Help an independent bookstore grow

Hello! We're the Narkes, and we own Silverstones Books, an independent science-fiction and fantasy bookstore that is making a point of highlighting independent creators; the majority of the books we stock come from independent and self-published authors. We are looking to expand into a physical bookstore to help local readers find their next favorite reads.

Silverstones Books opened in March of 2022 as an online science-fiction and fantasy bookstore. Over the past year, we have worked hard to cultivate a community of supportive authors and readers to help make the gap between creator and reader a little smaller. We've made it our mission to support independent and self-published authors as much as we can, while still maintaining a reader-focused viewpoint.

We have had great success as an online store and are now looking to join our local community in a physical location. Our plan for this is to have a space that can allow us to maintain our online storefront while also giving us the option of hosting in-person events like author signings, book clubs, and game nights.

Any donations we receive will be used to take care of current operating costs as well as any costs we gain while we transition to a physical store. We are in current talks for a space in downtown Plattsmouth, Nebraska. We chose this location because it is close to our home, and Plattsmouth has a lovely downtown with a diverse selection of shops and restaurants. The downtown association is also very active in promoting businesses and hosting events.

As we are a genre-specific store instead of a general store it will take time for us to find our audience. Your donation will allow us to find our footing without worrying about bills.

With the physical store we will be able to expand our offerings. We plan to stay Sci-fi/fantasy focused, but will also be adding a Horror section, as well as expanding our offerings for young readers (8 to 13 years old). We are also planning on working with a local tea shop to have a selection of their loose-leaf teas available for purchase.

We have three donation goals we would be ecstatic to reach. If we reach $6,000 in donations we will be able to cover rent and utilities for a few months. $10,000 will cover rent, utilities, and allow us to get chairs and couches sooner, as well as maybe a bookshelf upgrade. $20,000 would allow us to do all of the previous, as well as expand our inventory.

As an added incentive, any donations received will be thanked with a gift card coupon worth 50% of their donation to be used on their next order in our store. We will also be putting together a "wall of heroes" to display in the store containing the names of all of our wonderful supporters.

Thank you so much for your support; please check out our online storefront at silverstonesbooks.com and follow us on Twitter @BookSilverstone