Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Rosso-schneider

Hi Christina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

I’m the co-owner of A Novel Idea on Passyunk, a queer, disabled, woman-owned indie bookstore in South Philadelphia. I own the shop with my husband, Alex. We opened our doors in 2018, just six weeks after getting married. As long-time residents of Philadelphia’s East Passyunk neighborhood, we couldn’t see anywhere else to open our first business together. Interestingly, we’re the first bookstore in the neighborhood in over 20 years, so we’re glad to fill that gap in the wonderful retail businesses in the area.

I’m also a writer and teacher, and I have published two books. The first is She is a Beast, a collection of feminist fairy tales. The second is Creole Conjure, a short story collection that mixes and matches fairy tales, mythology, and Louisiana folklore with my own imagination. My husband and I got married in New Orleans and it’s my favorite place in the world, so I wanted to write a book inspired by the most magical place. The collection follows femme and nonbinary characters who are trying to survive both literal forces of evil and the evils of the patriarchy.

Something A Novel Idea focuses on is local–local authors, local presses, and local artists. As a writer, I know just how important visibility is. Many small press or self-published titles don’t make it onto the shelves of bookstores, and I wanted to change that with our shop. We have a dedicated section for local authors, presses, and books about Philadelphia.

In terms of how I got started, I would say it all started with a love of books. Some of my earliest memories involve reading and writing, so the idea of opening a bookstore has always existed in the back of my mind. I studied English in college and then went to Arcadia University for graduate school, where I received an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Literature, with a focus on fairy tales. From there, I started submitting short stories for publication and I began my career in academia (I’ve been a writing instructor at a variety of colleges in the Greater Philadelphia area since 2016). By 2017, my partner and I were both feeling overworked and underpaid by our jobs (I had three at the time and my partner two). So, we dreamed up this idea of an indie bookshop that we could run together, blending our love of books with our experience (my partner is a graphic designer and obviously I’m a writer!). We opened our doors on December 1st, 2018, and have worked side by side ever since.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Certainly not!

Being an artist is incredibly challenging and you truly have to develop a thick skin. I submitted short stories for the better part of a year before I received an acceptance. Rejection is such an integral part of putting your work and yourself out there. I get burned out sometimes from chains of rejection, and when that happens, I take a break from submitting.

Both of my books found wonderful homes with small presses, however, both received rejections previously from other publishers. And when you go the small press route, you have to do a lot of the marketing yourself. The money is pretty small as well. But I loved the creative control I was able to have with both projects! As of 2022, I signed with a literary agent and (fingers crossed) we’ll sell my debut novel soon.

Owning and operating a small business is almost never smooth. We opened about a year before COVID-19 and nearly closed our doors in Summer 2020. I don’t think anyone was prepared for the pandemic and how it would impact every aspect of life. We also nearly closed in Summer 2023, and even now, over a year later, we struggle to make enough money to cover rent, book orders, and payroll. Retail especially is temperamental and grueling–long hours, weekends, holidays. We have a very small team (currently only 1 part-time employee working 1 day a week), so my husband and I often joke that we’re married to the bookstore. Sometimes it feels like it takes up more space than our relationship.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I write feminist fairy tales, horror, and ghost stories. I’m known for giving femme and queer characters agency and for writing visceral, often bloody scenes. A lot of people (mostly cis men) die in my stories. Husbands never fare well, and I always make sure to let folks know none of these stories are inspired by my husband, whom I absolutely adore.

I’m incredibly proud of my two books, She is a Beast and Creole Conjure. I think they encapsulate my identity as a writer really well. In grad school, I had the goal of getting my first book published by 30, and actually, both of my books were published by the time I was 30! In the writing world, that is very young.

I’ve worked really hard to create my own voice. This was something I learned to fight for during grad school when a professor tried to change how I write and what I write. For a long time, I was worried he was right and people wouldn’t want to read my weird, dark stories, but I stayed true to myself and have found many readers who enjoy my work.

Pricing:

• Creole Conjure – $18.00
• She is a Beast – $18.00

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christina-rosso.com
• Instagram: christinarossoschneider
• Twitter: rosso_christina
• Other: https://www.anovelideaphilly.com