In November 2023, we launched Judging by the Cover: A Bookstore during a pivotal moment in Fresno. At the time, our county was facing a proposed book ban.
For years, we dreamed of opening an inclusive, community-centered independent bookstore in Fresno — a space that uplifts diverse voices, supports local authors, and creates real connections. We saw these stores in other cities and wished that one would open here. In 2023, we stopped wishing and made it happen.
What started as monthly pop-ups and online book sales quickly grew into a small but mighty brick-and-mortar bookstore in Fresno's Historic Chinatown. Our five-year plan to scale was condensed into one year, and it hurt, but we saw the positive response and kept it going.
Since then, we have:
- Partnered with over 145 local authors and makers
- Hosted 250+ free community events
- Built a Silent Book Club with 200+ members
- Organized free yoga, craft nights, author readings, book clubs, and one very well-attended performative male contest
- Launched Fresno's first Independent Bookstore Day citywide crawl
- Welcomed authors from Nevada, New York, Ohio, Texas, and beyond
- Received support from local foundations and small business cohorts, including Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation and BINCTank
- Centered and uplifted BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors
- Spoke out locally and nationally about book bans and issues impacting historically marginalized communities
With our tiny two-person team, we've been able to make a big impact, thanks to community support in Fresno and beyond. But over the past three months, sales have slowed significantly.
To continue offering free community events, inclusive programming, and diverse books, we've had to dip into personal savings and borrow money. We've fundraised with t-shirts and expanded our sales into the school and bulk model. We've stretched every dollar and tapped every resource we could because we believe access to books, literacy, and safe gathering spaces should not disappear from our neighborhood.
Now we are preparing for our next big step: relocating to a more centrally located space in Fresno. In May of this year, we will become commercial tenants in the new South Tower Community Land Trust office building at 617 N Fulton.
This move will allow us to:
- Host larger literary and cultural events
- Increase accessibility for the community (including an ADA Accessible front door)
- Expand our impact as a community bookstore
- Collaborate with our partners in the Tower District
But relocating a small business isn't cheap. While we know it's a great move for us, we also know it will hurt us financially if we can't build a cushion.
Your donations will help cover:
- Moving expenses
- Restocking inventory
- New storefront signage
- Buildout and shelving setup
- Increased operating and bookkeeping costs
- Hiring a part-time team member to sustain growth
Right now, our sales alone cannot cover these expenses. We are asking for community support so we can open our new doors strong, not struggling.
This campaign helps us ease the costs of the move, but it also helps us keep BIPOC and LGBTQ+ books on the shelves in Fresno — the ones people say are "hard to find." It helps us ensure local authors still have a place to read their work and see it in a storefront window. And most importantly, helps keep this space — the one we built from pop-ups, folding tables, and a whole lot of dreaming — here in our city.
We hear every day how much this space means to you. In DMs, emails, letters, and conversations between the shelves, you tell us you want us here. You want us to grow. We often hear, "If I had a dollar for..." But if every follower and email subscriber donated just $1, we would reach our goal today! Help us make this happen.
Please donate, share this campaign, and help us write this next chapter.
Organizer
