Listen to the full interview!
Andrew Sanders, owner of Western MA Graphic Novels. Photo by Katy Sparks
Andrew Sanders has leveraged his background and expertise into creating a lively, niche bookstore devoted to independent graphic novels and comic books. The heart of his business is centered around engaging knowledgeably and thoughtfully with his customers no matter their age or interests.
KS: Hi Andrew, thanks so much for speaking with me about your unique business model. There are quite a few bookstores in the area, but your approach is very targeted. How did your store come to be?
AS: This is a store for independent graphic novels and the graphic medium as it relates to children and kids from pre-school to around 13 years old. Growing up, several of my family members were teachers and my mother is a retired elementary reading specialist. For a time, I had sold children’s books in New York City as an entrepreneur and eventually I wanted to bring my knowledge and background back to the Berkshires where I was born and raised.
KS: So, tell us, comic books vs graphic novels- where do they diverge?
AS: The technical definition of a comic book will be a single, stapled, soft cover issue of a comic book series. A graphic novel is an umbrella term that refers to any item of literature in which it contains predominantly pictures which are hand drawn or computer-generated illustrations that detail the action that is described by the writing.
KS: Do you find there is more interest in comic books and graphic novels in this era of smart phones and shorter attention spans?
AS: Ironically, I find out about new comics and books online on social media, but I do find it is important to engage with readers directly, person to person. So, I use the internet mainly as a research tool and for ordering. The books that are on prominent display in my store are the children’s books because there are so many vibrant colors, and they are aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching. But some of the books I sell are made by adults for adults like the horror, sci-fi or biographical and autobiographical content. I segregate the more adult themed content to shelves that are not easily reachable for young children, and I can recommend age-appropriate themes like mythology or fantasy to interested young adults and their parents.
KS: That seems to me to be the heart and soul of being a merchant. You know your purpose, your inventory and your customer base and you help them either find what they came in for or introduce them to something entirely new.
AS: That’s exactly right. I make strategic recommendations based on reading level, aspirations, preferences, subject matter or even specific characters. That way I’m able to personalize what titles, illustrators and authors I think people would best vibe with.
KS: How has setting up shop on Main Street and Great Barrington been for your business? Is it what you hoped for?
AS: This store was the original T.P Saddle Blanket and home to a few businesses after that so it has been used almost like a startup or incubator space for small businesses. But I am not setting up too many expectations for outcomes. This is a very seasonal town, and I am on the outskirts of the main nexus of the center of town so it’s really about rapport building with customers over time. You have to take the good with the bad when it can rain (or snow) every day in March and April and not a ton of people are going to come into the shop. But then there are 5 months each year where you have customers flow in back to-back and you need to have been prepared (organizing, cleaning, sorting) to take on a good amount of business during those periods.
KS: Were you familiar with BerkShares before you started accepting them?
AS: Oh yeah, one hundred percent. I’ve known about BerkShares as long as they’ve been around. I have a few customers who work in regional micro-economics, and they tell me that having a local currency can retain funds in our hyper local environment. I realized that if you don’t accept alternatives to either cash or credit cards then that can be limiting to someone who feels good about spending BerkShares. So of course I want to take them!
