should not be complaining.
We're getting ready to swing into the Fall and the start of the school year. That doesn't affect things at the bookstore much but, in the cafe, it means a complete schedule overhaul. Thankfully that's more Z'ev's problem than mine. I'm very lucky in the folks who work with me.
Going over the schedule at the cafe has made it clear that we need some more staff there. We've two staffers leaving for college and so, we're hiring. If any of you know anyone who might be interested in an exciting (or, at the very least, interesting) job at the cafe, please ask them to get in touch. Scheduling is pretty well suited to someone in school. That includes high-school students, who we're quite happy to work with. Plus, no experience is needed.
The final advantage of working in the cafe -- the cafe staff are the first people we turn to when we're looking for bookstore staff. So it's a great way to get into working at the bookstore. Interested parties should send me a cover letter and resume to abeatts@borderlands-books.com.
Other than that, we're getting ready for the Fall and we've got some very neat events planned for the later part of the year. We're also working on the event schedule for next year. I know it might be a little premature but, based on what I've been hearing from you all and how well things went this year, I feel pretty confident that we'll make our sponsorship goals for 2017. So, we might as well start the planning now for the fun and games -- right now here are some of the things we're thinking about: a scavenger hunt at the store (including the creepy, creepy basement), tours of both the SF Center for the Book <https://www.sfcb.org> and The Arion Press <http://www.arionpress.com>, a sing-along showing of Buffy, The Musical, a roller skating trip to The Church of Eight Wheels <http://www.churchof8wheels.com>, and much more interesting stuff.
Have a good August and I'll look forward to seeing you around the shop!
All Best,
Alan
Upcoming Events:
The Sgian Dubh Version
1) Don Herron is offering our sponsors a mashup of his famous literary Dashiell Hammett and Fritz Leiber walking tours for the reduced rate of $10 per person on Sunday, August 28th at 1:00pm. Guests are welcome and pre-payment will be necessary; please RSVP as soon as you can. http://www.donherron.com/the-tour/
2) Game Night at the Cafe, Sunday, September 25th from 7 pm to 10 pm - Join fellow sponsors & "game" staff for chess, Cards Against Humanity, Scrabble, Pictionary, or whatever other board games you'd like to bring to play! Guests are very welcome.
3) We're having a BBQ potluck at Golden Gate Park on Saturday, October 22nd from Noon to 4 pm. This is at table #17, Lindley Meadow. Guests are welcome and, per Rec and Parks, no glass bottles please.
4) Whisky Tasting with Mary Robinette Kowal, November, day and time to be determined. We unfortunately cannot allow guests for this event. This was delayed a bit because Mary Robinette's book and tour were delayed by the publisher.
5) The Fall Sponsor Social, last one for the year, will take place on November 12th from 7 pm to 11 pm.
6) Tour of The Long Now Foundation, early December, day and time to be determined. We'll take a visit to their office / cafe and hear about their current projects and long, long, long term plans. http://longnow.org/
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Sponsor Letter, July 7th 2016
Hi Everyone,
I hope you're all enjoying your summer -- it's a traditional San Francisco July here: gray and cloudy which is confusing the tourists and recent arrivals while giving old-timers a sense of comfort and consistency. I've been focusing on some family stuff and getting details around the shop ironed out (the former with much success and the latter with . . . some . . . success). But, it's pretty much the usual summer status quo -- business is slow at the cafe, busy at the bookstore, and I'm playing catch-up. I hope to see many of you next week at the social, which will be the usual low-key summer one -- no big announcements, no fire-dancers, but plenty of food, drink and chatting.
All Best,
Alan
The Eddard Stark version:
1) We'll be hosting a private reception for a small group of sponsors with Charlie Stross, THIS SUNDAY, June 10th, at 6 pm after his public event at the store. If you would like to be in the drawing to attend the private event, please reply to this email and say so (and, do look at the details below).
2) The locked room event at the PanIQ Room was a blast. Fortunately, all of the groups managed to escape their rooms, so we didn't have to leave anyone behind. We may hold another Sponsor event there in the future, for those of you who weren't able to attend.
3) The next Sponsor Social is scheduled for Thursday, July 14th from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm. As usual, one guest per sponsor, RSVP's appreciated, and we hope to see you there! It's BYOB and pot-luck so feel free to bring some drink or food or both. But don't worry if you don't have time or spine for that -- we don't usually run short on either.
4) We have a new intern at the store! You may have met her at the locked room event last Thursday. Her name is Miranda Phaal, she's very friendly and mostly doesn't bite, so feel free to say hi and introduce yourself if you see her around.
The Tyrion Lannister version:
1) We're going to be hosting an event at the store with Charles Stross, brilliant author of The Laundry Files series as well as many other fantastic titles, this Sunday at 3 pm. As a special treat for some of our sponsors, Charlie will be going for drinks with a small group of you after the public event. To make this an intimate gathering, rather than just a smaller version of the signing at the store, the number of people attending is sharply limited. If you would like to come, please reply to this email and let me know. The deadline to express interest is 8 pm Friday, July 8th.
After the deadline, I'll draw names out of a "hat" to determine who will be attending. The private event is at 6 pm on Sunday, June 10th, will run about two hours, and is seven block walk from Borderlands. Food and drinks will be available to purchase at the site. Regrettably, it will not be possible to bring any guests. I will be notifying the winners on Saturday afternoon and giving them further details.
Of course, the event at the store is open to the public and, as a sponsor, you can reserve a seat for yourself and one guest, if you like. Just email sponsors@borderlands-books.com to reserve a seat.
2) Sponsors (and staff) had a lot of fun at the PanIQ Room locked room event last Thursday. All three groups managed to escape from their rooms, two of them in around 30 minutes, and the third in just over 50 minutes (they had the hardest room). It was such a fun event that we may look into holding another Sponsor event there for those of you that couldn't make it this time, or who want to try to beat your record from last time.
3) The next Sponsor Social is scheduled for Thursday, July 14th from 7:00 - 11:00 pm. As usual, it will be a potluck, so bring your specialty dish to show off, or a bottle of something to share. We will have some excellent beer, courtesy of the generous folks at local Speakeasy Ales and Lagers < http://www.goodbeer.com >, who were our beverage guests at the last social. It has been dry enough that we may even be able to resume the "backstage" tours! And as usual, there will be much merriment, weird & fabulous raffle prizes, (including a special little something courtesy of the fabulous Joe Hill!) and probably an embarrassing story or two about the history of Borderlands, as they always seem to come up. You can bring one non-sponsor guest with you, and RSVPs are appreciated but not required. I hope to see all of you there.
4) We have a new Publicity and Marketing intern at the store! Some of you met her last Thursday at the locked room event. Her name is Miranda Phaal, she's going to school at Tufts University (located just outside of Boston), but she's a local San Franciscan and a Borderlands Sponsor. She'll be writing some promotional materials for the store, helping out with Sponsor and author events, and possibly working to get more stuff up on our Youtube channel. Other than at events, she'll be back in the office most of the time, but if you see her around, feel free to say hi and introduce yourself. She's friendly, we promise.
--------------------------
Borderlands Books and Cafe
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco CA 94110 USA
415 824-8203
888 893-4008
http://www.borderlands-books.com
I hope you're all enjoying your summer -- it's a traditional San Francisco July here: gray and cloudy which is confusing the tourists and recent arrivals while giving old-timers a sense of comfort and consistency. I've been focusing on some family stuff and getting details around the shop ironed out (the former with much success and the latter with . . . some . . . success). But, it's pretty much the usual summer status quo -- business is slow at the cafe, busy at the bookstore, and I'm playing catch-up. I hope to see many of you next week at the social, which will be the usual low-key summer one -- no big announcements, no fire-dancers, but plenty of food, drink and chatting.
All Best,
Alan
The Eddard Stark version:
1) We'll be hosting a private reception for a small group of sponsors with Charlie Stross, THIS SUNDAY, June 10th, at 6 pm after his public event at the store. If you would like to be in the drawing to attend the private event, please reply to this email and say so (and, do look at the details below).
2) The locked room event at the PanIQ Room was a blast. Fortunately, all of the groups managed to escape their rooms, so we didn't have to leave anyone behind. We may hold another Sponsor event there in the future, for those of you who weren't able to attend.
3) The next Sponsor Social is scheduled for Thursday, July 14th from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm. As usual, one guest per sponsor, RSVP's appreciated, and we hope to see you there! It's BYOB and pot-luck so feel free to bring some drink or food or both. But don't worry if you don't have time or spine for that -- we don't usually run short on either.
4) We have a new intern at the store! You may have met her at the locked room event last Thursday. Her name is Miranda Phaal, she's very friendly and mostly doesn't bite, so feel free to say hi and introduce yourself if you see her around.
The Tyrion Lannister version:
1) We're going to be hosting an event at the store with Charles Stross, brilliant author of The Laundry Files series as well as many other fantastic titles, this Sunday at 3 pm. As a special treat for some of our sponsors, Charlie will be going for drinks with a small group of you after the public event. To make this an intimate gathering, rather than just a smaller version of the signing at the store, the number of people attending is sharply limited. If you would like to come, please reply to this email and let me know. The deadline to express interest is 8 pm Friday, July 8th.
After the deadline, I'll draw names out of a "hat" to determine who will be attending. The private event is at 6 pm on Sunday, June 10th, will run about two hours, and is seven block walk from Borderlands. Food and drinks will be available to purchase at the site. Regrettably, it will not be possible to bring any guests. I will be notifying the winners on Saturday afternoon and giving them further details.
Of course, the event at the store is open to the public and, as a sponsor, you can reserve a seat for yourself and one guest, if you like. Just email sponsors@borderlands-books.com to reserve a seat.
2) Sponsors (and staff) had a lot of fun at the PanIQ Room locked room event last Thursday. All three groups managed to escape from their rooms, two of them in around 30 minutes, and the third in just over 50 minutes (they had the hardest room). It was such a fun event that we may look into holding another Sponsor event there for those of you that couldn't make it this time, or who want to try to beat your record from last time.
3) The next Sponsor Social is scheduled for Thursday, July 14th from 7:00 - 11:00 pm. As usual, it will be a potluck, so bring your specialty dish to show off, or a bottle of something to share. We will have some excellent beer, courtesy of the generous folks at local Speakeasy Ales and Lagers < http://www.goodbeer.com >, who were our beverage guests at the last social. It has been dry enough that we may even be able to resume the "backstage" tours! And as usual, there will be much merriment, weird & fabulous raffle prizes, (including a special little something courtesy of the fabulous Joe Hill!) and probably an embarrassing story or two about the history of Borderlands, as they always seem to come up. You can bring one non-sponsor guest with you, and RSVPs are appreciated but not required. I hope to see all of you there.
4) We have a new Publicity and Marketing intern at the store! Some of you met her last Thursday at the locked room event. Her name is Miranda Phaal, she's going to school at Tufts University (located just outside of Boston), but she's a local San Franciscan and a Borderlands Sponsor. She'll be writing some promotional materials for the store, helping out with Sponsor and author events, and possibly working to get more stuff up on our Youtube channel. Other than at events, she'll be back in the office most of the time, but if you see her around, feel free to say hi and introduce yourself. She's friendly, we promise.
--------------------------
Borderlands Books and Cafe
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco CA 94110 USA
415 824-8203
888 893-4008
http://www.borderlands-books.com
Monday, June 6, 2016
Sponsor Letter, June 6th 2016
Hi All,
First, I want to thank all the sponsors who took time to talk with me about the various schemes that might allow us to purchase a building. As I expected, they were a lovely group of people and I had a really nice time talking with them. Beyond the pleasant conversation, there were also a bunch of great ideas that came out of those meetings. That's the good news.
I subsequently spent a couple of hours discussing those ideas with the attorney who has been volunteering his time on this. As a result of that conversation, it seems that most of the ideas aren't really viable. The core problem is that we're in a unique position as a for-profit business. It's common that people will want to donate financially to non-profit projects, but that doesn't really come up for businesses like Borderlands. As a result, there doesn't seem to be any simple, safe and legal way to make it work.
Which brings up the question of making Borderlands a non-profit. I'm still working on running that to ground and I'll be meeting with an attorney who specializes in non-profits in a couple of weeks. But, the sense that I have at this point is that a non-profit structure isn't likely to be an option. The basic reason is this -- creating a non-profit with a primary goal of running a bookstore that sells products at a profit is not likely to fly with the IRS. It's possible that we could create a non-profit that did enough other things that the bookstore could be considered secondary to the overall operations of the non-profit. But, in that case, I'd be running a pretty big non-profit and not doing very much bookselling. Which is not something I want to do.
There's also the secondary problem that, to create a non-profit out of Borderlands, I'd either have to donate the whole business to the non-profit (which is unattractive because Borderlands is probably the most valuable thing I own) or the non-profit would need to buy the business from me (which is a transaction that would be looked at very, very carefully by both the IRS and the California Attorney General and, possibly / probably not approved).
So, as of now I'm working on one long-shot idea which, for legal reasons, I cannot discuss right now. There probably won't be much progress on that 'til much later this year (perhaps around November) but I'll let you know as much as I can, as I know it. Beyond that, I've come to a point where I need to back off from the idea of buying a building and let it percolate in the back of my mind for a couple of months.
But, really, that's fine. It means I'll be able to put my attention back on smaller scale projects, both for the store and the sponsorship program. You can expect to hear some noise around the shop as I work to finish off some construction projects. And, I hope to get some of the other things I've talked about for you going (like videos of events on YouTube and so forth).
If you're wondering about the obstacles I ran into on the building project, I'd be happy to go into more detail. Just drop me a line. But, I'm going to be out of town for a week starting this Friday and my internet access will be limited, so please be patient if I'm not as fast as usual with my replies.
Before going on to our upcoming sponsor events, I've got one last thought about the question of our lease and a long-term home for Borderlands. As of now, we have five years and three months remaining on our lease. After that expires, we can move the bookstore into the cafe for another four years. That's nine years altogether. All sorts of things can happen in nine years and, like everything else in life, we'll just have to play it as it goes (I might work something out so we can buy a building . . . the landlord might give me a decent lease . . . there's no way of knowing what will happen). But I know that we've got those nine years because of you all -- so, I think we're doing just great. I also know that what we're doing is easier than teaching a horse to sing < http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/teaching-horses-to-sing.html >.
The Robert E. Howard Version
1) Locked Room Puzzle. Our sponsor event for the month of June is a locked-room mystery puzzle with the folks at PanIQ Room < https://paniqroom.com/sanfrancisco >, and it will take place on Thursday, June 30th, at 8:30 pm. Space is very limited (only 18 people can participate) and the fee will be $25 per person. You're welcome to bring a guest. If you're interested, please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com.
2) The next sponsor social is coming up on Thursday, July 14th. You can RSVP now if you wish or wait 'til next month. As usual, you're welcome to bring a guest.
3) In August our special event will be a Scotch Whisky tasting with noted author, Mary Robinette Kowal. The exact date is TBA.
4) The 2016 list of sponsors has (finally) been posted at the store.
First, I want to thank all the sponsors who took time to talk with me about the various schemes that might allow us to purchase a building. As I expected, they were a lovely group of people and I had a really nice time talking with them. Beyond the pleasant conversation, there were also a bunch of great ideas that came out of those meetings. That's the good news.
I subsequently spent a couple of hours discussing those ideas with the attorney who has been volunteering his time on this. As a result of that conversation, it seems that most of the ideas aren't really viable. The core problem is that we're in a unique position as a for-profit business. It's common that people will want to donate financially to non-profit projects, but that doesn't really come up for businesses like Borderlands. As a result, there doesn't seem to be any simple, safe and legal way to make it work.
Which brings up the question of making Borderlands a non-profit. I'm still working on running that to ground and I'll be meeting with an attorney who specializes in non-profits in a couple of weeks. But, the sense that I have at this point is that a non-profit structure isn't likely to be an option. The basic reason is this -- creating a non-profit with a primary goal of running a bookstore that sells products at a profit is not likely to fly with the IRS. It's possible that we could create a non-profit that did enough other things that the bookstore could be considered secondary to the overall operations of the non-profit. But, in that case, I'd be running a pretty big non-profit and not doing very much bookselling. Which is not something I want to do.
There's also the secondary problem that, to create a non-profit out of Borderlands, I'd either have to donate the whole business to the non-profit (which is unattractive because Borderlands is probably the most valuable thing I own) or the non-profit would need to buy the business from me (which is a transaction that would be looked at very, very carefully by both the IRS and the California Attorney General and, possibly / probably not approved).
So, as of now I'm working on one long-shot idea which, for legal reasons, I cannot discuss right now. There probably won't be much progress on that 'til much later this year (perhaps around November) but I'll let you know as much as I can, as I know it. Beyond that, I've come to a point where I need to back off from the idea of buying a building and let it percolate in the back of my mind for a couple of months.
But, really, that's fine. It means I'll be able to put my attention back on smaller scale projects, both for the store and the sponsorship program. You can expect to hear some noise around the shop as I work to finish off some construction projects. And, I hope to get some of the other things I've talked about for you going (like videos of events on YouTube and so forth).
If you're wondering about the obstacles I ran into on the building project, I'd be happy to go into more detail. Just drop me a line. But, I'm going to be out of town for a week starting this Friday and my internet access will be limited, so please be patient if I'm not as fast as usual with my replies.
Before going on to our upcoming sponsor events, I've got one last thought about the question of our lease and a long-term home for Borderlands. As of now, we have five years and three months remaining on our lease. After that expires, we can move the bookstore into the cafe for another four years. That's nine years altogether. All sorts of things can happen in nine years and, like everything else in life, we'll just have to play it as it goes (I might work something out so we can buy a building . . . the landlord might give me a decent lease . . . there's no way of knowing what will happen). But I know that we've got those nine years because of you all -- so, I think we're doing just great. I also know that what we're doing is easier than teaching a horse to sing < http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/teaching-horses-to-sing.html >.
The Robert E. Howard Version
1) Locked Room Puzzle. Our sponsor event for the month of June is a locked-room mystery puzzle with the folks at PanIQ Room < https://paniqroom.com/sanfrancisco >, and it will take place on Thursday, June 30th, at 8:30 pm. Space is very limited (only 18 people can participate) and the fee will be $25 per person. You're welcome to bring a guest. If you're interested, please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com.
2) The next sponsor social is coming up on Thursday, July 14th. You can RSVP now if you wish or wait 'til next month. As usual, you're welcome to bring a guest.
3) In August our special event will be a Scotch Whisky tasting with noted author, Mary Robinette Kowal. The exact date is TBA.
4) The 2016 list of sponsors has (finally) been posted at the store.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Sponsor Letter, May 6th 2016
Hi Everyone,
Check it out -- Sponsor Note pretty much on time. Things are looking up. This note is going to be on the short side since I'm still working out the ramifications of my recent realization that we might be able to start fund-raising for a building sooner than I expected. I still have a few conversations to have with specialists (my accountant and the realtor I've been working with, specifically) and I need to do a bit more planning before I've got a detailed proposal to run past you.
In service of putting all that together, I've a sort of odd request; I'd like to meet with a group of sponsors who do not know me very well. I'm very lucky that many of you are people I call friends or, at the very least, you're folks I've known for years and love chatting with when our paths cross. However, if we're going to raise the kind of cash we're going to need, I'll be presenting our plan to the world at large. I'd like to get a preview of what the reaction might be, and talking with some folks who haven't known me for years is a good place to start.
So, if you don't know me very well or haven't been a customer at the store for long, I'd appreciate an hour or two of your time somewhere around the end of this month. If you're willing, drop me an email. Once I hear back from people, I'll come up with some days and times to meet. I'd like to do this in a group, so scheduling might be a little tricky, but I think we can manage it.
In closing, thanks to all the people who took the time to give me their thoughts about the questions I raised last month. The result is that it looks like we're going to let the idea of live streaming events go, but we will be recording them and getting them up on You Tube. If it's easy (which I think it should be) we'll also see about setting them up in audio-only, podcast style.
Oh, and one last thing -- I'm about to leave town for a bit of a vacation. Scott will be taking care of usual sponsor business and I'll be keeping an eye on email as well. Critical items will get the usual fast reply from me as needed but less critical stuff might be on a back-burner for the next week or so.
The "Bullet" version:
1) Huge thanks to Joe Thomas and John Plevyar for hosting and supplying the wine tasting last week! More than a dozen sponsors came, enjoyed much wine (8 different vintages), and talked each other's ears off.
2) On Saturday, May 14th, at 8 pm we will host a perfumery demonstration at the bookstore with Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Steal The Sky. As usual, there will be limited space so RSVP now (you are welcome to bring one guest, if you wish).
3) The next Sponsors' Open Mic is coming up on Friday, May 20th at 7 pm. Please email Greg Roensch at gregroensch@gmail.com if you would like to participate.
4) Our Sponsors' event for June will be a "Locked Room Mystery" event. Space will be very limited so be ready to RSVP when we announce the date and time in the June sponsor note.
4) The next Sponsors' Social will be on Thursday, July 14th and will run from 7 pm to 11 pm. We're lining up some neat "guests" for this one so check next month's note for more details.
The "Arrow" version:
1) Thank you to Joe Thomas and John Plevyar for hosting and supplying the wine tasting last week. More than a dozen sponsors came, enjoyed much wine, and talked each other's ears off. For those of you who couldn't make it, the vintages were:
Casey Flat Ranch Red Wine 2012
Mike and Molly Hendry, RW Moore Vineyard, Napa Valley Zinfandel 2012
Mark Herold Flux California Red Wine 2011
Centopassi Rosso Sicilia 2011
Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel 2013
Worlds End, Little Sister Napa Valley Merlot 2010
Copolla, Directors Cut Merlot, Napa 2012
Les Darons Languedoc 2014
Overall, the favorites were the Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel and the Copolla, Directors Cut Merlot. We're certainly going to do this again, perhaps this year, so don't miss it next time.
2) May's sponsor event will be a demonstration about perfume-making with Megan E. O'Keefe. It will take place at the bookstore on Saturday, May 14th, starting at 8 pm. Megan, the author of Steal The Sky, isn't just a great writer and wonderful speaker. She's also a expert on blending perfume. Last year she offered to host a participatory demonstration about perfume-making for our sponsors. I'm very pleased that I'm finally able to take her up on that offer. As usual, there are a limited number of spaces, so please do RSVP (you are welcome to bring one guest, if you wish).
3) The Sponsors' Open Mic is becoming a tradition, and so we're doing it again on Friday, May 20th at 7:00 pm in the Cafe. If you just want to attend, you don't need to do anything except show up (although you might want to take advantage of your seat reservation privilege because it might be crowded).
However, if you want to read, you should get in touch with fellow sponsor Greg Roensch at gregroensch@gmail.com. He suggested the idea and he has been kind enough to take care of organizing the event. Participation will be open to writers of all levels (as long as they are sponsors), and also open to any type of writing, in any genre. All we ask is that you keep the reading short -- five minutes max. So, if you want to read, get in touch with Greg and he'll take care of the scheduling and so forth.
4) Locked Room Mystery event - A few months ago, Scott participated in a live puzzle game and had a great time. He suggested that our sponsors might like it and, after reading about it, I think he's right. http://www.paniqentertainment.com/sanfrancisco . As you can see from the write-up, space will be quite limited (though we'll try to fit as many people as possible) so be ready to RSVP next month we when announce the date and time.
5) The Sponsors' Social is the best party we ever hold and it happens four times a year. Don't miss the next one on Thursday, July 14th from 7 pm to 11 pm. You are welcome to bring a guest.
Check it out -- Sponsor Note pretty much on time. Things are looking up. This note is going to be on the short side since I'm still working out the ramifications of my recent realization that we might be able to start fund-raising for a building sooner than I expected. I still have a few conversations to have with specialists (my accountant and the realtor I've been working with, specifically) and I need to do a bit more planning before I've got a detailed proposal to run past you.
In service of putting all that together, I've a sort of odd request; I'd like to meet with a group of sponsors who do not know me very well. I'm very lucky that many of you are people I call friends or, at the very least, you're folks I've known for years and love chatting with when our paths cross. However, if we're going to raise the kind of cash we're going to need, I'll be presenting our plan to the world at large. I'd like to get a preview of what the reaction might be, and talking with some folks who haven't known me for years is a good place to start.
So, if you don't know me very well or haven't been a customer at the store for long, I'd appreciate an hour or two of your time somewhere around the end of this month. If you're willing, drop me an email. Once I hear back from people, I'll come up with some days and times to meet. I'd like to do this in a group, so scheduling might be a little tricky, but I think we can manage it.
In closing, thanks to all the people who took the time to give me their thoughts about the questions I raised last month. The result is that it looks like we're going to let the idea of live streaming events go, but we will be recording them and getting them up on You Tube. If it's easy (which I think it should be) we'll also see about setting them up in audio-only, podcast style.
Oh, and one last thing -- I'm about to leave town for a bit of a vacation. Scott will be taking care of usual sponsor business and I'll be keeping an eye on email as well. Critical items will get the usual fast reply from me as needed but less critical stuff might be on a back-burner for the next week or so.
The "Bullet" version:
1) Huge thanks to Joe Thomas and John Plevyar for hosting and supplying the wine tasting last week! More than a dozen sponsors came, enjoyed much wine (8 different vintages), and talked each other's ears off.
2) On Saturday, May 14th, at 8 pm we will host a perfumery demonstration at the bookstore with Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Steal The Sky. As usual, there will be limited space so RSVP now (you are welcome to bring one guest, if you wish).
3) The next Sponsors' Open Mic is coming up on Friday, May 20th at 7 pm. Please email Greg Roensch at gregroensch@gmail.com if you would like to participate.
4) Our Sponsors' event for June will be a "Locked Room Mystery" event. Space will be very limited so be ready to RSVP when we announce the date and time in the June sponsor note.
4) The next Sponsors' Social will be on Thursday, July 14th and will run from 7 pm to 11 pm. We're lining up some neat "guests" for this one so check next month's note for more details.
The "Arrow" version:
1) Thank you to Joe Thomas and John Plevyar for hosting and supplying the wine tasting last week. More than a dozen sponsors came, enjoyed much wine, and talked each other's ears off. For those of you who couldn't make it, the vintages were:
Casey Flat Ranch Red Wine 2012
Mike and Molly Hendry, RW Moore Vineyard, Napa Valley Zinfandel 2012
Mark Herold Flux California Red Wine 2011
Centopassi Rosso Sicilia 2011
Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel 2013
Worlds End, Little Sister Napa Valley Merlot 2010
Copolla, Directors Cut Merlot, Napa 2012
Les Darons Languedoc 2014
Overall, the favorites were the Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel and the Copolla, Directors Cut Merlot. We're certainly going to do this again, perhaps this year, so don't miss it next time.
2) May's sponsor event will be a demonstration about perfume-making with Megan E. O'Keefe. It will take place at the bookstore on Saturday, May 14th, starting at 8 pm. Megan, the author of Steal The Sky, isn't just a great writer and wonderful speaker. She's also a expert on blending perfume. Last year she offered to host a participatory demonstration about perfume-making for our sponsors. I'm very pleased that I'm finally able to take her up on that offer. As usual, there are a limited number of spaces, so please do RSVP (you are welcome to bring one guest, if you wish).
3) The Sponsors' Open Mic is becoming a tradition, and so we're doing it again on Friday, May 20th at 7:00 pm in the Cafe. If you just want to attend, you don't need to do anything except show up (although you might want to take advantage of your seat reservation privilege because it might be crowded).
However, if you want to read, you should get in touch with fellow sponsor Greg Roensch at gregroensch@gmail.com. He suggested the idea and he has been kind enough to take care of organizing the event. Participation will be open to writers of all levels (as long as they are sponsors), and also open to any type of writing, in any genre. All we ask is that you keep the reading short -- five minutes max. So, if you want to read, get in touch with Greg and he'll take care of the scheduling and so forth.
4) Locked Room Mystery event - A few months ago, Scott participated in a live puzzle game and had a great time. He suggested that our sponsors might like it and, after reading about it, I think he's right. http://www.paniqentertainment.com/sanfrancisco . As you can see from the write-up, space will be quite limited (though we'll try to fit as many people as possible) so be ready to RSVP next month we when announce the date and time.
5) The Sponsors' Social is the best party we ever hold and it happens four times a year. Don't miss the next one on Thursday, July 14th from 7 pm to 11 pm. You are welcome to bring a guest.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Sponsor Letter, April 18th 2016
Hi Dear Sponsors,
First off, I'm really sorry that this note is so late this month. April gave me, among other things, the glorious opportunity to do four tax returns for various people and entities (only one of which was for myownself). And, to add to the fun, two of them were really damn complicated. But, just today I sent off the last piece of all that and things are looking much better going into the rest of the year. Here's hoping that my May letter will be, if not on time, at least less tardy.
The Sponsors' General Meeting was quite a success. Many good questions and excellent observations were asked and made. There's more information about that further along in this note. But, even if you don't read any of the rest of this letter, I'd really appreciate it if you could answer one question that came out of the meeting for me.
We're heading towards raising the money to purchase Borderlands a building, as I've discussed here before. A question asked at the meeting was, "If you do raise a bunch of money (i.e. over $150,000 to $200,000) but it's not enough to buy a building and so Borderlands closes in five years -- what will happen to all that cash?"
The answer to that question comes in several parts, and I'll get into it in more detail over the next few months but, part of the answer is that I would donate at least a significant portion of the money to either a bookselling / literary cause (for example, the Freedom to Read Foundation - http://www.ftrf.org/?page=About) or a cause / association related to our genres (e.g. the Science Fiction Writers of America's Emergency Medical Fund - http://www.sfwa.org/about/benevolent-funds/emergency-medical-fund/).
My question to you is; if that came to pass -- we raised a bunch of money but it wasn't enough to buy a building so I closed Borderlands -- where do you think the money should go?
The inch version:
1) We'll be hosting a private reception for a small group of sponsors with Paolo Bacigalupi THIS FRIDAY, April 22nd, at 5:30 pm before his public event at the store. If you're a 2016 sponsor and you would like to be in the drawing to attend the private event, please reply to this email and say so (and, do look at the details below).
2) Thank you to everyone who attended the Sponsors' General Meeting to offer your input and your opinions. You've given me a lot to think about and I'm grateful. A full report can be found on the blog at http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/2016/04/report-on-2016-sponsors-general-meeting.html
3) April's sponsor event is a blind wine tasting with sponsor Joe Thomas on Friday, April 29th at 8pm. Attendance is limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible.
4) We had a great time at the sponsor social, and we hope you did, too! The next one is Thursday, July 14th.
5) The May sponsor event will be a perfumery demonstration with Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Steal The Sky. Date and time in the next sponsor letter.
6) A couple of questions for you -
a) Does it matter to you if we put our author events on the web live or would you be just as happy with a video on YouTube within a day or two after the event?
b) For sponsors who do not live near the shop -- Do you have any ideas what sort of things we at Borderlands can do for you, since it's hard for you to take advantage of many of the perks we can offer local sponsors?
First off, I'm really sorry that this note is so late this month. April gave me, among other things, the glorious opportunity to do four tax returns for various people and entities (only one of which was for myownself). And, to add to the fun, two of them were really damn complicated. But, just today I sent off the last piece of all that and things are looking much better going into the rest of the year. Here's hoping that my May letter will be, if not on time, at least less tardy.
The Sponsors' General Meeting was quite a success. Many good questions and excellent observations were asked and made. There's more information about that further along in this note. But, even if you don't read any of the rest of this letter, I'd really appreciate it if you could answer one question that came out of the meeting for me.
We're heading towards raising the money to purchase Borderlands a building, as I've discussed here before. A question asked at the meeting was, "If you do raise a bunch of money (i.e. over $150,000 to $200,000) but it's not enough to buy a building and so Borderlands closes in five years -- what will happen to all that cash?"
The answer to that question comes in several parts, and I'll get into it in more detail over the next few months but, part of the answer is that I would donate at least a significant portion of the money to either a bookselling / literary cause (for example, the Freedom to Read Foundation - http://www.ftrf.org/?page=About) or a cause / association related to our genres (e.g. the Science Fiction Writers of America's Emergency Medical Fund - http://www.sfwa.org/about/benevolent-funds/emergency-medical-fund/).
My question to you is; if that came to pass -- we raised a bunch of money but it wasn't enough to buy a building so I closed Borderlands -- where do you think the money should go?
The inch version:
1) We'll be hosting a private reception for a small group of sponsors with Paolo Bacigalupi THIS FRIDAY, April 22nd, at 5:30 pm before his public event at the store. If you're a 2016 sponsor and you would like to be in the drawing to attend the private event, please reply to this email and say so (and, do look at the details below).
2) Thank you to everyone who attended the Sponsors' General Meeting to offer your input and your opinions. You've given me a lot to think about and I'm grateful. A full report can be found on the blog at http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/2016/04/report-on-2016-sponsors-general-meeting.html
3) April's sponsor event is a blind wine tasting with sponsor Joe Thomas on Friday, April 29th at 8pm. Attendance is limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible.
4) We had a great time at the sponsor social, and we hope you did, too! The next one is Thursday, July 14th.
5) The May sponsor event will be a perfumery demonstration with Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Steal The Sky. Date and time in the next sponsor letter.
6) A couple of questions for you -
a) Does it matter to you if we put our author events on the web live or would you be just as happy with a video on YouTube within a day or two after the event?
b) For sponsors who do not live near the shop -- Do you have any ideas what sort of things we at Borderlands can do for you, since it's hard for you to take advantage of many of the perks we can offer local sponsors?
Report on 2016 Sponsors' General Meeting
The 2016 Borderlands Sponsors' General Meeting was held at 6pm on Thursday, March 31st at Borderlands Cafe (870 Valencia St. SF CA 94110). Roughly 50 people attended.
After some entertainment from Alan Beatts in the form of a cautionary tale about bookshelf building, the main topics of discussion were the future of the bookstore, a (relatively) rapid-fire Q&A, the handling of sponsor funds, political involvement on the part of Borderlands, and the creation of a book subscription program.
Alan began the meeting by giving an overview of the current financial situation of both the bookstore and cafe elements of Borderlands. In brief, both are as to be expected. The bookstore is showing a slight loss before accounting for sponsorship income. That is as expected since the minimum wage increase last July was expected to produce that result. However, factoring in sponsorship income, the bookstore is doing very well. The cafe is also showing a slight loss but that is being addressed by improvements to the menu selection this year. Like the bookstore, not a matter for concern.
Next he explained the remaining terms on both the lease for the bookstore (5 and a bit years) and the cafe (9 and a half years). His concern is not for the next few years because the sponsorship program (with 611 sponsors at this time) seems to be a sustainable model for the business. Instead the concern is what to do when the current lease on the bookstore expires. It is the expectation that, barring major ("or almost Biblical") changes in the economic situation in San Francisco, the cost of rent under a new lease would be unsustainable. At this point, Alan's plan forward is to spend the next three to four years raising money (and conserving excess sponsorship income) to have a down-payment on a building one to two years before the lease expires.
After this explanation, the discussion began about how to achieve this goal.
After some entertainment from Alan Beatts in the form of a cautionary tale about bookshelf building, the main topics of discussion were the future of the bookstore, a (relatively) rapid-fire Q&A, the handling of sponsor funds, political involvement on the part of Borderlands, and the creation of a book subscription program.
Alan began the meeting by giving an overview of the current financial situation of both the bookstore and cafe elements of Borderlands. In brief, both are as to be expected. The bookstore is showing a slight loss before accounting for sponsorship income. That is as expected since the minimum wage increase last July was expected to produce that result. However, factoring in sponsorship income, the bookstore is doing very well. The cafe is also showing a slight loss but that is being addressed by improvements to the menu selection this year. Like the bookstore, not a matter for concern.
Next he explained the remaining terms on both the lease for the bookstore (5 and a bit years) and the cafe (9 and a half years). His concern is not for the next few years because the sponsorship program (with 611 sponsors at this time) seems to be a sustainable model for the business. Instead the concern is what to do when the current lease on the bookstore expires. It is the expectation that, barring major ("or almost Biblical") changes in the economic situation in San Francisco, the cost of rent under a new lease would be unsustainable. At this point, Alan's plan forward is to spend the next three to four years raising money (and conserving excess sponsorship income) to have a down-payment on a building one to two years before the lease expires.
After this explanation, the discussion began about how to achieve this goal.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Sponsor Letter, March 16th 2016
March Sponsor News
Happy March, Dear Sponsors! It's hard for me to believe, but it has been a year since I officially announced that you had saved the store, and wow, are things different now! The current 2016 Sponsor count stands at nearly 600, and all of us at Borderlands are very, very grateful.
The Radio Version:
1) Live-streaming has taken longer & been more complicated than we anticipated (who would have guessed?). However, we should have it functional for the March 31st General Meeting.
2) March's sponsor event will be a tour of the American Bookbinders' Museum (355 Clementina) on Wednesday, March 23rd at 6:30 pm. The cost will be $7 per person. Please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com if you'd like to join in. Capacity will be limited to 30 people and you may bring one guest, so reserve your space soon if you would like to attend.
3) Sponsors' General Meeting is on Thursday, March 31st at 7:00 pm and will take place at the Cafe (870 Valencia St. SF CA 94110). We're not sure how long it will run; it all depends on how many questions you have for me. Afterwards, there will probably be drinks at the lovely Phoenix Pub just across the street.
4) Next Sponsor Social is scheduled for Saturday, April 2nd from 7:00 - 11:00 pm. Guests will be Fly By Night Gifts and the wonderful folks at Speakeasy Ales and Lagers will be bringing a broad range of their beers for your enjoyment. As usual, one guest per sponsor. Also, this will be the last social which non-renewed 2015 sponsors may attend.
5) Speaking of sponsorship renewals, if you have not yet renewed your sponsorship for 2016 this will be the last sponsor email you'll receive. Of course, if you would like to renew now, we'd love to have you. You can stop by the store, call, email, or even send us an old-fashioned check. And, you can renew on-line right here - https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html .
The Extended Dance Remix:
1) Live-streaming has taken longer & been more complicated to set up reliably than I anticipated. We had it working for a short time, and then it went sideways. However, I have invested in some new equipment and Jeremy has done a lot of frantic studying, and we should have it fully functional so that long-distance sponsors can watch the March 31st General Meeting. I'll be sending out a quick update will the details to this list prior to the meeting.
2) Due to logistical whatnots, I have rescheduled the tour of the 3D printing/prototyping place for the summer. But, with the kind assistance of author and sponsor Madeleine Robins, we've arranged a private Borderlands' Sponsors tour of the amazing American Bookbinders' Museum for this month! The Museum houses an extensive collection of mostly-operational bookbinding equipment from the 18th and 19th centuries. It really must be seen to be believed. This quote from their website explains briefly why it is important (and fascinating) to study these tools, particularly right now: "Our relationship to the book is rapidly evolving, making it the ideal time to tell the history of [the printed book] and memorialize its significance in regards to where we are today. The American Bookbinders Museum is an important library of equipment and archive materials on bookbinding in America. We offer an authentic experience of what a factory of the day felt like and enable visitors to experience the machinery and tools."
The tour will take place on Wednesday, March 23rd at 6:30 pm. We'll meet at the Museum, which is located at 355 Clementina. The cost for the tour will be $7 per person (cash, please, payable at the venue), a 30% discount off the regular price. You can also bring drinks or snacks if you'll like; we'll have a short informal reception after the tour. Please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com to let us know you'll be attending; one guest per sponsor is welcome (but each attendee will still need to pay $7). The maximum number of attendees is 30, so reserve your space soon. More information about the museum, as well as a virtual tour if you cannot attend in person, can be found here: http://www.bookbindersmuseum.org/
PS Very sorry for the short notice for this event. As I said, "logistical whatnots".
3) The Sponsors' General Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 31st at 7:00 pm. I'd really like to have a chance to talk with you about how things have gone through our first year as a sponsored store. I want to know what we've done right, what we've done wrong, and what we can do better -- as well as answering any questions you have. Also, I need to talk with you about some ideas I have for the future. What I have in mind is something much like the meeting we had last year, which was the genesis for what saved the store. I'll outline where we stand as a business, discuss future plans and then ask for comments and ideas. If there's anything you'd like to discuss that you think I might not cover, please email me ahead of time so I can be prepared to respond. I hope to see as many of you there as possible because some of the topics on my mind are pretty important. If you can't attend in person, also feel free to email me with your comments, sponsors@borderlands-books.com.
4) The next Sponsor Social is scheduled for April 2nd from 7:00 - 11:00 pm. As usual, it will be a potluck, so bring your specialty dish to show off, or a bottle of something to share. You can bring one non-sponsor guest with you. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. Unfortunately, with all the rain we've had, I doubt the basement will be dry enough for "backstage" tours. However, I'm setting up some other exciting things:
Our guest vendor will be Fly By Night Gifts. Fly By Night will have a large and impressive selection of hand-stamped and embossed cards, hair adornments, and jewelry with a science fiction theme for sale, and the items will be 30% off for all sponsors, with a free gift with purchase over $10. Fly By Night is operated by Rina Weisman who is, among other things, one of the driving forces behind the long-running SF in SF reading series. She's really quite a renaissance woman, and her products have been great sellers at the store for years. However, we've never had her full line of items for sale before so expect to see some really neat treats.
Our beverage guest will be the fine folks from Speakeasy Ales and Lagers < http://www.goodbeer.com >. Speakeasy is not just a truly great craft brewery, but they're also 100% San Francisco local. They'll be bringing down all sorts of interesting beers, including their newest release: Phliz' Payback Coffee Porter (just coming out this Saturday - http://www.goodbeer.com/events/2016/3/19/release-party-payback-coffee-porter). Their staff will be on hand to tell you anything you could possibly want to know about their beers and brewery. Note: Since they'll be providing all the beer that we could possibly want, free of charge -- if you're going to bring something in the beverage department to share, you might want to give beer a miss this time.
And as usual, there will be much merriment, weird & fabulous raffle prizes, and probably an embarrassing story or two about the pre-history of Borderlands. Finally, as I mentioned at the beginning of this year, this will be the last social which non-renewed 2015 sponsors may attend. I hope to see all of you there.
5) Speaking of sponsorship renewals, if you have not yet renewed your sponsorship for 2016 this will be the last sponsor email you'll receive. This is not because we want to exclude you but, rather than spamming former sponsors, we will be purging our 2015 mailing list and replacing it with the current list of sponsors. If you'd still like to see what is going on with the sponsorship program, all that information will continue to appear at the sponsors' blog - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com - which is (and will remain) open for public viewing. Of course, if you would like to renew now, we'd love to have you. You can stop by the store, call, email, or even send us an old-fashioned check. And, you can renew on-line right here - https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html .
Happy March, Dear Sponsors! It's hard for me to believe, but it has been a year since I officially announced that you had saved the store, and wow, are things different now! The current 2016 Sponsor count stands at nearly 600, and all of us at Borderlands are very, very grateful.
The Radio Version:
1) Live-streaming has taken longer & been more complicated than we anticipated (who would have guessed?). However, we should have it functional for the March 31st General Meeting.
2) March's sponsor event will be a tour of the American Bookbinders' Museum (355 Clementina) on Wednesday, March 23rd at 6:30 pm. The cost will be $7 per person. Please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com if you'd like to join in. Capacity will be limited to 30 people and you may bring one guest, so reserve your space soon if you would like to attend.
3) Sponsors' General Meeting is on Thursday, March 31st at 7:00 pm and will take place at the Cafe (870 Valencia St. SF CA 94110). We're not sure how long it will run; it all depends on how many questions you have for me. Afterwards, there will probably be drinks at the lovely Phoenix Pub just across the street.
4) Next Sponsor Social is scheduled for Saturday, April 2nd from 7:00 - 11:00 pm. Guests will be Fly By Night Gifts and the wonderful folks at Speakeasy Ales and Lagers will be bringing a broad range of their beers for your enjoyment. As usual, one guest per sponsor. Also, this will be the last social which non-renewed 2015 sponsors may attend.
5) Speaking of sponsorship renewals, if you have not yet renewed your sponsorship for 2016 this will be the last sponsor email you'll receive. Of course, if you would like to renew now, we'd love to have you. You can stop by the store, call, email, or even send us an old-fashioned check. And, you can renew on-line right here - https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html .
The Extended Dance Remix:
1) Live-streaming has taken longer & been more complicated to set up reliably than I anticipated. We had it working for a short time, and then it went sideways. However, I have invested in some new equipment and Jeremy has done a lot of frantic studying, and we should have it fully functional so that long-distance sponsors can watch the March 31st General Meeting. I'll be sending out a quick update will the details to this list prior to the meeting.
2) Due to logistical whatnots, I have rescheduled the tour of the 3D printing/prototyping place for the summer. But, with the kind assistance of author and sponsor Madeleine Robins, we've arranged a private Borderlands' Sponsors tour of the amazing American Bookbinders' Museum for this month! The Museum houses an extensive collection of mostly-operational bookbinding equipment from the 18th and 19th centuries. It really must be seen to be believed. This quote from their website explains briefly why it is important (and fascinating) to study these tools, particularly right now: "Our relationship to the book is rapidly evolving, making it the ideal time to tell the history of [the printed book] and memorialize its significance in regards to where we are today. The American Bookbinders Museum is an important library of equipment and archive materials on bookbinding in America. We offer an authentic experience of what a factory of the day felt like and enable visitors to experience the machinery and tools."
The tour will take place on Wednesday, March 23rd at 6:30 pm. We'll meet at the Museum, which is located at 355 Clementina. The cost for the tour will be $7 per person (cash, please, payable at the venue), a 30% discount off the regular price. You can also bring drinks or snacks if you'll like; we'll have a short informal reception after the tour. Please RSVP to sponsors@borderlands-books.com to let us know you'll be attending; one guest per sponsor is welcome (but each attendee will still need to pay $7). The maximum number of attendees is 30, so reserve your space soon. More information about the museum, as well as a virtual tour if you cannot attend in person, can be found here: http://www.bookbindersmuseum.org/
PS Very sorry for the short notice for this event. As I said, "logistical whatnots".
3) The Sponsors' General Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 31st at 7:00 pm. I'd really like to have a chance to talk with you about how things have gone through our first year as a sponsored store. I want to know what we've done right, what we've done wrong, and what we can do better -- as well as answering any questions you have. Also, I need to talk with you about some ideas I have for the future. What I have in mind is something much like the meeting we had last year, which was the genesis for what saved the store. I'll outline where we stand as a business, discuss future plans and then ask for comments and ideas. If there's anything you'd like to discuss that you think I might not cover, please email me ahead of time so I can be prepared to respond. I hope to see as many of you there as possible because some of the topics on my mind are pretty important. If you can't attend in person, also feel free to email me with your comments, sponsors@borderlands-books.com.
4) The next Sponsor Social is scheduled for April 2nd from 7:00 - 11:00 pm. As usual, it will be a potluck, so bring your specialty dish to show off, or a bottle of something to share. You can bring one non-sponsor guest with you. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. Unfortunately, with all the rain we've had, I doubt the basement will be dry enough for "backstage" tours. However, I'm setting up some other exciting things:
Our guest vendor will be Fly By Night Gifts. Fly By Night will have a large and impressive selection of hand-stamped and embossed cards, hair adornments, and jewelry with a science fiction theme for sale, and the items will be 30% off for all sponsors, with a free gift with purchase over $10. Fly By Night is operated by Rina Weisman who is, among other things, one of the driving forces behind the long-running SF in SF reading series. She's really quite a renaissance woman, and her products have been great sellers at the store for years. However, we've never had her full line of items for sale before so expect to see some really neat treats.
Our beverage guest will be the fine folks from Speakeasy Ales and Lagers < http://www.goodbeer.com >. Speakeasy is not just a truly great craft brewery, but they're also 100% San Francisco local. They'll be bringing down all sorts of interesting beers, including their newest release: Phliz' Payback Coffee Porter (just coming out this Saturday - http://www.goodbeer.com/events/2016/3/19/release-party-payback-coffee-porter). Their staff will be on hand to tell you anything you could possibly want to know about their beers and brewery. Note: Since they'll be providing all the beer that we could possibly want, free of charge -- if you're going to bring something in the beverage department to share, you might want to give beer a miss this time.
And as usual, there will be much merriment, weird & fabulous raffle prizes, and probably an embarrassing story or two about the pre-history of Borderlands. Finally, as I mentioned at the beginning of this year, this will be the last social which non-renewed 2015 sponsors may attend. I hope to see all of you there.
5) Speaking of sponsorship renewals, if you have not yet renewed your sponsorship for 2016 this will be the last sponsor email you'll receive. This is not because we want to exclude you but, rather than spamming former sponsors, we will be purging our 2015 mailing list and replacing it with the current list of sponsors. If you'd still like to see what is going on with the sponsorship program, all that information will continue to appear at the sponsors' blog - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com - which is (and will remain) open for public viewing. Of course, if you would like to renew now, we'd love to have you. You can stop by the store, call, email, or even send us an old-fashioned check. And, you can renew on-line right here - https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html .
Monday, February 1, 2016
Sponsor Letter February 1st, 2016
Dear Sponsors,
It's been a good couple of weeks since I last wrote. The total count of 2016 sponsors is over 500 (!), which is just damn wonderful. The meet-and-greet with Pat Rothfuss went very well and we had a great time at the party on Thursday. The year is looking very, very good.
The Robert Parker Version
1) Live-streaming of events will start on February 2nd. Ustream channel link for live streaming is http://www.ustream.tv/channel/NLHFhn7KUjd . YouTube channel for archived video is "Borderlands Books" but we can't set up a link to it yet (we need more subscribers).
2) A sponsor is looking for some real world experiences in distributed project management for the book he's writing for O'Riley. Please read full details below.
3) A month of presentations on Tuesdays in February at 7:00 PM for experienced and aspiring writers, along with anyone else who's curious how the book business works. Though not required, RSVPs would be appreciated.
Feb. 2nd, Alan Beatts, "The Life-Cycle of a Book"
Feb. 9th, Jeremy Lassen, "Publishing Contracts: Good, Bad, and Ugly"
Feb. 16th, Scott Cox, "Public Reading, Tips and Tricks"
Feb. 23rd, Panel Discussion with authors Gail Carriger, Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy: "Been There, Done That, Wish I Hadn't"
4) March special event will be a tour of a 3D printing/prototyping company.
5) Sponsors' General Meeting, Thursday, March 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm. A chance to talk about how we're doing, where we're going, and to give us your advice.
6) Next sponsor social scheduled for April 2nd.
7) Preliminary list of special events for 2016 is ready. See all the details below.
8) Despite almost universal support from our sponsors, the Precita Eyes loan is a dead issue. It changed from a straightforward loan to something almost completely _unlike_ a straightforward loan. The risks associated with it were far too high, so I killed the deal.
It's been a good couple of weeks since I last wrote. The total count of 2016 sponsors is over 500 (!), which is just damn wonderful. The meet-and-greet with Pat Rothfuss went very well and we had a great time at the party on Thursday. The year is looking very, very good.
The Robert Parker Version
1) Live-streaming of events will start on February 2nd. Ustream channel link for live streaming is http://www.ustream.tv/channel/NLHFhn7KUjd . YouTube channel for archived video is "Borderlands Books" but we can't set up a link to it yet (we need more subscribers).
2) A sponsor is looking for some real world experiences in distributed project management for the book he's writing for O'Riley. Please read full details below.
3) A month of presentations on Tuesdays in February at 7:00 PM for experienced and aspiring writers, along with anyone else who's curious how the book business works. Though not required, RSVPs would be appreciated.
Feb. 2nd, Alan Beatts, "The Life-Cycle of a Book"
Feb. 9th, Jeremy Lassen, "Publishing Contracts: Good, Bad, and Ugly"
Feb. 16th, Scott Cox, "Public Reading, Tips and Tricks"
Feb. 23rd, Panel Discussion with authors Gail Carriger, Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy: "Been There, Done That, Wish I Hadn't"
4) March special event will be a tour of a 3D printing/prototyping company.
5) Sponsors' General Meeting, Thursday, March 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm. A chance to talk about how we're doing, where we're going, and to give us your advice.
6) Next sponsor social scheduled for April 2nd.
7) Preliminary list of special events for 2016 is ready. See all the details below.
8) Despite almost universal support from our sponsors, the Precita Eyes loan is a dead issue. It changed from a straightforward loan to something almost completely _unlike_ a straightforward loan. The risks associated with it were far too high, so I killed the deal.
Friday, January 22, 2016
On-Line Sale (updated)
Update
The sale is now over. Thank you to the folks who participated. It was a lot of fun. Despite the sale being over, if there are books that you saw in the pictures that you are interested in, please drop Jude Feldman an email <jfeldman@borderlands-books.com>. Everything that didn't sell will remain available to sponsors for purchase while we get the books graded and in our inventory.
Hi Everyone,
Here's the link to pictures of the books that will be going on sale at 10 AM, PST, tomorrow.
https://goo.gl/photos/r8yvJYKMfPZrzTNX6
If you're interested in purchasing any of them, you can ask questions and make purchase arrangements via email or phone (toll free in the US at 888 893-4008). If the phone is busy, it's just because we're on the other line. Please give us a call back.
Just a few details -
1) You cannot make payment arrangements until 10 AM tomorrow.
2) If you have questions about a specific title, just let us know and we'll do our best to answer them. However, I don't think we'll be able to send you pictures of the book until after 12 noon.
3) I will cover the cost of standard shipping in the US and we will be charging international shipping at our cost.
4) All the prices will be discounted by 10% for the sale. I will continue to honor that discount for the remainder of the day as well.
5) General Condition Notes:
a) Most of the volumes are first editions but there is a scattering of nice book clubs as well (i.e. Dune, Stranger in the Strange Land, Jack of Shadows, Lord of Light, and so on).
b) Many of the hardcovers are signed, especially titles by Zelazny, Leiber, Bradley, and Card.
c) The owner was a smoker who quit indoors years ago and many of the books were kept either in plastic or behind glass. Neither I nor any other staff have noticed any detectable odor of smoke. However, some of the spines are clearly tanned (i.e. darkened) as a result of smoke exposure.
d) Like many areas in San Francisco, there was some damp in the house along with dust, which equates to foxing, mostly at the top of the text block but some on the fore-edge as well. With only one or two exceptions, none of the books show any moisture damage and none have mold or mildew. (Foxing is a pattern of brown marks on paper possibly caused by some sort of poorly understood mold. It is inert and does not damage the integrity of the paper - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxing)
If you'll be able to join us in person, that is great. We'll be letting you in at 10 AM. Please come in through the cafe door (the bookstore door will be locked).
This is the first time we've done something like this, so please be patient. We'll get the kinks worked out and it'll be much smoother next time.
Thanks,
Alan
The sale is now over. Thank you to the folks who participated. It was a lot of fun. Despite the sale being over, if there are books that you saw in the pictures that you are interested in, please drop Jude Feldman an email <jfeldman@borderlands-books.com>. Everything that didn't sell will remain available to sponsors for purchase while we get the books graded and in our inventory.
Hi Everyone,
Here's the link to pictures of the books that will be going on sale at 10 AM, PST, tomorrow.
https://goo.gl/photos/r8yvJYKMfPZrzTNX6
If you're interested in purchasing any of them, you can ask questions and make purchase arrangements via email or phone (toll free in the US at 888 893-4008). If the phone is busy, it's just because we're on the other line. Please give us a call back.
Just a few details -
1) You cannot make payment arrangements until 10 AM tomorrow.
2) If you have questions about a specific title, just let us know and we'll do our best to answer them. However, I don't think we'll be able to send you pictures of the book until after 12 noon.
3) I will cover the cost of standard shipping in the US and we will be charging international shipping at our cost.
4) All the prices will be discounted by 10% for the sale. I will continue to honor that discount for the remainder of the day as well.
5) General Condition Notes:
a) Most of the volumes are first editions but there is a scattering of nice book clubs as well (i.e. Dune, Stranger in the Strange Land, Jack of Shadows, Lord of Light, and so on).
b) Many of the hardcovers are signed, especially titles by Zelazny, Leiber, Bradley, and Card.
c) The owner was a smoker who quit indoors years ago and many of the books were kept either in plastic or behind glass. Neither I nor any other staff have noticed any detectable odor of smoke. However, some of the spines are clearly tanned (i.e. darkened) as a result of smoke exposure.
d) Like many areas in San Francisco, there was some damp in the house along with dust, which equates to foxing, mostly at the top of the text block but some on the fore-edge as well. With only one or two exceptions, none of the books show any moisture damage and none have mold or mildew. (Foxing is a pattern of brown marks on paper possibly caused by some sort of poorly understood mold. It is inert and does not damage the integrity of the paper - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxing)
If you'll be able to join us in person, that is great. We'll be letting you in at 10 AM. Please come in through the cafe door (the bookstore door will be locked).
This is the first time we've done something like this, so please be patient. We'll get the kinks worked out and it'll be much smoother next time.
Thanks,
Alan
Monday, January 11, 2016
Sponsor Letter January 11th, 2016
Dear Sponsors,
I'm sorry that there have been so many emails coming to you over the past two weeks. As I've said, I've making this up as we go along and that leads to quite a few, "Oh, we'd better explain that" moments. Don't worry though, this is a short one and (hopefully) the last 'til next month.
The Dashiell Hammett Version
1) If you're a 2016 sponsor and you would like to be in the drawing for the private event with Pat Rothfuss at 5:30 pm on Friday, January 15th, please reply to this email and say so (and, do look at the details below).
2) As requested by several folks, I've set up an on-line calendar listing all of our sponsor events. The URL is https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ud8v8s1cfutjemfeusiv72ubvo%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles. The events aren't all up there yet but they should be in a few days.
3) Also as requested by several people, we'll be videoing the presentations that we're doing in February. Probably both as live-streams and stored at Youtube. Details in the February newsletter.
4) We made a typo in one of the dates listed for the February presentations. The correct date for the final presentation, "Been There, Done That, Wish I Hadn't", with Gail Carriger, Richard Kadrey, and Pat Murphy, is Tuesday, February 23rd.
5) If you were a sponsor in 2015 and haven't renewed yet, please feel free to come to the social on January 28th. If you like, you could renew on the spot but you are very welcome to just come and celebrate with us. That party is in just a few weeks, so it's time to RSVP if you're coming (as usual, one guest is welcome). You are also welcome to come to the sponsors' general meeting on Thursday, March 31st, at 7 pm.
6) I think I made a mistake by rushing into making the offer to loan money to help Precita Eyes (please see the last sponsor note for details). I'd like to know if you approve of that action or not.
I'm sorry that there have been so many emails coming to you over the past two weeks. As I've said, I've making this up as we go along and that leads to quite a few, "Oh, we'd better explain that" moments. Don't worry though, this is a short one and (hopefully) the last 'til next month.
The Dashiell Hammett Version
1) If you're a 2016 sponsor and you would like to be in the drawing for the private event with Pat Rothfuss at 5:30 pm on Friday, January 15th, please reply to this email and say so (and, do look at the details below).
2) As requested by several folks, I've set up an on-line calendar listing all of our sponsor events. The URL is https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ud8v8s1cfutjemfeusiv72ubvo%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles. The events aren't all up there yet but they should be in a few days.
3) Also as requested by several people, we'll be videoing the presentations that we're doing in February. Probably both as live-streams and stored at Youtube. Details in the February newsletter.
4) We made a typo in one of the dates listed for the February presentations. The correct date for the final presentation, "Been There, Done That, Wish I Hadn't", with Gail Carriger, Richard Kadrey, and Pat Murphy, is Tuesday, February 23rd.
5) If you were a sponsor in 2015 and haven't renewed yet, please feel free to come to the social on January 28th. If you like, you could renew on the spot but you are very welcome to just come and celebrate with us. That party is in just a few weeks, so it's time to RSVP if you're coming (as usual, one guest is welcome). You are also welcome to come to the sponsors' general meeting on Thursday, March 31st, at 7 pm.
6) I think I made a mistake by rushing into making the offer to loan money to help Precita Eyes (please see the last sponsor note for details). I'd like to know if you approve of that action or not.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Sponsor Letter January 9th, 2016
Hi, it's me again.
Before I get too far into this letter, I want to thank all the sponsors out there who will not be renewing this year . . . yeah, you read that right.
Last year, at a time when we were all ready to pack it in, over 800 people stepped up and said that Borderlands mattered. They put their money behind it but, more importantly, they let us know they cared. It was one of the nicest, coolest, and most wonderful things that has ever happened to me. At that time, I knew I was in this for the long run but, at the same time, I knew that all our sponsors were not. And that's just fine.
If you're reading this, you're one of the people who made bookselling history. No store has ever done what we achieved and, even now, people in our industry don't quite know what to make of it.
But now, we're settling in for the long trip. If we're to stay open, we need to keep on making history. On January 1st, it was time for sponsors to renew and we needed 300 sponsors by March 31st if we were to remain open through 2016.
On Thursday, the 7th, we made it. It took just one week for more than 300 sponsors to re-up.
So, if you've been thinking to yourself: "Gee, I really should renew but December was an expensive month." . . . or, as one sponsor wrote me yesterday, "The Canadian dollar is pretty weak right now but, if you need me, let me know and I'll sign up again." . . . or, for that matter, "I live in Texas and, as much as I like Alan's rambling emails, that's all I've gotten out of this sponsorship" -- Please, don't worry about renewing this year. But, do stay in touch, visit us, and read the newsletter. If we get in a jam in a few years, perhaps you'll feel like helping out.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You allowed me and all my friends here to keep on doing what we love. And in doing so you changed how we look at Borderlands and how we look at ourselves.
In short: you've done plenty, feel free to take a break.
On the other hand, if you want to stay aboard for the rest of the ride, keep on reading. I'll tell you why every single sponsor over the required 300 makes a huge difference to the future of Borderlands, as well as what we'll be doing with our sponsors this year.
All Best,
Alan
PS Sponsor or not, renewal or not; if there is something I can do for you in the future, just let me know. I owe you, big time.
The Short Version
1) You can renew your sponsorship by mail, by phone, in person and, new this year, on-line at https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html
2) Sponsorships over the 300 level are how we will make it possible for Borderlands to buy a building, which will go most of the way toward ensuring that we'll be around for decades to come. Our lease is good for about five and a half years but, after that, we're going to have problems.
3) Because we had so many sponsors than we absolutely needed last year, we're likely going to be able to help local art non-profit Precita Eyes (who painted the mural on the side of our shop) keep their building by giving them a low interest, 12-month loan of $20,000.
4) Second Sponsors' Open Mic scheduled for Friday, January 22nd at 7 pm. Please email Greg Roensch at gregroensch@gmail.com if you would like to participate.
5) An advance sale for sponsors only of a notable collection is coming up. Mostly hardcover first editions of 1970s and '80s SF, many signed. For our out-of-town sponsors, books will be viewable on-line at our blog - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com - probably starting late Friday night, January 22nd. You can call or email to purchase them if you can't make it to the store. The sale will be Saturday, January 23rd from 10 am to noon.
6) The 5th (!) Sponsor Social: Thursday, January 28th, from seven to eleven in the evening. Drinks, food, and a celebration for achieving our goal for 2016. And, possibly, a Borderlands staff talent show (be afraid; be very, very afraid).
7) A month of presentations on Tuesdays in February at 7:00 PM for experienced and aspiring writers, along with anyone else who's curious how the book business works.
Feb. 2nd, Alan Beatts, "The Life-Cycle of a Book"
Feb. 9th, Jeremy Lassen, "Publishing Contracts: Good, Bad, and Ugly"
Feb. 16th, Scott Cox, "Public Reading, Tips and Tricks"
Feb. 22nd, Panel Discussion with authors Gail Carriger, Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy: "Been There, Done That, Wish I Hadn't"
8) Sponsors' General Meeting, Thursday, March 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm. A chance to talk about how we're doing, where we're going, and to give us your advice.
Before I get too far into this letter, I want to thank all the sponsors out there who will not be renewing this year . . . yeah, you read that right.
Last year, at a time when we were all ready to pack it in, over 800 people stepped up and said that Borderlands mattered. They put their money behind it but, more importantly, they let us know they cared. It was one of the nicest, coolest, and most wonderful things that has ever happened to me. At that time, I knew I was in this for the long run but, at the same time, I knew that all our sponsors were not. And that's just fine.
If you're reading this, you're one of the people who made bookselling history. No store has ever done what we achieved and, even now, people in our industry don't quite know what to make of it.
But now, we're settling in for the long trip. If we're to stay open, we need to keep on making history. On January 1st, it was time for sponsors to renew and we needed 300 sponsors by March 31st if we were to remain open through 2016.
On Thursday, the 7th, we made it. It took just one week for more than 300 sponsors to re-up.
So, if you've been thinking to yourself: "Gee, I really should renew but December was an expensive month." . . . or, as one sponsor wrote me yesterday, "The Canadian dollar is pretty weak right now but, if you need me, let me know and I'll sign up again." . . . or, for that matter, "I live in Texas and, as much as I like Alan's rambling emails, that's all I've gotten out of this sponsorship" -- Please, don't worry about renewing this year. But, do stay in touch, visit us, and read the newsletter. If we get in a jam in a few years, perhaps you'll feel like helping out.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You allowed me and all my friends here to keep on doing what we love. And in doing so you changed how we look at Borderlands and how we look at ourselves.
In short: you've done plenty, feel free to take a break.
On the other hand, if you want to stay aboard for the rest of the ride, keep on reading. I'll tell you why every single sponsor over the required 300 makes a huge difference to the future of Borderlands, as well as what we'll be doing with our sponsors this year.
All Best,
Alan
PS Sponsor or not, renewal or not; if there is something I can do for you in the future, just let me know. I owe you, big time.
The Short Version
1) You can renew your sponsorship by mail, by phone, in person and, new this year, on-line at https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html
2) Sponsorships over the 300 level are how we will make it possible for Borderlands to buy a building, which will go most of the way toward ensuring that we'll be around for decades to come. Our lease is good for about five and a half years but, after that, we're going to have problems.
3) Because we had so many sponsors than we absolutely needed last year, we're likely going to be able to help local art non-profit Precita Eyes (who painted the mural on the side of our shop) keep their building by giving them a low interest, 12-month loan of $20,000.
4) Second Sponsors' Open Mic scheduled for Friday, January 22nd at 7 pm. Please email Greg Roensch at gregroensch@gmail.com if you would like to participate.
5) An advance sale for sponsors only of a notable collection is coming up. Mostly hardcover first editions of 1970s and '80s SF, many signed. For our out-of-town sponsors, books will be viewable on-line at our blog - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com - probably starting late Friday night, January 22nd. You can call or email to purchase them if you can't make it to the store. The sale will be Saturday, January 23rd from 10 am to noon.
6) The 5th (!) Sponsor Social: Thursday, January 28th, from seven to eleven in the evening. Drinks, food, and a celebration for achieving our goal for 2016. And, possibly, a Borderlands staff talent show (be afraid; be very, very afraid).
7) A month of presentations on Tuesdays in February at 7:00 PM for experienced and aspiring writers, along with anyone else who's curious how the book business works.
Feb. 2nd, Alan Beatts, "The Life-Cycle of a Book"
Feb. 9th, Jeremy Lassen, "Publishing Contracts: Good, Bad, and Ugly"
Feb. 16th, Scott Cox, "Public Reading, Tips and Tricks"
Feb. 22nd, Panel Discussion with authors Gail Carriger, Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy: "Been There, Done That, Wish I Hadn't"
8) Sponsors' General Meeting, Thursday, March 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm. A chance to talk about how we're doing, where we're going, and to give us your advice.
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