Independent bookstores have always been an important part of New York City’s landscape. They offer spaces of serenity and community amidst the usual hustle and bustle. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, bookstores have needed the support of their communities to bolster their success and ensure they will continue to bring a love of reading to the city. Social media has been an important tool in shining a spotlight on some of the best indie bookstores that can be found in this city. The internet allows for indie bookstores to reach an even wider audience and build a more stable community. One of the newer independent bookstores in Manhattan is Book Club in the East Village, a combination of a bookstore and a bar that has grown exponentially in popularity since opening in 2019. Here, Erin Neary, one of the owners, shares the story behind the store and the value that social media has to independent bookstores.
What is the backstory of Book Club? What moved you to decide to open an indie bookstore in New York?
Book Club opened in November 2019. It was founded by myself and my husband, Nat Esten. We both have lived in the East Village for a long time and felt like this concept, a hybrid bookstore/bar and general community space was really needed in the neighborhood. The closest general new bookstore to our store is around a 20 minute walk, and for New Yorkers, that’s too far to walk to find a new book!
What impact did the pandemic have on the way that the bookstore operated?
It changed everything – we immediately went into survival mode.
Because we were so new and had only been open for a few months at the time, our survival definitely was not guaranteed. We hadn’t been open long enough to qualify for much, if any, of the government aid. However, because we were so new, I think we were a lot more nimble than other established businesses and we could pivot really easily. Early pandemic days, we started doing a lot of online sales. We found that it seemed silly to ship via USPS books just blocks away, so Nat started doing local bike delivery. He ended up biking and delivered books to three boroughs, as far north as 101st Street and as far into Brooklyn as Flatbush. People appreciated this so much and were so grateful. The bike delivery program also exposed people to our store who hadn’t heard of us yet.
In May 2020, we opened a takeout drinks window which we were allowed to do as deemed an “essential” business. This also allowed people to pick up their online book orders in-person when they came to get a drink. Gradually, as allowed, we were able to do indoor shopping with capacity limits, temperature checks, contact tracing, vaccine checks. Because we function as a bar as well, we had to abide by all the health department guidelines for restaurants as well as retail businesses.
Is social media a big part of the bookstore’s ability to reach a wide audience? How does Book Club use social media?
Our primary social media presence is on Instagram, where we have an engaged following and get a lot of responses particularly when we use that platform to advertise events. We haven’t found Facebook or Twitter to be particularly useful for us. We have a TikTok account but don’t use it regularly to create content. However, many people have discovered us via TikTok! We’re fortunate that other TikTok users have created lovely videos about the store and many people have come in saying “I saw this place on TikTok.”
How do you think social media has been helpful in generating a new generation of readers?
I think a new generation of readers will always develop regardless of the social media platforms of the time, but “BookTok” (TikTok) and “Bookstagram” (Instagram) are certainly shaping which books receive a lot of attention. There are books that go viral on TikTok seemingly out of nowhere that can significantly boost the sales of that book. Older books, for example The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which was published in 1992, saw a lot of publicity on TikTok in 2020-2021 and now we sell it all the time. Again, I don’t think social media is necessarily generating new readers, but influencing what they read, definitely.
How can social media be a tool to help indie bookstores thrive as both businesses and community spaces?
We use our social media a lot to promote in-store events, more so than promoting individual books. We have events such as our weekly Drinking & Drawing or our Adult Spelling Bee, where attendees post a lot of their own video or photos of the event taking place. The events feel much more participatory that way, rather than us just promoting our own stuff.
What can we do to support indie bookstores (besides shopping and buying there)?
Shopping local in general strengthens all independent businesses. We’re part of a local ecosystem, and we will have a harder time surviving if there’s nothing around us. The more you can shift your spending away from larger retailers, primarily Amazon, to local retailers, the stronger we will all be.