Help Beck's Books Expand Into a Community-Centered Bookstore
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Hi, we're Beck (they/she) and Ty (he/they). A married queer couple, both born and raised here in the Twin Cities. For the past year, we've been slinging books at pop-ups and markets throughout the metro. Our focus has been, and will continue to be, centering and celebrating marginalized voices. That means that all of our books come from queer, BIPOC, immigrant, disabled, and other writers from marginalized and underrepresented communities. We believe that everyone deserves to see themself on the shelf.
Since launching, we have:
- Donated hundreds of dollars (about 8% of our total revenue) to local non-profits, mutual aid groups, and Palestinian aid.
- Spearheaded a fundraising raffle with the support of other local small businesses that ended up raising over $2,300 for Twin Cities Trans Mutual Aid.
- Donated and distributed dozens of books to little free libraries throughout Minneapolis, in addition to distributing free and sliding scale books and zines at community-focused events throughout the Twin Cities.
- Distributed over 150 red cards to educate folks about their rights regarding ICE.
A year into this, our vision is clearer than ever: a community built on radical inclusion, acceptance, and care. We've had so much fun at our pop-ups, but the pop-up model doesn't lend itself to building an intentional and long-lasting community. We believe these intentional community-focused spaces, especially ones by and for queer folks, are more important than ever. This is why we've set our sights on opening a physical space by Summer 2026. Here's what we're envisioning:
- A community-centered bookstore offering new and used books, zines, book accessories, gifts, and more. We will continue to source merchandise from woman, queer, and BIPOC-owned small businesses, and offer used books at accessible prices. We also look forward to expanding on our vision to include more literature from leftist and other dissenting voices.
- Free and sliding scale community events such as book clubs, art activities, drag story hours, and letter writing campaigns.
- Space for artists and other creatives to host classes.
- A mutual aid resource locker stocked with necessities, including gender affirming garments, period products, masks, and more.
- Partnerships and collaborations with local mutual aid groups and non-profits such as fundraisers, food drives, narcan trainings, etc. We also look forward to continuing to donate a portion of our sales to local mutual aid groups and non-profits as we have been.
- A well-stocked little free library featuring titles by marginalized voices for all ages.
- A community board where folks can share upcoming events, groups, resources, self-published literature, etc.
- Comfortable and size-inclusive furniture where folks can feel safe and welcome to utilize our shop as a third space without the expectation of a monetary exchange.
- We are hoping to find a retail space where we have enough room to host other small businesses for pop-ups. So many organizations and small businesses have welcomed us into their spaces since we started, and we'd love to be able to do the same.
- Sensory-friendly shopping hours where we'll offer a shopping experience with no music and low lighting.
- A gallery wall where local artists, specifically artists underrepresented in gallery spaces, can showcase and sell their work free of charge.
- Being a community-centered bookstore means including disabled and immunocompromised folks in our vision of a more inclusive and equitable future. This means this Beck's will be a COVID-cautious space, and masks will be required.
Our fundraising is not in pursuit of profit. We are two working-class folks buried under a mountain of student debt who have a vision--a bookstore that exists to celebrate marginalized voices and serve as a radically inclusive third space in service of our community. And so, we are asking that same community to help us if you believe in this vision and want to see it come to fruition. Below is a breakdown of our current estimated costs:
- Lease deposit and first month's rent: $4,000
- Permits and legal setup: $750
- Insurance: $500
- Beginning inventory: $7,500
- Shelving and other furniture: $2,000
- Point of Sale system: $500
- Interior decor and signage: $1,000
- Utilities setup: $500
- Miscellaneous: $500
- Savings: $5,000
- Total estimated start-up costs: $22,250
We hope that this fundraiser can cover about half of our start-up expenses. Remaining expenses will be covered by our personal savings, shop profits, and potentially a small business loan.
Other ways you can support Beck's as we work towards this goal:
- Spread the good word of Beck's with your communities! Every person who knows we exist is another person we get the opportunity to connect with.
- Follow us on our socials to stay in the loop on current happenings, progress towards our goal, opportunities to get engaged, etc.
- Visit us at our pop-up events! We love seeing our internet friends in person! Currently, our pop-ups are the biggest way we're funding our business and every sale counts!
- Shop with us online through our shop website, Bookshop.org, and Libro.fm! We carry most of our stock on our website. If we don't have something specific in stock, you can shop through Bookshop, where we get a 30% commission on every sale if you set Beck's as your preferred shop! And if you're an audiobook reader, you can support us by purchasing your audiobooks through Libro.fm!
Your support, no matter how big or small, means the world to us. Thank you thank you thank you from the deepest parts of our hearts.
In solidarity,
Beck & Ty
Organizer
Beck Gilbert
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN