Bestselling author gives St. Joseph bookstore a boost
By Chris Fortune
A Downtown bookstore received an early holiday gift from an author who supports independent sellers.
The Story Collective at 114 S. Seventh St. received the James Patterson Holiday Bookstore Bonus this week. Author Patterson supports independent booksellers by pledging a total of $300,000, with $500 going to 600 shops through the program.
“I feel like it’s a really great honor, a way to encourage me as a small business owner,” The Story Collective owner Ashley Dawson said.
Booksellers can self-nominate for the award, which Dawson did, but she said being named a recipient was still unexpected since her nomination form was among thousands of entries.
The nomination included answering the question of why the bookseller deserves a holiday bonus.
“I talked about being the owner-operator of my store, being in business for over a year and not really taking profit for myself out as an owner at this point,” Dawson said.
Dawson opened the Story Collective in October 2023, and she calls it the greatest job in the world. It is rewarding for her to meet other book lovers and develop a rapport with frequent visitors.
“It’s such a wonderful opportunity to meet people that have similar interests,” she said.
The Story Collective became an oasis for customer Karen Lewis, who said St. Joseph does not have many bookstores. Visiting the shop gives her an opportunity to speak with Dawson and gather ideas for future books to read.
“Sometimes even when you read reviews of books, you don’t know if it’s something you’ll like,” Lewis said. “She’s given me some really good suggestions of books that I really enjoyed.”
Dawon plans to take the money she received from the James Patterson Holiday Bookstore Bonus to spread the word and promote her business to others who enjoy reading.
“It probably won’t be a huge surprise to other small business owners, but I’m going to use it for my store,” Dawson said. “I’m going to invest it into some marketing that I really wouldn’t have been able to afford to do otherwise.”
