Put simply, bookstore co-op is a tool publishers can use to incentivize bookstores for ordering and featuring their books, or hosting events with their authors. Is co-op right for your publisher? How do you best use it? Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to chat with Joe and Elly about co-op, Microcosm’s experience with it, and how to communicate with buyers and reps about it.
Inside the treasured “nerd Disneyland” of Annapolis
Welcome to the Indie Solidarity Project! Part of Microcosm’s special sauce is our network of amazing retailers around the world—some of whom are traditional bookstores, but many more who aren’t solely book-focused—we peddle “books for stores who don’t sell books!” as our sales team puts it. Much like our Bookstore Solidarity Project, this series highlights our partners who run all kinds of small and independent businesses, blazing their own trails, supporting their communities, and growing our small world.
This week, we’re pleased to introduce you to Third Eye Comics, crown jewel of the Annapolis game, toy, music, and media scene. Co-owner, founder, and president Steve Anderson guides us through the personality-packed stores that have inspired a legion of Third Eye Faithful (a.k.a. loyal customers) with their diverse array of specialties for every nerdy niche. Dive in to learn more about this “place for everyone who doesn’t have a place”!
Tell us a little bit about the store and your community Third Eye is a regional chain of 8 locations varying in size, with the Annapolis stores – Third Eye Comics, Third Eye Music & Video and Third Eye Games being the biggest and the ones we’re known the best for. We consider ourselves the nerd equivalent of Disneyland for many, where no matter what your passion is: be it books, be it comics, be it music, be it toys, we have it for you. We’re very thankful to have the most diehard and enthusiastic customers in the world, affectionately known as the Third Eye Faithful, who truly make the stores what they are.
How was the store’s name chosen? There’s a few different reasons. The first was when we opened in 2008 —the phone book was still relevant, and I wanted something that we could spell numerically to get to the top of the listings, ha! But: the main choice for it comes from wanting a name for our store that we could shorten in case we moved into other categories (as we ended up doing). Third Eye stores are unlike any other, and we really wanted something that captured that. And, then the nerdy reason? I love Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing so much that I thought it’d be a fun nod to the occult bookstore, Third Eye Books, in the series. 🙂
How did you get into your store’s area of business? I started working at the comic shop I grew up going to when I was 18, and fell in love with it. The relationships with the customers, the atmosphere, the whole thing, but at the same time: also fell in love with specialty retail as a whole. I worked there until I was 23, tried my hand at a few jobs I wasn’t as wild about, and ended up going back to the comic shop at 24, working there all week, delivering pizzas on the weekends and nights, and selling my collection at local shows to raise the money to open the first Third Eye store.
What’s something about your store that you think will surprise people? It’s weird to say, but people are always surprised to find out we’re independently owned and operated. Our stores are large, and with the multiple locations, and the consistency of our brand across them, folks often think we’re much bigger than we actually are. Don’t get me wrong: for nerd stores, we are big, but it’s still Trish (my wife & co-founder) and myself working the stores and warehouses every day, alongside our amazing staff, many of whom have been with us for 10+ years.
What are some of you favorite ways your community supports your store? Honestly, the way they embrace all the crazy fun things we do. Whether it’s introducing new product categories, and them getting stoked on them, or turning out in droves for our events and chanting BUY THIRD EYE OR DIE for a midnight release: we just love how much they feel a part of Third Eye, and how important it is to them!
What are some of your favorite way to support your community? The mission statement of Third Eye has always been to be a place for everyone who doesn’t have a place. Stores like our’s are a common ground and comfortable space for many, and since day one, we’ve built our stores and the culture of them, to make it so that anyone who visits can feel welcome, and at home, no matter their level of experience with the items we sell. So, just having a space that people can come to and celebrate all the things they love: that makes us feel really good. In addition, we work hard to provide career opportunities for our community, by offering competitive wages, 401K retirement benefits, and health care. Outside of that, we do a charitable events & donations throughout the year to various local groups in our community!
What are three things (books or not books!) you’re stocking right now that you want everyone to know about? Oh this is tough! First off: Weird Music That Goes on Forever: A Punk’s Guide to Loving Jazz is one of our personal favorites, and people LOVE it! Second: Absolute Batman is the most punk rock Batman comic you’ll ever read, seriously: give it a go! Third: Mork Borg and its assorted RPG offerings are so much fun, and so gnarly—we love it!
How can non-local customers shop with you? Visit shop.thirdeyecomics.com—we offer nationwide flat rate shipping for just $5! And you can stay in touch through our newsletter at the bottom of that page (we send a lot of email though, be warned ha!).
It’s a throwback episode! Contracts are no one’s favorite part of publishing, no matter which side of the table you’re sitting on. This week on the pod, we revisit a classic People’s Guide to Publishing episode where Joe and Elly walk you through why contracts are important, how to navigate them as an author, and what makes a good publishing contract.
Crystals, fossils, and quirky goods in the Smoky Mountains
Welcome to the Indie Solidarity Project! Part of Microcosm’s special sauce is our network of amazing retailers around the world—some of whom are traditional bookstores, but many more who aren’t book-focused—we peddle “books for stores who don’t sell books!” as our sales team puts it. Much like our Bookstore Solidarity Project, this series highlights our partners who run all kinds of small and independent businesses, blazing their own trails, supporting their communities, and growing our small world. (This week’s featured customers are pretty bookish but also a lot more—what’s not to love?)
This week, we’re happy to feature our friends at A Long Story Short Co., with marketing manager Katie Ratliff as our guide to this charming, steampunky oasis in the mountains of Pigeon Forge, TN. Dive in to learn more about their shop hauntings, grist mill history, DIY staff projects, and more!
Tell us a little bit about the store and your community It’s the goal of the shop’s owner and staff to have a place that is unlike anything else in Pigeon Forge. A relief from the souvenir shops and attractions. A Long Story Short Co. is located within The Old Mill district of our community. The Old Mill is one of Pigeon Forge’s most iconic landmarks and one of the oldest continually operating gristmills in the country. Powered by the Little Pigeon River, it once provided meal and flour for local families and served as a gathering place for the community. Today, it still grinds grains daily, while also housing a beloved restaurant, shops, and a touchstone to the history that shaped Pigeon Forge.
A Long Story Short Co. began 9 years ago with a love for books, creativity, and community. What started as a small dream to bring something unique to Pigeon Forge has grown into a space filled with stories, crystals, art, and treasures that spark curiosity. From hosting local authors to showcasing handmade creations, our shop has always been about connection—between people, ideas, and the joy of discovery. Every shelf holds a piece of our journey, and every visitor becomes part of our story.
How was the store’s name chosen? The owner Kerry, really wanted something literary and creative. He searched the web for many ideas, sayings, and play on words. He found an old coffee shop in Australia that had closed it’s doors called A Long Story Short and thought it was a perfect name for a bookshop.
How did you get into your area of business? Kerry has had many different jobs and owned many different types of businesses throughout his life, but his favorite place to visit in his free time was always the bookshop. So, when the opportunity presented itself, Kerry knew he wanted to take the opportunity to own his own unique bookshop.
What’s something about your store that you think will surprise people? There’s a running conspiracy that our shop is haunted. Most of the employee’s have seen and heard odd things in the shop and even some customers have had instances they can’t explain. The building our shop is housed in is one of the oldest buildings in the area and was once one of the homes on the farm that held the original Mill. So, if we are haunted, it is the friendly spirit of one of the original residents.
Something else unusual and different about our shop is that we try to make many of our products ourselves. Every staff member contributes to the shop. Every January and February we close for a “winter break” and all of the employees come together each day to create new items; everything from bookmarks and journals to birdhouses and steampunk lamps, we have pieces you won’t find anywhere else. One of our handmade pieces customers love are the piano wall mantles that are handcrafted by the Kerry himself.
What are some of you favorite ways your community supports your store? We’re grateful for the support of our local readers who not only shop with us often, but also bring in books to share the love of reading. To show our appreciation, we proudly offer a local discount—because this shop is as much theirs as it is ours.
What are some of your favorite way to support your community? At A Long Story Short Co., we believe stories are meant to be shared. That’s why we proudly support our community by giving local authors a place to shine—through dedicated shop space and special events that connect readers with the writers who inspire them. When you shop with us, you’re not just buying a book—you’re helping keep local voices and creativity alive.
What are three things (books or not books!) you’re stocking right now that you want everyone to know about? Our newest shop addition are our Blind Date Books. Customers can take a chance with one of our mystery selections (with a hint of course). Each book comes with a handmade bookmark and a tea bag. We also have an extensive crystal and fossil collection that is handpicked by our staff to ensure quality and beauty. Finally, one of our most notable items are our handmade dragon eye journals. They are made as one of a kind pieces by shop staff and everything is done by hand from the cover art to the aging and binding of the pages within.
How can non-local customers shop with you? We offer shipping through USPS and are able to be contacted via Facebook, Instagram, or email/phone.
Keep up with A Long Story Short Co. at @alongstoryshortco on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok!
It’s the 20 year anniversary Ashley Rowe Palafox’s original “Barefoot and in the Kitchen” vegan cookzine! This week on the pod, Ashley joins us to talk about the inception of the zine, how punk helps you let go of perfectionism, and updating the zines for the new collection, “Cook Your Own F*cking Life.”
This week on the pod, Lee Wind of the Independent Book Publisher’s Association is here to talk about the We Are Stronger Than Censorship campaign, book bans, and a few fun side quests like microwaves and 90s movies.
For more on the We Are Stronger Than Censorship campaign, click here.
