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.
Monday, February 1, 2016
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.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Sponsor Letter December 21st, 2015
Hello, everyone,
This is the last sponsor email of 2015, and what a year it has been. Thanks to all of you, we're still here, and feeling very optimistic about 2016. It's going to be pretty exciting, and I hope you'll come along for the ride! Please forgive the lateness of this note. I had been delaying sending it because I hoped to have some good news about preordering sponsorships (and, if you wish, giving them as gifts). One delay added to another and here we are at the 21st of the month. However, I do have that good news - as of now, our website is ready to accept renewals of sponsorships and preorders. Check the information below for all the information.
High points (details below):
1) Happy holidays and happy new year to all.
2) Sponsorships for 2016 are available for preorder now. The link to use is https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html
3) Plus One sponsorships available. For an equal price you can have an extra sponsorship (or two or more) that can be "lent" to friends and family.
4) Second Sponsor's Open Mic scheduled for January 22nd at 7 pm. Please email Greg Roensch at gregroensch@gmail.com if you would like to participate.
5) Advance sale of a notable collection for sponsors. Mostly hardcover first editions of 1970s and '80s SF, many signed. Including a number of Gregg Press titles as well as works signed by Frank Herbert (sadly not including Dune), Fritz Leiber, Roger Zelazny and others. Saturday, January 23rd from 10 am to noon.
6) Schedule for upcoming Sponsor Socials: Thursday, January 28th, 2016; Saturday, April 2nd, 2016; Thursday, July 14th, 2016; Saturday, November 12th, 2016; and Thursday, January 26th, 2017.
7) Sponsors' General Meeting, Thursday, March 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm.
8) Lots of cool sponsor-only events planned for 2016, including a month of The Business of Writing lectures, a perfumery demonstration, various tours.
The long version:
1) Happy holidays and happy new year to everyone! We wish you a joyful end of December, and we hope that 2016 brings peace and comfort to you. The bookstore has been quite busy this year, so we're both happy and hopping around here. We're so grateful for all of your support, and so happy to still be here.
2) Sponsorships for 2016 are available for preorder now! Just use this link: https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html . You can use the link to buy a 2016 sponsorship for yourself, or to give one as a gift to someone else. (If you have multiple sponsorships to purchase or if you're interested in a "Plus One", you can use the website, but it's probably easier to call at 888 893-4008 or email sponsors@borderlands-books.com so you don't have to enter the same info repeatedly.) A quick reminder that sponsorship benefits apply to a single person -- not a couple or organization. Thanks again to everyone who was so patient while we worked out the quirks with the online form!
(You can also renew your sponsorship by mail, phone or in person. If you're going to mail us a check however, please date it January 1st, 2016 so that we can stay in the tax-man's good graces.)
3) We're trying out a Plus One (or more) sponsorship program this year. Since our first obligation is to our sponsors, many of our events that have a limited number of attendees have been restricted to sponsors-only, and we have not been able to accommodate guests. If you've found yourself in that position this year, we're trying a solution. For the same amount as your sponsorship, you can get a "Plus One" sponsorship. Rather than being associated with a specific person, that sponsorship is yours to lend to anyone you wish. You can even arrange with us in advance for someone to use it even if you won't be attending the event. Though we're calling it a "Plus One" membership, you can get any many as you would like. There are only two catches; first, _all_ sponsor benefit do not accrue to that membership, specifically someone using a Plus One may not rent the cafe or bookstore for private events. The other catch is that, if you want to order one using the form on the website, you'll need to specifically mention that in the "Notes" section of the on-line form.
4) The last Sponsor's Open Mic was quite a success, and so we're doing it again on January 22nd at 7 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's 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.
5) One of the benefits of sponsorship is that you get first chance at new acquisitions when I buy large, interesting collections. On Saturday, January 23rd, from ten in the morning to noon, you'll have the chance to be first to look over and purchase from a collection I just purchased. The collection is mostly 1970s and 1980s SF and fantasy with some later and earlier works included as well. Some of the "big" books are not represented (no firsts of Dune, The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, and so forth) but there are some very nice titles including a first of The Forever War by Haldeman, Gilden Fire by Donaldson, the Gregg Press edition of Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories and more (please don't ask me for a complete list -- I don't have one and I won't until _after_ the sale). There are also a number of neat but not hugely valuable titles (for example, I love Circus World by Longyear, but the hardcover first is not an expensive book, just uncommon).
Jude, Jeremy and I will be going through all the books prior to the sale and pricing them. However, before we enter them into our inventory and shelve them, you're going to have a chance at them. Come down at ten Saturday morning, come in through the cafe, and you'll find them in rows on tables (and, probably, on the floor -- it's quite a lot of books). Since buying them before we take the time to grade, inventory and shelve them saves us a bunch of work, I'm going to give you a discount of 10% off the marked price as well. This is the first time we've done this and I think it'll be fun.
6) We have set the schedule for upcoming 2016 Sponsor Socials -- we're optimistic that way. The dates are: Thursday, January 28th, 2016; Saturday, April 2nd, 2016; Thursday, July 14th, 2016; Saturday, November 12th, 2016; and Thursday, January 26th, 2017. I hope you'll join us for one or all of these awesome parties.
(7) We're having a Sponsors' General Meeting on Thursday, March 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm. I hope that I'll be announcing that we've met our requirement to remain open through 2016. Of course, if we haven't made it, I'll be making an announcement of a very different sort.
Assuming we make it, 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'd like to know what we've done right, what we've done wrong, and what we can do better. I'd also like to have a chance to talk to you about some ideas I have for the future as well as getting your ideas and suggestions. What I have in mind is something much like the original meeting we had in February that was the genesis for what saved the store. I'll outline where we're at and then ask for comments. You're welcome to bring a guest if you think that they'll have something constructive to contribute. I hope to see as many of your there as possible because some of what we'll be discussing will shape how I'm going to move forward with the sponsorship program and the business as a whole.
8) Lastly, we have lots of cool events planned for sponsors in 2016, including a perfumery demonstration with author (and sponsor) Megan E. O'Keefe, a month of The Business of Writing lectures in February, and tours of places of interest around town ranging from a brewery (we do like to take a drink now and then) to a real, old school book printer and bindery. I'm also going to see if Mary Robinette Kowal will be in town at some point so we can have a re-do of the Scotch tasting she hosted.
-Alan Beatts
This is the last sponsor email of 2015, and what a year it has been. Thanks to all of you, we're still here, and feeling very optimistic about 2016. It's going to be pretty exciting, and I hope you'll come along for the ride! Please forgive the lateness of this note. I had been delaying sending it because I hoped to have some good news about preordering sponsorships (and, if you wish, giving them as gifts). One delay added to another and here we are at the 21st of the month. However, I do have that good news - as of now, our website is ready to accept renewals of sponsorships and preorders. Check the information below for all the information.
High points (details below):
1) Happy holidays and happy new year to all.
2) Sponsorships for 2016 are available for preorder now. The link to use is https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html
3) Plus One sponsorships available. For an equal price you can have an extra sponsorship (or two or more) that can be "lent" to friends and family.
4) Second Sponsor's Open Mic scheduled for January 22nd at 7 pm. Please email Greg Roensch at gregroensch@gmail.com if you would like to participate.
5) Advance sale of a notable collection for sponsors. Mostly hardcover first editions of 1970s and '80s SF, many signed. Including a number of Gregg Press titles as well as works signed by Frank Herbert (sadly not including Dune), Fritz Leiber, Roger Zelazny and others. Saturday, January 23rd from 10 am to noon.
6) Schedule for upcoming Sponsor Socials: Thursday, January 28th, 2016; Saturday, April 2nd, 2016; Thursday, July 14th, 2016; Saturday, November 12th, 2016; and Thursday, January 26th, 2017.
7) Sponsors' General Meeting, Thursday, March 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm.
8) Lots of cool sponsor-only events planned for 2016, including a month of The Business of Writing lectures, a perfumery demonstration, various tours.
The long version:
1) Happy holidays and happy new year to everyone! We wish you a joyful end of December, and we hope that 2016 brings peace and comfort to you. The bookstore has been quite busy this year, so we're both happy and hopping around here. We're so grateful for all of your support, and so happy to still be here.
2) Sponsorships for 2016 are available for preorder now! Just use this link: https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship16.html . You can use the link to buy a 2016 sponsorship for yourself, or to give one as a gift to someone else. (If you have multiple sponsorships to purchase or if you're interested in a "Plus One", you can use the website, but it's probably easier to call at 888 893-4008 or email sponsors@borderlands-books.com so you don't have to enter the same info repeatedly.) A quick reminder that sponsorship benefits apply to a single person -- not a couple or organization. Thanks again to everyone who was so patient while we worked out the quirks with the online form!
(You can also renew your sponsorship by mail, phone or in person. If you're going to mail us a check however, please date it January 1st, 2016 so that we can stay in the tax-man's good graces.)
3) We're trying out a Plus One (or more) sponsorship program this year. Since our first obligation is to our sponsors, many of our events that have a limited number of attendees have been restricted to sponsors-only, and we have not been able to accommodate guests. If you've found yourself in that position this year, we're trying a solution. For the same amount as your sponsorship, you can get a "Plus One" sponsorship. Rather than being associated with a specific person, that sponsorship is yours to lend to anyone you wish. You can even arrange with us in advance for someone to use it even if you won't be attending the event. Though we're calling it a "Plus One" membership, you can get any many as you would like. There are only two catches; first, _all_ sponsor benefit do not accrue to that membership, specifically someone using a Plus One may not rent the cafe or bookstore for private events. The other catch is that, if you want to order one using the form on the website, you'll need to specifically mention that in the "Notes" section of the on-line form.
4) The last Sponsor's Open Mic was quite a success, and so we're doing it again on January 22nd at 7 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's 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.
5) One of the benefits of sponsorship is that you get first chance at new acquisitions when I buy large, interesting collections. On Saturday, January 23rd, from ten in the morning to noon, you'll have the chance to be first to look over and purchase from a collection I just purchased. The collection is mostly 1970s and 1980s SF and fantasy with some later and earlier works included as well. Some of the "big" books are not represented (no firsts of Dune, The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, and so forth) but there are some very nice titles including a first of The Forever War by Haldeman, Gilden Fire by Donaldson, the Gregg Press edition of Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories and more (please don't ask me for a complete list -- I don't have one and I won't until _after_ the sale). There are also a number of neat but not hugely valuable titles (for example, I love Circus World by Longyear, but the hardcover first is not an expensive book, just uncommon).
Jude, Jeremy and I will be going through all the books prior to the sale and pricing them. However, before we enter them into our inventory and shelve them, you're going to have a chance at them. Come down at ten Saturday morning, come in through the cafe, and you'll find them in rows on tables (and, probably, on the floor -- it's quite a lot of books). Since buying them before we take the time to grade, inventory and shelve them saves us a bunch of work, I'm going to give you a discount of 10% off the marked price as well. This is the first time we've done this and I think it'll be fun.
6) We have set the schedule for upcoming 2016 Sponsor Socials -- we're optimistic that way. The dates are: Thursday, January 28th, 2016; Saturday, April 2nd, 2016; Thursday, July 14th, 2016; Saturday, November 12th, 2016; and Thursday, January 26th, 2017. I hope you'll join us for one or all of these awesome parties.
(7) We're having a Sponsors' General Meeting on Thursday, March 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm. I hope that I'll be announcing that we've met our requirement to remain open through 2016. Of course, if we haven't made it, I'll be making an announcement of a very different sort.
Assuming we make it, 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'd like to know what we've done right, what we've done wrong, and what we can do better. I'd also like to have a chance to talk to you about some ideas I have for the future as well as getting your ideas and suggestions. What I have in mind is something much like the original meeting we had in February that was the genesis for what saved the store. I'll outline where we're at and then ask for comments. You're welcome to bring a guest if you think that they'll have something constructive to contribute. I hope to see as many of your there as possible because some of what we'll be discussing will shape how I'm going to move forward with the sponsorship program and the business as a whole.
8) Lastly, we have lots of cool events planned for sponsors in 2016, including a perfumery demonstration with author (and sponsor) Megan E. O'Keefe, a month of The Business of Writing lectures in February, and tours of places of interest around town ranging from a brewery (we do like to take a drink now and then) to a real, old school book printer and bindery. I'm also going to see if Mary Robinette Kowal will be in town at some point so we can have a re-do of the Scotch tasting she hosted.
-Alan Beatts
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Sponsor Letter October 29th, 2015
Hi Folks,
Someone suggested last month that these letters can be a bit dense and that starting off with a quick list of the high points would be a useful thing. Since I'm nothing if not obliging (at least for our sponsors) and there doesn't seem to be a downside to it, I'll start that way henceforth.
1) Tuesday cocktails on hold for the holidays. Schedule change at work, low-ish turnout, plus start of busy holiday season reason for stopping. Informal meeting continues but "official" one on hold 'til January.
2) New code for ordering custom Rickshaw bags online. Code is <call or email us for the code>. Deadline extended to January 31st. Discount is now 25% off. Ordering information - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
3) Pre-entry to Anniversary Sale for sponsors. Sale is Sunday, November 8th. 18% discount. Sponsors get in starting at 10 am (enter through cafe), everyone else at noon.
4) New Horizons presentation was a huge success. Slide show will be available to sponsors next month. Big thanks to Orkan Umurhan for making it possible.
5) Sponsor social likewise a success. Thanks to Rickshaw Bagworks <http://www.rickshawbags.com> and Cannella Spirits <http://www.cannellaspirits.com> for their lovely support.
And now I'll stop talking like someone sending a telegraph in 1902.
Tuesday Cocktails on Hold - We've needed to switch around the schedule at the cafe, which means I'm now doing closedown there (ah, dishwashing, I love you so!). That, added to some sort of light turnouts over the past month is making me think that it's time to give it a break. Plus, we're headed into the holidays, when we all want a drink but none of us have time to get one. That said, if anyone feels like stopping by the Plisner for a drink, you certainly might find us there -- it is one of our favorite bars, after all. I'll revisit the idea in January and see if it makes sense then. I hope that I'm not disappointing people too much but, if I am, let me know and I'll see what I can come up with. Oh, and don't worry about the schedule at the cafe; I just hired a very nice young man named James and I think he's going to work out really well (and take over my dishwashing).
New Code for Rickshaw Bags - As part of their second visit to Borderlands, Rickshaw has set up a new discount code for those of you who want to order a customer Sponsor's bag through their web site. The code is <call or email us for the code>. Please don't share it around. For all the information on how to order on-line, go to the sponsor's blog < http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html >. But don't wait too long; they've extended the deadline to order until January 31st but, the holidays are coming and it's going to be 2016 before you know it.
Anniversary Sale - Just in time for the elections, Borderlands is about to turn 18 (anyone want to guess who the store wants to be Mayor?). In honor of that we're going to have a sale on Sunday, November 8th. Everything in the store will be 18% off, plus there'll be cake and, perhaps, visits from the current crop of hairless Borderlands kitties. Because our sponsors are the best people on the planet, we're going to open two hours early so you get first shot at the sale and cats. Bring your card, patch or just be ready to identify yourself and come to the connecting door from the cafe between ten a.m. and noon (the bookstore door will stay locked 'til noon). We'll let you in from there. And, for you sponsors who live out of town, we'll give you the discount for mail-order purchases too. If you want to take advantage of that, please drop Jude an email and she'll give you all the details - jfeldman@borderlands-books.com.
New Horizons Presentation - NASA Ames geologist (and Borderlands sponsor) Orkan Umurhan gave a great talk about the New Horizons Mission to Pluto. We had such a big crowd that I had to rent a better projector and a huge screen so everyone could see. There were about 45 people attending and everyone had so many questions (and Orkan is such an entertaining speaker) that the event went on for two hours. The applause at the end was some of the most enthusiastic I've ever heard at the cafe. If you weren't able to make it, I've got some good news; we're still working on the exact details but next month we should be able to make Orkan's "slides" available on-line. Check my next letter for more info.
Sponsor Social - The party was as much fun as always. About 100 people came and there was much hilarity. The folks from Rickshaw <http://www.rickshawbags.com> were lovely as usual and had many conversations and placed many orders. Joe Cannella from Cannella Spirits <http://www.cannellaspirits.com>, along with his cohorts Gina and Vinny, made some wicked good cocktails. So good that, in a rye-maddened attempt to quiet the crowd, I sang in public. I will admit that it worked -- the shocked and horrified silence was something to see -- but Tom Waits will never, ever forgive me. If you want to try their tasty adult beverage for yourself and missed your chance, it can be ordered in many states from K&L Wine Merchants <http://www.klwines.com/Products/i?i=1183975>. Thanks to everyone who came -- as usual, we bring our own party.
And that about wraps it up for this month. As I close this, I noticed that this is the 10th note that I've sent out to you all. It's been quite a trip since February and thank you all for coming along with me for the ride. A few weeks ago I did an interview on Publisher's Weekly's radio show. It ended up being a discussion about what we've done these last ten months and then led into a conversation about what I hope for the future. If you're interested in hearing it, here's a link to it on PW's site -http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/podcasts/index.html?channel=8&podcast=494 - or, if you prefer, you can get it as a podcast from the iTunes store - search for "PW Radio 144" and you'll find it. Please forgive the monologue at the beginning; thank goodness that one of the hosts jumped in, otherwise I probably would have babbled all the way through (thank you, Rose). Reviewing that interview, I'm struck all over again at what a remarkable thing we've managed to accomplish. We should all be damn proud. I know I am.
Someone suggested last month that these letters can be a bit dense and that starting off with a quick list of the high points would be a useful thing. Since I'm nothing if not obliging (at least for our sponsors) and there doesn't seem to be a downside to it, I'll start that way henceforth.
1) Tuesday cocktails on hold for the holidays. Schedule change at work, low-ish turnout, plus start of busy holiday season reason for stopping. Informal meeting continues but "official" one on hold 'til January.
2) New code for ordering custom Rickshaw bags online. Code is <call or email us for the code>. Deadline extended to January 31st. Discount is now 25% off. Ordering information - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
3) Pre-entry to Anniversary Sale for sponsors. Sale is Sunday, November 8th. 18% discount. Sponsors get in starting at 10 am (enter through cafe), everyone else at noon.
4) New Horizons presentation was a huge success. Slide show will be available to sponsors next month. Big thanks to Orkan Umurhan for making it possible.
5) Sponsor social likewise a success. Thanks to Rickshaw Bagworks <http://www.rickshawbags.com> and Cannella Spirits <http://www.cannellaspirits.com> for their lovely support.
And now I'll stop talking like someone sending a telegraph in 1902.
Tuesday Cocktails on Hold - We've needed to switch around the schedule at the cafe, which means I'm now doing closedown there (ah, dishwashing, I love you so!). That, added to some sort of light turnouts over the past month is making me think that it's time to give it a break. Plus, we're headed into the holidays, when we all want a drink but none of us have time to get one. That said, if anyone feels like stopping by the Plisner for a drink, you certainly might find us there -- it is one of our favorite bars, after all. I'll revisit the idea in January and see if it makes sense then. I hope that I'm not disappointing people too much but, if I am, let me know and I'll see what I can come up with. Oh, and don't worry about the schedule at the cafe; I just hired a very nice young man named James and I think he's going to work out really well (and take over my dishwashing).
New Code for Rickshaw Bags - As part of their second visit to Borderlands, Rickshaw has set up a new discount code for those of you who want to order a customer Sponsor's bag through their web site. The code is <call or email us for the code>. Please don't share it around. For all the information on how to order on-line, go to the sponsor's blog < http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html >. But don't wait too long; they've extended the deadline to order until January 31st but, the holidays are coming and it's going to be 2016 before you know it.
Anniversary Sale - Just in time for the elections, Borderlands is about to turn 18 (anyone want to guess who the store wants to be Mayor?). In honor of that we're going to have a sale on Sunday, November 8th. Everything in the store will be 18% off, plus there'll be cake and, perhaps, visits from the current crop of hairless Borderlands kitties. Because our sponsors are the best people on the planet, we're going to open two hours early so you get first shot at the sale and cats. Bring your card, patch or just be ready to identify yourself and come to the connecting door from the cafe between ten a.m. and noon (the bookstore door will stay locked 'til noon). We'll let you in from there. And, for you sponsors who live out of town, we'll give you the discount for mail-order purchases too. If you want to take advantage of that, please drop Jude an email and she'll give you all the details - jfeldman@borderlands-books.com.
New Horizons Presentation - NASA Ames geologist (and Borderlands sponsor) Orkan Umurhan gave a great talk about the New Horizons Mission to Pluto. We had such a big crowd that I had to rent a better projector and a huge screen so everyone could see. There were about 45 people attending and everyone had so many questions (and Orkan is such an entertaining speaker) that the event went on for two hours. The applause at the end was some of the most enthusiastic I've ever heard at the cafe. If you weren't able to make it, I've got some good news; we're still working on the exact details but next month we should be able to make Orkan's "slides" available on-line. Check my next letter for more info.
Sponsor Social - The party was as much fun as always. About 100 people came and there was much hilarity. The folks from Rickshaw <http://www.rickshawbags.com> were lovely as usual and had many conversations and placed many orders. Joe Cannella from Cannella Spirits <http://www.cannellaspirits.com>, along with his cohorts Gina and Vinny, made some wicked good cocktails. So good that, in a rye-maddened attempt to quiet the crowd, I sang in public. I will admit that it worked -- the shocked and horrified silence was something to see -- but Tom Waits will never, ever forgive me. If you want to try their tasty adult beverage for yourself and missed your chance, it can be ordered in many states from K&L Wine Merchants <http://www.klwines.com/Products/i?i=1183975>. Thanks to everyone who came -- as usual, we bring our own party.
And that about wraps it up for this month. As I close this, I noticed that this is the 10th note that I've sent out to you all. It's been quite a trip since February and thank you all for coming along with me for the ride. A few weeks ago I did an interview on Publisher's Weekly's radio show. It ended up being a discussion about what we've done these last ten months and then led into a conversation about what I hope for the future. If you're interested in hearing it, here's a link to it on PW's site -http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/podcasts/index.html?channel=8&podcast=494 - or, if you prefer, you can get it as a podcast from the iTunes store - search for "PW Radio 144" and you'll find it. Please forgive the monologue at the beginning; thank goodness that one of the hosts jumped in, otherwise I probably would have babbled all the way through (thank you, Rose). Reviewing that interview, I'm struck all over again at what a remarkable thing we've managed to accomplish. We should all be damn proud. I know I am.
Friday, October 9, 2015
Sponsor Letter October 9th, 2015
Hi Sponsors,
Here we are, heading into the end of the year already. At least, for business guys like me, this is the beginning of the end -- 4th quarter, here we go. As you're probably aware, we're coming up on our last Sponsor Social for 2015. It's on the 24th of this month and now-ish is a good time to RSVP. As always, you don't have to let us know if you're coming, but it is nice to have an idea how many folks are going to show up. You're welcome to bring a guest, and you'll find more details about the party near the end of this note.
Sponsorships for 2016 - Thank to you everyone who took the time to share their thoughts about when we should begin accepting sponsorships for next year. The comments I received were all thoughtful, well-considered, and on point (in other words, pretty much the _exact_ opposite of the comments section on any given website). After thinking about it, I've decided to wait to start accepting sponsorships until January 1st (or, more likely, the 2nd). However, we may be able to accept payment information early and actually charge people's credit cards at the beginning of the year. I'll have more information about that next month. Anyway, mark your calendars and set your alarms for January 2nd. But, if you forget, don't worry -- I'll remind you.
Looking forward into 2016, I've got some neat plans for the store in general and our sponsors in specific. I haven't wanted to put much money into the business because I wanted to see how things work next year. However, assuming that we meet our sponsorship goals (or even exceed them), I think it'll be time to make some long-term investments. One of the things at the top of the list is dragging our event capacities into the 21st century. I hope to get the hardware and systems in place so that we can live-stream our author events over the internet. At the same time, I'll be upgrading our sound system so that, regardless where you're sitting in the cafe (or even browsing in the bookstore), you'll be able to hear the author clearly. I also should be able to make the long-planned expansion of the store space into a reality that will give us much, much more room for both new and used books. Finally, if time allows, I may build out and open the backyard area of the cafe to give us some pleasant outdoor seating. Any and all of those things should be nice improvements, for everyone who visits the shop and cafe.
But, for our sponsors, I've got a couple other ideas. February is a pretty slow month, for everyone it seems, and certainly for the bookstore, and it's a perfect time to start working on writing projects. Since so many of our sponsors are writers, I'm thinking that doing a series of presentations geared towards both professional and beginning writers would be great. I'm planning a month-long schedule of two-hour events including; an overview of how the publishing process works, from delivery of the manuscript to the book arriving on the shelves; a discussion of what makes a good (or bad) publishing contract; an explanation and demonstration of how to give a great reading of your work; a how-to presentation on podcasting; and, perhaps, a panel of experienced authors talking about the pitfalls of the business.
But, since not all sponsors are writers but they are all readers, I'm also working on a year-long series of chapbooks of original fiction, that will only be available to our sponsors. I can't mention the names of any of the contributors yet but I think there will be some nice surprises on the list. However, that's all in the future. Here's what is going on in the present:
Tuesday Night Cocktails - We've been having quite a good time on Tuesdays nights at the Pilsner Inn, but a number of folks have pointed out to me that 9 pm is a little bit late for people who don't work bookseller's hours. So, we're going to try getting together a bit earlier and see how that works for a couple of months. Instead of 9 pm to midnight, you'll find us there starting at 7 pm every Tuesday and we'll be around 'til at least 10 pm. You can find the Pilsner at 225 Church Street, near Market Street <http://www.pilsnerinn.com/>. There's a nice backyard (where you'll usually find us), an excellent selection of beer on tap, good cocktails and a charming lack of pretension. The staff have no problem with people bringing in outside food and there are several great places to eat near by (notably Chow (American), Miyabi (Japanese), and Sparky's (basic diner)) so you can even get dinner too, if you like.
Anniversary Sale - Just in time for the elections, Borderlands is about to turn 18 (anyone want to guess who the store wants to be Mayor?). In honor of that we're going to have a sale on Sunday, November 8th. Everything in the store will be 18% off, plus there'll be cake and, perhaps, visits from the current crop of hairless Borderlands kitties. Because our sponsors are the best people on the planet, we're going to open two hours early so you get first shot at the sale and cats. Bring your card, patch or just be ready to identify yourself and come to the connecting door from the cafe between ten am and noon (the bookstore door will stay locked 'til noon). We'll let you in from there. And, for your sponsors who live out of town, we'll give you the discount for mail order purchases too. If you want to take advantage of that, please drop Jude an email and she'll give you all the details - jfeldman@borderlands-books.com.
Sponsors' Open Mic - At the end of last month we hosted our first Sponsors' Open Mic. Thanks to the outstanding organizational work of Greg Roensch, it was quite a success. The turnout was good and all the readers said that they had a great time. The upshot is that we'll be doing it again on January 22nd next year. I'll give you specific details on how to sign up next month. There will be a limited number of readers and, to give everyone a chance to participate, Greg will be giving preference to people who did not read last time. But, that's not to suggest that you shouldn't sign-up if you did read last time -- we just wanted to give you fair warning that we may not be able to accommodate everyone.
Hiring for the Cafe - I'm looking for one more staff person to work at the cafe. As Jude mentioned in the last store newsletter, "We're asking you because we always prefer to "keep it in the family," and hire our customers and associates (and our customers' associates) with whom we already have a rapport." I primarily need someone who can work weekday mornings and afternoons. If you know someone who might be interested, just ask them to send me a resume at abeatts@borderlands-books.com.
Upcoming Special Event - Join NASA Ames geologist (and Borderlands sponsor) Orkan Umurhan for an absolutely fascinating, sponsors-only presentation about the New Horizons mission to Pluto on Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30pm. Orkan is a geologist on the New Horizon's team and he'll discuss several aspects of the mission, including the spacecraft design (it's only the size of a grand piano), the naming scheme for features (there's a black mass, originally called "the whale," that's now referred to as Cthulhu), and other amazing discoveries (there appear to be nitrogen ice glaciers on Pluto's surface!). I've seen some of the pictures that he'll be showing at this event (he came by the Pilsner for a drink last week) and they are just unbelievable. And the geology and physics are mind-blowing (imagine a "sea" of nitrogen ice with floating "bergs" of water ice that are slowly swallowed by the "currents" -- that's semi-theoretical a this point but . . . damn). Seating will be limited so if you haven't RSVPed already, you might want to do so now. (Space for this event is limited, so for this one we unfortunately will not be able to accommodate guests.)
And, last but not least --
The Fourth Sponsor Social
As I mentioned at the beginning of this note, the next social is coming up. It will be on Saturday, October 24th, from 7 pm to 11 pm. We'll have the usual elements (some nice books to give away courtesy of our friends in publishing, door prizes, endless chatting about books and so forth) as well as some special features.
Custom Bags from Rickshaw Bagworks - At the party in June the lovely folks from Rickshaw < http://www.rickshawbags.com > came down and took orders for custom messenger bags, backpacks, and laptop bags featuring the Borderlands Sponsor's logo. Everyone had a great time coming up with designs in their own particular . . idiom. And, moreso, the folks from Rickshaw had a great time too. So much so that they said they'd like to come back again. So, we will again be giving you all a chance to order top-quality, locally-made bags to show your Sponsor pride. The 30% discount off of the retail price is really just icing on the cake. PS - If you already got a bag, please do bring it along to show off. People made some . . . impressive . . . color choices last time (Yes, Seanan McGuire, I'm looking at you).
Cocktails from Cannella Spirits - Cannella Cinnamon Cordial is hand-crafted right here in San Francisco by Joe Cannella and his family <http://www.cannellaspirits.com>. If Fireball whisky is the Dark side, filled with high-fructose corn syrup and anti-freeze, then Cannella is the Light side, with all-natural ingredients and a commitment to civilized socializing. Joe will be on hand making tasty adult beverages for you as well as talking about the history of his cordial. With fall coming I think it's a perfect time for a warm, spicy cocktail so this is a perfect fit.
Costumes - Since the party is only one week before Halloween, it's a perfect chance to "road-test" your costume in a (notionally) controlled environment. Though it's not required by any means, please do feel both free and encouraged to dress up. We had considered doing an actual contest but today Scott, Jude and I came up with a couple of better ideas. First off, we'll have a "photo booth" of sorts; at the rear of the cafe there'll be an area with seating, decent lighting and a few "props" that will be perfect for photos. You'll have to bring you own camera but hell, everyone's phone has one of the damn things now, right?
We're also going to give people with outstanding and notable costumes some small part of the recognition they deserve. Every one in costume will be given a numbered badge and all the attendees will be given voting "tickets". The attendees merely write the number of their favorite costume on the ticket, and drop it in the box at the counter. Near the end of the evening we'll add up the votes and announce the top three costumes.
Food and Drink - As always, we'll be doing the usual BYOB and pot-luck refreshments. You don't have to bring anything to eat or drink but, it is the fall cooking season so, much like the costumes, this is a great chance to field-test your recipes. Remember, as is consistent with our goal of saving sponsorship funds for the support of the store, all the staff are volunteers, and the food and drink is brought by the attendees.
Thanks, as always for the time, attention and, most of all, the support.
Warmest Regards,
Alan
Here we are, heading into the end of the year already. At least, for business guys like me, this is the beginning of the end -- 4th quarter, here we go. As you're probably aware, we're coming up on our last Sponsor Social for 2015. It's on the 24th of this month and now-ish is a good time to RSVP. As always, you don't have to let us know if you're coming, but it is nice to have an idea how many folks are going to show up. You're welcome to bring a guest, and you'll find more details about the party near the end of this note.
Sponsorships for 2016 - Thank to you everyone who took the time to share their thoughts about when we should begin accepting sponsorships for next year. The comments I received were all thoughtful, well-considered, and on point (in other words, pretty much the _exact_ opposite of the comments section on any given website). After thinking about it, I've decided to wait to start accepting sponsorships until January 1st (or, more likely, the 2nd). However, we may be able to accept payment information early and actually charge people's credit cards at the beginning of the year. I'll have more information about that next month. Anyway, mark your calendars and set your alarms for January 2nd. But, if you forget, don't worry -- I'll remind you.
Looking forward into 2016, I've got some neat plans for the store in general and our sponsors in specific. I haven't wanted to put much money into the business because I wanted to see how things work next year. However, assuming that we meet our sponsorship goals (or even exceed them), I think it'll be time to make some long-term investments. One of the things at the top of the list is dragging our event capacities into the 21st century. I hope to get the hardware and systems in place so that we can live-stream our author events over the internet. At the same time, I'll be upgrading our sound system so that, regardless where you're sitting in the cafe (or even browsing in the bookstore), you'll be able to hear the author clearly. I also should be able to make the long-planned expansion of the store space into a reality that will give us much, much more room for both new and used books. Finally, if time allows, I may build out and open the backyard area of the cafe to give us some pleasant outdoor seating. Any and all of those things should be nice improvements, for everyone who visits the shop and cafe.
But, for our sponsors, I've got a couple other ideas. February is a pretty slow month, for everyone it seems, and certainly for the bookstore, and it's a perfect time to start working on writing projects. Since so many of our sponsors are writers, I'm thinking that doing a series of presentations geared towards both professional and beginning writers would be great. I'm planning a month-long schedule of two-hour events including; an overview of how the publishing process works, from delivery of the manuscript to the book arriving on the shelves; a discussion of what makes a good (or bad) publishing contract; an explanation and demonstration of how to give a great reading of your work; a how-to presentation on podcasting; and, perhaps, a panel of experienced authors talking about the pitfalls of the business.
But, since not all sponsors are writers but they are all readers, I'm also working on a year-long series of chapbooks of original fiction, that will only be available to our sponsors. I can't mention the names of any of the contributors yet but I think there will be some nice surprises on the list. However, that's all in the future. Here's what is going on in the present:
Tuesday Night Cocktails - We've been having quite a good time on Tuesdays nights at the Pilsner Inn, but a number of folks have pointed out to me that 9 pm is a little bit late for people who don't work bookseller's hours. So, we're going to try getting together a bit earlier and see how that works for a couple of months. Instead of 9 pm to midnight, you'll find us there starting at 7 pm every Tuesday and we'll be around 'til at least 10 pm. You can find the Pilsner at 225 Church Street, near Market Street <http://www.pilsnerinn.com/>. There's a nice backyard (where you'll usually find us), an excellent selection of beer on tap, good cocktails and a charming lack of pretension. The staff have no problem with people bringing in outside food and there are several great places to eat near by (notably Chow (American), Miyabi (Japanese), and Sparky's (basic diner)) so you can even get dinner too, if you like.
Anniversary Sale - Just in time for the elections, Borderlands is about to turn 18 (anyone want to guess who the store wants to be Mayor?). In honor of that we're going to have a sale on Sunday, November 8th. Everything in the store will be 18% off, plus there'll be cake and, perhaps, visits from the current crop of hairless Borderlands kitties. Because our sponsors are the best people on the planet, we're going to open two hours early so you get first shot at the sale and cats. Bring your card, patch or just be ready to identify yourself and come to the connecting door from the cafe between ten am and noon (the bookstore door will stay locked 'til noon). We'll let you in from there. And, for your sponsors who live out of town, we'll give you the discount for mail order purchases too. If you want to take advantage of that, please drop Jude an email and she'll give you all the details - jfeldman@borderlands-books.com.
Sponsors' Open Mic - At the end of last month we hosted our first Sponsors' Open Mic. Thanks to the outstanding organizational work of Greg Roensch, it was quite a success. The turnout was good and all the readers said that they had a great time. The upshot is that we'll be doing it again on January 22nd next year. I'll give you specific details on how to sign up next month. There will be a limited number of readers and, to give everyone a chance to participate, Greg will be giving preference to people who did not read last time. But, that's not to suggest that you shouldn't sign-up if you did read last time -- we just wanted to give you fair warning that we may not be able to accommodate everyone.
Hiring for the Cafe - I'm looking for one more staff person to work at the cafe. As Jude mentioned in the last store newsletter, "We're asking you because we always prefer to "keep it in the family," and hire our customers and associates (and our customers' associates) with whom we already have a rapport." I primarily need someone who can work weekday mornings and afternoons. If you know someone who might be interested, just ask them to send me a resume at abeatts@borderlands-books.com.
Upcoming Special Event - Join NASA Ames geologist (and Borderlands sponsor) Orkan Umurhan for an absolutely fascinating, sponsors-only presentation about the New Horizons mission to Pluto on Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30pm. Orkan is a geologist on the New Horizon's team and he'll discuss several aspects of the mission, including the spacecraft design (it's only the size of a grand piano), the naming scheme for features (there's a black mass, originally called "the whale," that's now referred to as Cthulhu), and other amazing discoveries (there appear to be nitrogen ice glaciers on Pluto's surface!). I've seen some of the pictures that he'll be showing at this event (he came by the Pilsner for a drink last week) and they are just unbelievable. And the geology and physics are mind-blowing (imagine a "sea" of nitrogen ice with floating "bergs" of water ice that are slowly swallowed by the "currents" -- that's semi-theoretical a this point but . . . damn). Seating will be limited so if you haven't RSVPed already, you might want to do so now. (Space for this event is limited, so for this one we unfortunately will not be able to accommodate guests.)
And, last but not least --
The Fourth Sponsor Social
As I mentioned at the beginning of this note, the next social is coming up. It will be on Saturday, October 24th, from 7 pm to 11 pm. We'll have the usual elements (some nice books to give away courtesy of our friends in publishing, door prizes, endless chatting about books and so forth) as well as some special features.
Custom Bags from Rickshaw Bagworks - At the party in June the lovely folks from Rickshaw < http://www.rickshawbags.com > came down and took orders for custom messenger bags, backpacks, and laptop bags featuring the Borderlands Sponsor's logo. Everyone had a great time coming up with designs in their own particular . . idiom. And, moreso, the folks from Rickshaw had a great time too. So much so that they said they'd like to come back again. So, we will again be giving you all a chance to order top-quality, locally-made bags to show your Sponsor pride. The 30% discount off of the retail price is really just icing on the cake. PS - If you already got a bag, please do bring it along to show off. People made some . . . impressive . . . color choices last time (Yes, Seanan McGuire, I'm looking at you).
Cocktails from Cannella Spirits - Cannella Cinnamon Cordial is hand-crafted right here in San Francisco by Joe Cannella and his family <http://www.cannellaspirits.com>. If Fireball whisky is the Dark side, filled with high-fructose corn syrup and anti-freeze, then Cannella is the Light side, with all-natural ingredients and a commitment to civilized socializing. Joe will be on hand making tasty adult beverages for you as well as talking about the history of his cordial. With fall coming I think it's a perfect time for a warm, spicy cocktail so this is a perfect fit.
Costumes - Since the party is only one week before Halloween, it's a perfect chance to "road-test" your costume in a (notionally) controlled environment. Though it's not required by any means, please do feel both free and encouraged to dress up. We had considered doing an actual contest but today Scott, Jude and I came up with a couple of better ideas. First off, we'll have a "photo booth" of sorts; at the rear of the cafe there'll be an area with seating, decent lighting and a few "props" that will be perfect for photos. You'll have to bring you own camera but hell, everyone's phone has one of the damn things now, right?
We're also going to give people with outstanding and notable costumes some small part of the recognition they deserve. Every one in costume will be given a numbered badge and all the attendees will be given voting "tickets". The attendees merely write the number of their favorite costume on the ticket, and drop it in the box at the counter. Near the end of the evening we'll add up the votes and announce the top three costumes.
Food and Drink - As always, we'll be doing the usual BYOB and pot-luck refreshments. You don't have to bring anything to eat or drink but, it is the fall cooking season so, much like the costumes, this is a great chance to field-test your recipes. Remember, as is consistent with our goal of saving sponsorship funds for the support of the store, all the staff are volunteers, and the food and drink is brought by the attendees.
Thanks, as always for the time, attention and, most of all, the support.
Warmest Regards,
Alan
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