Filmmaker Alex Beckstead has put together a documentary called Paperback Dreams, to be aired in November on PBS. His film focuses on small bookstores in San Francisco, but offers a glimpse into the issues that face all independent bookstores, in any town, in our current Big Business Book and internet driven climate.

The documentary follows Andy Ross’s ownership of Cody’s Bookstore, near Stanford, and its eventual closing in the late 1990s. Other people featured in the film include Clark Kepler (owner of Kepler bookstore) and Michael Powell (owner of Powell’s bookstore).

According to Edward Nawotka’s article in Publisher’s Weekly, if independent bookstores wish to stay in business in today’s market, Beckstead suggests:

1. Own your own building. “It's why Cody's moved off of Fourth Street; it's why Kepler's closed in 2005—a big hike in your lease can put you out of business.”
2. Hire experienced staff. “Bookstores that work have people that have been in the business for six, eight, 10, 20 years. That's a big part of why Green Apple Books and Moe's Books have survived in San Francisco.”
3. Sell used books. “There's an art to knowing how to buy and sell used books. The margins are good, but it is a deep pond to jump into.”
4. Figure out some way to sell books online. “Stores need to find a way to break their geographical boundaries. A corollary to that is to sell books outside your store—at school events, local film festivals. Kepler's has been really successful in that regard.”