Book Women magazine asked me to write an article about my first year running the store. It was published in their April/May issue. - Sally

A bookstore of one's own

The learning curve was steep, the tasks unending, and time to actually read was at a premium, but the adventure of owning a bookstore more than made up for all that. By Sally Wizik Wills, and her daughter Jennifer Geraedts.

What's a Book Woman to do when her favorite book store is for sale? In my case, I bought it!

The store is Sister Wolf Books, located in Dorset, a resort area in northern Minnesota. In addition to 22 residents, Dorset has a one block boardwalk with four restaurants, several gift shops, a photography studio, and the book store. With two exceptions, everything is open May through September.

Sister Wolf is close to our cabin, and when it opened in 1994, I was thrilled! The first time I walked in the store I felt at home-I remember thinking that the shelves were filled with books I'd have picked. A few years later, the store began forming book groups, and the women's groups became an important part of my summers.

The founder of Sister Wolf Books, Mary Kay Watson, decided to sell the bookstore at a time when I'd become restless in my work (I'm a minister, and had worked in Christian Education for nearly 30 years) and was considering a change. I decided to leave the church where I was employed, purchase the book store, and write Sunday School curriculum as a freelancer.

So, in October 2004 my husband Bob and I purchased the store. We had six months before opening, and everything to learn!

Our resources consisted of a leased building, furnishings (including beautiful wolf decorations that people would try all summer to buy,) a modest inventory, a coffee bar, and the computer system used for inventory and sales. Gail, a long-time employee, would continue to work at the store. Our daughter, Jennifer, who'd worked at the store in the past, would return. In addition, Mary Kay showed me the ropes at a bookseller's conference and the gift market where she purchased non-book merchandise. She introduced me to representatives of her book supplier and promised to be available to answer questions. And she agreed to kick off the women's book groups in May.

Mary Kay's vision for Sister Wolf had been to create a community center for book lovers. The store was known for its excellent selection of books, book discussion groups, and special activities. This vision was also mine. I wanted to build on the store's strengths, and I wanted the many people who loved Sister Wolf to continue to feel at home in the store.

In April 2005, I moved to our cabin for the summer, unlocked the back door of Sister Wolf Books, and began my new life as a bookseller! The first few weeks demanded a steep learning curve.

We bought the newly released inventory system update, and then replaced the store's computer so we could run the update. I had problems with the phone service and the fax (thank goodness the files Mary Kay left included the instruction manuals for every piece of equipment in the store!). We ran out of propane, and the basement flooded. The only internet service in Dorset is dial-up, and I reluctantly began adapting to it. Merchandise arrived before the date I'd specified, and I struggled to enter it into inventory. Not only did I not know how to use the espresso machine, I was intimidated by it!

The back rooms of the store consisted of a large office and a small storeroom and I wanted to organize them in a way that worked for me. Overwhelmed by the task, I hired Kate Tande, a professional organizer from Live Simply. She moved the office into the storeroom and the storeroom into the office and set them up while I concentrated on other aspects of the business.

I learned that Kate was a certified barista, and she taught my staff to make espresso drinks. (The staff consisted of Jennifer, Gail, and my nieces Lindsey and Jill.)

Gail showed me how to receive books, and together we taught ourselves how to enter non-book items into inventory, something new for the store.

The most visible change was re-locating and expanding the children's section, an area which became Jennifer's special project. She made the area inviting with a children's rug, posters for children's books, and with books, games and toys shelved horizontally, at children's eye level.

As I readied the store, Bob worked on the financial aspects of the business. We formed a corporation, he arranged for an account with a book supplier, set up the computers, located a company to process our credit card sales, took classes on small business administration, and began to learn the intricacies of payroll. We began to participate in the Dorset Business Association.

Directing a paid staff was very different from the work I'd done with volunteers in the church. I'd planned to do staff training before the store opened in May-but I didn't know enough about the running of the business to do that very thoroughly. All summer, we all learned on the job, and shared what we learned with each other. Gail was remarkably patient with us!

At last, we opened for business on May 5, 2005! And people came! And they bought books and coffee! And they were glad the store was still in business! And we still had a lot to learn!

I'd dreamed of being surrounded by books. When Mary Kay had said, "I don't have time to read in the summer," I didn't understand how that could be. It was disconcerting to experience the reality that running a bookstore leaves one with little time to read!

About halfway through the season, I got to the point where I could keep up with the reading for the store's two book groups. However, I was also challenged to do a very different kind of reading, familiarizing myself with soon-to-be-released books, and learning about genres which I'd ignored in the past. Fortunately, Gail has an interest in cookbooks, regional books, and travel books, and Jennifer has an interest in books for children, young adults, and science fiction and fantasy. She also developed a skill at researching these genres on-line.

The store sponsored several special events during the summer. We began a monthly Storytime, inviting children to hear stories read and receive a small smoothie. We weren't sure how well it would be received, but in July 30 children packed into the space! Another month, children's musician Mark Burrows sang and read. That evening, Mark gave an outdoor concert on the front deck of the bookstore. He was such a hit that we made him promise to return next year!

We continued two Wild Women book groups, and a Cookbook Book Group. We had a number of signings and readings, bringing in authors of a variety of books. Winona LaDuke's reading, from her new book Recovering the Sacred: the Power of Naming and Claiming, was a highlight of the summer for the entire staff.

When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released, Jennifer planned and executed a memorable middle-of-the-night party. She assembled costumes and convinced her husband, babysitter, an aunt and uncle visiting from Maryland, the local United Methodist minister, the rest of the staff, and her dad to assume roles as characters in the Harry Potter books. Under her direction, we transformed the children's space into the Three Broomsticks pub, where we served Harry Potter-style drinks. Guests played a Harry Potter trivia game and had their fortunes told. Several children told us the party was the highlight of their summer.

The physical store closed for the season at the end of September, but I continue to sell books on our web site, www.sisterwolfbooks.com Our first season was filled with long days, hard work, and some frustration. And yet, it was a wonderful experience for me!

Making such a dramatic career change was timely, and I enjoyed the challenge of acquiring new skills. I also liked having so many members of my family involved in the venture. (My 4-year old granddaughter is growing up in Sister Wolf Books. What could be better?)

I'm anxious for the second season to begin! Last year, my focus was on the basics of running the business. This year, I want to put more time and energy into living out my vision for the store-and reading!

Sidebar:

BookWomen subscriber Sally Wizik Wills, Brooklyn Park, Minn., is gearing up for her second season of bookselling. Jennifer Geraedts, Park Rapids, Minn., will graduate from law school in May. Sister Wolf Books opens for the 2006 season May 4, but books can be ordered online or by

Sister Wolf Books under new ownership
Jean Ruzicka, Reporter
06/29/2005

A children's story time is now on the agenda, meeting at 10 a.m. the second Tuesday of the month, July 12, Aug. 9 and Sept. 13, in the Wolf Den. Each child receives a smoothie and enters a drawing for a free book.

Willis intends to continue the Watson tradition of women returning each summer to read in community, see old friends, meet new ones and talk, laugh and - sometime cry - in concert.

Authors will arrive to read from their works and share insights.

Author Kim Danger, creator of Mommysavers.com, will sign copies of her book, "1,000 Best Baby Bargains," at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 2. Danger is the daughter of Bob and Jeannie Vajgrt, summer residents on Lake Gilmore.

Three book groups will continue to meet, including Wild Women at 9 a.m. two Wednesdays per month and at 7 p.m. two Thursdays per month and the cookbook cooking group.

She is joined in the initiative by husband Bob, who mows the lawn, daughter/ Hamline University law student Jen and, on occasion, son-in-law/Wonewok chef Tom Geraedts, who has agreed to provide cooking demonstrations and culinary insights for the cookbook group.

Granddaughter Megan, 3, is campaigning for Mayor of Dorset.

Any good book is enhanced by a fine cup of coffee, which is also available at Sister Wolf Books. The store brews Alakef coffee and sells the beans.

The bookstore/coffeshop is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The store's season has been expanded by six weeks, opening in May and closing in September.