We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Beth Quarles. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Beth below.

Beth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Following your dreams can mean taking risks. During the height of COVID, a friend and I were talking about some of our dreams one of which was to open a bookstore. The more we chatted and dreamed, the more we wanted to do it. There were certain risks we did not want to take. We didn’t want to take on any debt. COVID was a risk. However, there were risks, we were willing to take. Neither of us had a background in owning/operating a business. We wanted to offer books that represented ALL people. (Who knew that would be such a risk?!?!) We also both had full-time jobs. We went for it.
In Summer of 2021, we opened Paper Hearts Bookstore- a pop-up bookshop. Being a pop-up bookstore meant that we could be flexible about where we were located and we didn’t have to take on any debt. We created a tiered business plan- pop-up, book mobile/truck, brick & mortar. While my friend ultimately decided to pursue other interests, I kept at it. A year year, I secured a book truck through a Kickstarter campaign. A couple of weeks ago, I opened the doors to a 300 sq. foot bookshop. The timeline was quicker than I imagined, but the community support, dreaming, and willingness to take the right risks made it possible.

Beth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Paper Hearts is a thoughtfully curated bookstore in Little Rock, Arkansas with big dreams and starry eyes. We are dedicated to selling books that readers can connect with, in an environment that fosters joy, community, acceptance, and meaningful conversation. While we have a brick & mortar, we continue to do pop-ups and bring books to people. We believe it is important to meet people where they are. Accessibility matters whether that means finding books in your own neighborhood or seeing yourself in the pages of a book.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth. Building a relationship with our customers has been a key focus. We try to remember customer interests, names, and details so that when they interact with us they feel welcomed. When someone feels welcomed and appreciated at a business, they share that with others. I can’t tell you the number of times that someone said “(name of person) told me that this is their favorite bookstore and that you would have the perfect book for me.”

How did you build your audience on social media?

We have always strived to be authentic in our social media posts so you can see our personalities. We say “y’all”, use too many heart emojis, crack jokes, and share feelings. That does not mean we share absolutely everything, but rather that when we share something we do it as we would with friends. We aren’t afraid to show our faces. It helps people connect with the store and see us as friends rather than just a shop.

We started with a branding color palette and have some consistent ways we post book recommendations, events, etc. so that when you are scrolling and see a post, you know it is from Paper Hearts before you ever see the handle.

I also use the word “we” even though it is often just me. I feel like Paper Hearts has a collective identity so “we” seems most appropriate.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.paperheartsbooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperheartsbooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paperheartsbookstore