So, here's the thing. There's still a pandemic, and many small businesses (like our bookstore), are still closed to the public and/or operating in a limited capacity. And as things drag on and on, sales are slowing down and money is getting tighter.

I know that money is tight for everyone - not just businesses! - and that you might not have the money in your budget to pick up a book or three right now. But if you do, and you'd like to help out your local bookseller, here are the best ways you can help us.

Gift certificates/codes! These are still the best, best way to keep us afloat - an immediate infusion of cash into the business, and a future book for you or someone else! For us, gift codes can be used on the website, certificates (eventually) in person.

https://www.printbookstore.com/online-gift-code

Preordering books! Each preorder helps us gauge demand, and means inventory coming in will be headed right back out the door. In most cases, we'll have the book ready for pickup the day of release, or mail it a bit before to reach you on or soon after.

https://www.printbookstore.com/new-releases-912020

Ordering books! Obviously. We list live inventory at Print, which means you can see if we have a book on our shelves (or, at least, if we did at the start of the day). Books we have in stock > books in the warehouse for orders, since we're moving inventory we've already paid for.

But, in times good and bad, if we don't have it we'll get it for you! If something is available in our partner warehouses, we can usually have it for you within a week.

If it's at all possible, it's also helpful to us if you order online at http://PrintBookstore.com . Our staff is doing a mix of in-store and from-home work, so we can field phone orders, but an order on the website is the quickest and easiest to handle (for us and for you)!

You can also support us by linking to us, sending your friends our way, and tagging us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It's not only good for the store, but good for our well-being! We miss you and it's fun to see the books we sold out in the world.

https://www.instagram.com/print.bookstore/?hl=en

You can also attend our events, as we still have a full (virtual) event schedule. It's great if you buy the book as well, but just having you in the virtual room is great for everyone involved in the event. Again, WE MISS YOU.

https://www.printbookstore.com/event 

Also, we really, really appreciate patience and kindness. The kind notes on orders, and kind words from people picking things up and posting online, are really encouraging and energizing. It might seem like a small thing, but for us it can be HUGE.

Anyway, this is just off the top of my dome, and I'm sure I'm missing a million things. At the end of the day, I just want to express my profound gratitude for customers supporting us, and for our staff and my business partner for working so, so hard in an unpredictable world.

Oh, also! These are always fun to put together! They help with inventory, and also give me a chance to be an honest-to-goodness bookseller for a few minutes again! https://www.printbookstore.com/product/three-book-bundle

Speaking of small kindnesses, we've occasionally had customers doing curbside pickup drop off beer or cookies and OH MY GOODNESS I could cry.

And speaking of curbside! Choosing curbside as an option on your order helps a ton. With the administration's drive to slow down USPS, also gets you books more quickly. I don't know why books from Portland to Westbrook are being routed through North Carolina, but it is happening.