Interview With Brad Kinne of Seek Books

Ever want to own your own bookstore?  Brad Kinne of Seek Books actually went and lived the dream by opening his own bookstore in West Roxbury Massachusetts, about 7-8 miles from Downtown Boston.  Brad was willing to let me interview him despite his busy schedule, and he'll fill you in on his experiences living one of the ultimate geek dreams.

You can visit Seek Book's website, or the Seek Books Facebook Group.

And now, to the interview . . .

1) Brad, you have what some would consider the ideal job for a fan, geek, and literature enthusiast - you run a book store. Tell us about it please!

I believe the biggest misconception is that I get to sit around and read all day. I try real hard to devote at least an hour out of my day to reading, but at this point, being a 6 month old business, there's a lot of work listing titles on the website as well as purchasing and cataloging new inventory.

2) How did you end up in this line of work - what motivated you and what let you make it a reality?

It has been a lifelong dream to own a used Book Store. My mother and other family members remember me talking about it forever. I am fortunate in that, I was employed by the VA for 20 years and could retire with Medical Insurance and that my wife is 10 years younger and has her own private practice as a Psychiatrist. Those factors made it financially feasible.

3) What is the best part of your business?

I built the kind of Book Store that I always wanted to walk into, in fact that I'd drive two hours to get to if I had to. It's a blast to have people come through the door and really "get that." When I hear someone say "Eureka" and express their happiness at finding a book they've been looking for a long time, or to reconnect with a book from their geek formative years.

4) What is the most difficult part of your business?

Finding more time to read, ha ha ha. How can I possibly have a difficult time doing what I love. Seriously though concern about whether I will sell enough inventory to pay the bills is about the hardest stress and since I did not think I'd do that for the first couple of years, it is a minor stress.

5) In today's economy do you think people can duplicate your success, or have things changed too much.

Hard question to answer. First, used goods are selling better than they ever have due to the economy. Thrift stores are thriving. Competing with the Internet is the biggest problem. There are relatively few actual Book Stores, at least around here, and I think I have the best, but getting people to leave home is getting harder.

6) What advice would you give to people following in your footsteps?

They have to be in a position where they can go for it with a minimal of stress or else it won't be fun nor will it last. Patience is a key factor and having something unique. Then mostly it's trying to figure out advertising and getting the word out.

7) What role does the internet play in your business? What role does social media and other technology play in it?

I want to be able to compete with other Internet booksellers. It's tough though. Prices are all about the same, so getting people to buy from me rather than someone else is the trick. Having an actual Book Store and being a fan rather than just a corporation is good, but again, getting the word out is key.

8) So many people want to take their interests and build a career. What advice can you give them from having been there yourself?

True, so many people want to turn their hobbies into their source of income. It's not that easy. The bills have to be paid and again, it takes time. What I did was compile my inventory, catalogued a database, stored them alphabetically, and was ready to move in once I had a location. Then I designed and had the website built. It's definitely a step process.

9) Anything else you'd like to share?

First, thanks for taking the time to interview me, I really appreciate it. Seek Books is a place to be experienced so if any of your fans are in this area, come out and see. If you're not, when looking for a used book, try me first. Just because the book may not be currently listed on the site does not mean I don't have it. And, most importantly read and support your local bookseller.

- Steven Savage