The Writer’s Block
Southern Nevada’s only independent, general-interest bookstore, the Writer’s Block continues to overcome the pandemic’s setbacks.
Drew Cohen, co-owner of the Writer’s Block alongside his husband Scott Seeley, spoke of the store’s history. The brainchild of Cohen and Seeley, the Writer’s Block extends from the work Seeley did in New York City. Previously the executive director and co-founder of a literary non-profit called ‘826NYC’, Seely carries on the essence of that here in Las Vegas.
The Writer’s Block originally opened on Fremont and 10th Street in 2014 at a location less than half of their current size. They later moved over to Bonneville and 6th in March of 2019. They’re not just a bookstore; they also run a coffee shop inside, have an “artificial bird sanctuary,” and (normally) host events.
These include book clubs for adults and creative writing classes and workshops for children ages 5-18. These workshops are currently on hold due to the pandemic until it’s safe to do so. Cohen mentioned the possibility of this sometime in the fall.
Before the pandemic, they even offered creative writing field trips, including one where students would make a picture book together as a class. Many of those events are on hold due to COVID-19.
The Writer’s Block reintroduced some of their events this past fall, with a reduced capacity and requiring registration.
What Sets The Writer’s Block Apart From Other Bookstores
As an independent bookstore, the Writer’s Block maintains a strong emphasis on curation.
“We definitely put a lot of thought into the books that we carry with a thoughtful selection of fiction, non-fiction, and art books,” said Cohen. Everything gets handpicked by himself, Seeley, and their staff.
They’re also increasingly making some of their own products, including a line of note cards designed entirely in-house, printed in the U.S., and available in-store and online. They hope to roll out a line of tote bags soon as well.
The Impacts of the Pandemic
Like many small businesses, Writer’s Block saw revenues dramatically decrease due to shutdown orders. They adapted to the pandemic by pivoting online. Luckily for them, when they first opened, they implemented an online search option fully-integrated with store inventory in real-time. Customers were already able to check for the titles they wanted and pick them up in-store or have them shipped.
When they had to shut down, moving online became better for them than anticipated, seeing diminished but sufficient sales. Much of the change involved figuring out how to best divide the workflow, especially after opening back up.
“Since reopening our brick-and-mortar in June, we divided our energies between the web store and in-person sales,” said Cohen. Despite a few bumps in the road, it worked really well. He found selling books by hand and shipping them more labor-intensive and “less fun.” Part of the experience of managing an independent bookseller is the face-to-face interactions they have with customers.
Moving Forward
Looking forward, Cohen said that he and Seeley are “cautiously optimistic,” but that things look okay. “We’re in this with everyone else, and we’re grateful to our customers who have been pretty loyal to us.”
“I think as long as nothing dramatically worsens with the pandemic, we should be able to weather this and get to the other side,” he said. He also noted that they’ve become more nimble and intelligent about how to run their business.
However, the pandemic made them more conservative about the books they curate for the store.
“We’re accumulating a lot of inventory that’s not moving out of the shop as quickly as needed,” he said. Over the next year or two, they’ll have to be more “ruthless” about the books they decide to carry. This includes forgoing any “risky books” like some new books and books by debut authors.”
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Amazon’s Impact on Independent Bookstores
A general underlying issue threatening independent bookstores, Cohen spoke of the difficulty of educating consumers about the importance of shopping locally. This ultimately involves using Amazon less often.
“Companies like Amazon have a monopolistic choke-hold not only on our industry but all industries,” he said. He explained that pushing people at the individual level to change is not the most effective solution; instead, change must come from the top.
In the long-term, shopping locally will not save independent bookstores or businesses; it takes real legislation and change in how our country approaches antitrust laws.
“I’d like to see politicians elected and policies enacted in the next decade that reign in these large companies and keep them in check to protect small businesses,” he said. “Part of that is encouraging people to be mindful of where they shop and who they vote for.”
As we move towards addressing monopolies, supporting local businesses is still an important thing for consumers to be doing. The Writer’s Block is no exception to that.
#GetinMotion with the Writer’s Block
Regarding ways to best help their store, Cohen said to purchase from them when possible and consider them before looking at corporate bookstores like Barnes and Noble or shopping on Amazon.
Otherwise, when they host events, Cohen said that it means a lot – to them and the authors who host those events – for people to come and participate.
“We’d love to see more attendance at events and enrollment in our workshops for children and adults,” he said. “We don’t take donations, so we encourage people to shop with us when they can to support those workshops for kids and other events. And spreading the word that we exist is extremely helpful.”
The Writer’s Block also houses a robust collection of discount books and holds the occasional flash sale, which they plan to do again soon.
Cohen concluded by saying, “We are very grateful for how awesome Vegas has been. We feel this crisis could have been so much worse, and we’re grateful to have our community support us.”
General Information
The Writer’s Block is located at 516 S. 6th Street, with parking available along its cross streets. The store’s hours are currently Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The coffee shop closes daily at 4 p.m. It’s offering the full menu on a daily basis again, as they previously limited it due to the pandemic. Their current allowed capacity is 20 people in the store at any time, including staff, and facemasks are required. Store hours and operations subject to change with the pandemic.
Shop at the Writer’s Block, order gift certificates, and see upcoming events and workshops by visitng their website at www.thewritersblock.org/. Give them a call at (702) 550 – 6399. Orders over $20 qualify for free shipping.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for news and updates.
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