Officially, Novel Bay Booksellers in Sturgeon Bay opened July 15, 2018.
Unofficially it opened on July 5, 2018. John Maggitti was unpacking books when he heard a rap on the window and a man gesturing to the door.
“I need a book,” he said. “I am trapped with those people."
He didn’t specify which people, but took a book from the top of the pile, The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille. Maggitti has a framed copy of the cover as a momento of the store’s first sale, a sale which launched the business and may also have saved a visitor’s sanity.
That opening schedule was pretty good, considering he and partner Liz Welter had only decided to open a bookstore on Memorial Day. They found a storefront on the sunny side of Third Avenue between Draeb Jewelers and Audrey Off’s art and framing business.
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| John Maggitti and Liz Welter |
Distributors told them it would take seven to 11 weeks to get books; they pushed for faster delivery and got a spreadsheet by email with 10,000 titles and a three-day deadline to choose. Two days later they sent it back with 3,100 selections, and they were on the way to the July opening.
They chose the New York Times bestsellers, Great American Reads from PBS, popular fiction, literary fiction, mysteries, current affairs, children’s books and Door County books.
“Our goal was to create a place that would foster community, where people could feel comfortable coming and reading,” said Liz, who had been writing for The Door County Advocate.
A year in, they say that about 35% of their inventory is curated by customers. The young adult books have been largely selected by middle school and high school students — if they bring in a list of recommended titles they get a free book.
Two mistakes, since corrected — not stocking westerns and romance novels. Surprising request — Christian romance novels that don’t have gratuitous sex.
In current events they aimed for political balance but soon found that readers skewed left of center and right of center books didn’t sell well (probably because right-wingers don’t read much — TG).
“We live, breathe and think books,” said John.
And displays — they move things around to keep it fresh, he added, crediting Liz with improving the ambiance after she left journalism to join the store full-time.
And that numbers support that, he added, saying the store turned profitable ahead of their projection.
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| John and mystery writer Patricia Skalka at her book signing for Death by the Bay |
