
The picture above is me, back in August 2023, with the boxes for the original sixteen subscribers. This was the first Literary Road Trip Box, themed to New Jersey and created in collaboration with Thunder Road Books.
This picture represents the start of something bigger. It's the start of indie bookstore owners saying yes to partnerships and it's the start of customers, many of whom I did not know in my personal life, joining me in a shared value of supporting small businesses, especially indie bookstores.
Fast forward to today. This thing has grown. To be fair, Books Inside Boxes is still a very small business and it has a way to go before it becomes profitable and something that I can do as my primary source of income. I hope this will happen, and I certainly intend on making it happen, but in the meantime, it is very much a passion project. My heart is full from the sense of community that has developed with subscribers and from working with small business owners. I love when people share their boxes and when I hear that they've visited an indie bookstore that I've featured - or any indie bookstore, please share, always!
I've steadily grown the business each month, until this summer, when sales increased dramatically. I was thrilled and caught off-guard, when the October 2024 Box sold out during the subscription phase. This was the first time that this has happened. It sold out about two weeks prior to the box being mailed and several new subscribers joined after it sold out. The November box is also sold out and the December box only has a handful left.
Several people have written to ask if I could create more boxes, and since this is a challenging issue, I thought it would be a good idea to explain the reason the boxes need to be limited editions.
Let's talk about box planning. The first step is connecting with an indie bookstore and locking down the merch item that I will purchase from their store. At this time, the amount of boxes that will be created must be decided. When I first started Books Inside Boxes, I created too many boxes. I was worried about turning people away, and although subscriptions grew each month, they did not grow fast enough to sell out of the boxes. This is why some of the earliest boxes are still available for purchase, whereas recent boxes are sold out or have a small amount left.
I create the boxes 2-3 months in advance. Right now, I have all of the products for the November Boxes, most of the items for December, and I have the indie bookstore items for January. The amounts of boxes I will create for these months are set and February box amount is still undetermined.
Since I work with indie bookstores and small businesses, procurement can be a challenge. For example, a bookstore might want to work with me, but they might not have enough merch items in stock and they will need time to work with their vendors. Or sometimes, a small business is hand-crafting the item that I want to purchase and they will need more time on their end. Additionally, since I'm a small buisness, I'm often buying close to their minimum purchase amounts and in the grand scheme of things, not a huge order for them. Every box centers around a book, but the publishing industry often has delays. I'm always relieved when all of the items for the boxes arrive without delays or damages. I've been very fortunate to have only encountered minor problems, but planning in advance is key.
This is all to say, that they boxes need to be limited edition and when they are gone, they are gone. Also, it makes them more special that they are limited edition. I want to emphasize the importance of subscribers. Subscribers help me plan for future boxes. The subscription model means pre-paying for the boxes, reserving them for the customer, and in turn, giving me the financial means to build more boxes. The increase in subscribers has me planning ahead for seventy-five boxes for January! If I see another big increase, especially with the holidays coming, February will be even bigger.
As Books Inside Boxes grows, I've been noticing other trends. For example, publicity agents have started reaching out to get their author's books into the boxes. I'm working directly with two authors for upcoming boxes, and I'm hoping that they will be able to join us for a virtual book club. The subscriber exclusive book club is off to a slow start, but I feel that the subscribers who have joined in are enjoying it. I anticipate this will grow in the coming months.
I cannot begin to express how much I appreciate everyone who has supported Books Inside Boxes. Thank you for being part of my dream!
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