Book Store Owner Teams Up with Restaurants To Boost Business

Many bookstores have author talks and book signings, but one Westhampton bookstore owner is taking his authors outside his store into new venues, including restaurants, vineyards, and local libraries in an effort to boost sales.

Jack McKeown, who owns Books & Books of Westhampton Beach with his wife, Denise, said as they approached their first year in business here, with numerous book talks at their Main Street store, they were ready to try something different.

“Our bookstore holds about 50-60 people, and the more talks we did with major authors, the more the crowds started growing,” said McKeown. “We needed a bigger space, and so we’re now doing fewer events in our store, and more events at other venues including restaurants. We liked the added benefit of having affiliate relationships with local restaurants that could offer food and beverages.”

McKeown, who spent 30 years in book-publishing, as former president and publisher of HarperCollins and co-founder and CEO of Perceus Books Group, said he also wants to make authors “visible and accessible, breaking down barriers between the author and the audience, in an atmosphere that’s both educational and entertaining.”

“Since many chain bookstores are in a state of retraction, I think it’s important for a community bookstore to have a presence in their locale,” he said.

His most recent outdoor book talk, on Sunday, August 7, was held on the patio of Margarita Grille in Westhampton Beach, and featured a book signing and talk by author Candace Bushnell, creator of “Sex and the City.”

Billed, “Cocktails With Candace,” this event also featured margaritas, Mexican fare, and an autographed copy of her new book, “Summer in the City.”

McKeown said he was looking for the perfect match-up for an outdoor event and the right author.

“I knew Candace had not done an author event in the Hamptons for awhile, and given her fan base it was long overdue,” he said. “She’s the perfect role model for aspiring women—glamorous and also down to earth.”

At this event, about 70 women (and men) lined up to get their books signed and meet the author, who arrived with her husband, Charles Askegard, 42, a dancer with the NYC Ballet, and their poodle, “Pepper,” complete with designer dog collar .

Books & Books Westhampton Beach also hosted a talk by actress at the Quogue Library on July 24, which drew about 300 people to hear her discuss her new book, “All My Life.” And Author Alexander Styron drew about 100 people at the same location on July 31.

To celebrate the fine food and wine of the East End, “Books & Books” even arranged a special talk, cocktail reception, and four-course dinner by noted local chef/author Silvia Lehrer. She introduced her new book, “Savoring the Hamptons,” at the Stone Creek Inn in Quogue on May 15, to a sold-out crowd of about 100 people.   

“We’d love to get some celebrity chefs to come out and do more book talks this fall,” said McKeown. “The restaurants are completely on board with this concept—they are enthusiastic.”

He said he has plans to bring in well-known chef and cookbook author Michael Schwartz, Executive Chef of Michael’s Restaurant of Miami Beach, to talk and prepare a meal at the Mattebella Vineyard in Mattituck, in September, with a date to be announced.

The next two events at Books & Books will be in-store-- on Friday, August 19, with Carmela Ciuraru, author of “Nom de Plume: A (Secret) History of Pseudonyms,” to discuss the history of literary pseudonyms and on Sunday, August 21, Diana B. Henriques, Senior Financial Writer for the New York Times, will discuss the inside story of Bernie Madoff and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme in her bestselling book, “The Wizard of Lies.”
The Westhampton Chamber of Commerce said it believes this is a great idea.

"I think it's an excellent idea to go into the community to restaurants and other heavily trafficked places for recreational purposes," said John David, president of the Chamber. "It will help open their minds to other avenues and ways for them to create new customers, and it will also help extend the summer season to give people things to do in the off-season."