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

Alright, Betty thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

Someone walks into Betty’s Books. They look around and see comics, manga, and graphic novels and say “Oh, this is a bookstore for kids.” That’s where my work begins. Many adults think that books in the comics format–even if they are mature in theme or content, have won a Pulitzer Prize, or tell stories in an incredibly sophisticated way–assume they are lesser or for kids. This couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Getting adults to believe this can be tricky. I try out different strategies. “Did you know this graphic novel is a Publisher’s Weekly top ten book of the year?” “Oh you like to read non-fiction? Have you seen our nonfiction graphic novel section?” “Did you know comics activate more areas of our brains than text only books?” Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

We do have an excellent children’s section, but our stated mission is that we believe there is a graphic book for everyone. Most people over age 25 don’t realize that yet.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a former high school English teacher and librarian. During the pandemic I was home with my two young children, and decided I would sign up for a class on how to start a bookstore through the American Booksellers Association. I stayed up late tinkering with spreadsheets, and checking out spaces for rent in my community with my kids in tow. I checked one thing off my list of tasks at a time, and before I knew it, Betty’s Books was born!

Like any bookworm, I’ve always dreamed of opening a bookstore. St. Louis has many incredible indie bookstores, so I knew my idea would need to be different. Fortunately, as a college art history major and graphic novel enthusiast, I couldn’t find a place to browse and celebrate the graphic lit that I love. I decided my bookstore concept would be to bring all graphic books (comics, manga, graphic novels, and illustrated children’s lit) under one roof and incorporate all ages and sorts of readers. Additionally, sales of manga and middle grade graphic novels are one of the fastest growing sectors in print books, so I estimated that this store could work.

Betty’s Books is one-of-a-kind in St. Louis. We sell comics, graphic novels of all sorts, manga, and illustrated children’s literature. We also have an awesome array of zines and independent comics from local creators and smaller publishers that you can’t find anywhere else in town. In addition to the books, you can find related sidelines such art supplies, stationary, puzzles & games, plush toys, and Pokemon cards. All our books are available for sale on our webstore, and this holiday season we just introduced a book subscription service. We hand select graphic lit picks for you or a loved one based on your responses to a survey.

We host a graphic novel book club, storytimes, creator events, D&D workshops, holiday parties, and more! Our biggest events of the year are Independent Bookstore Day, Free Comic Book Day, Small Business Saturday, and our anniversary in October. We’ve also started attending offsite events such as the Cherokee Street Print Bazaar, and book fairs.

Another feature that makes the store special is our physical space, which features an award-winning children’s reading nook, a charming mural by local artist Jayvn Solomon, and fun comics themed bathroom wallpaper. We want everyone to feel welcome, so we also make sure to display books by a wide variety of creators, and have free pronoun pins, coloring sheets and markers, and two gender neutral restrooms with changing tables.

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

Our best source of new clients has been good old fashioned word of mouth. Most people who come in heard about us from their sister, neighbor, or teacher. We are so grateful for people spreading the word about us! Due to our specialty nature, the more comics enthusiasts who find out about us, the better. Our eventual goal is to be the place in the wider St. Louis area for people to come for the type of books we carry.

Our second best has been articles like this one that come out in local publications. Lots of people come in saying “I saw that article about you in the paper and had to come in and check you out.” Thank you local journalists for covering small businesses. We couldn’t do it without you.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have pivoted in my career and personal life several times until I landed here at Betty’s Books. When I was working at St. Louis Public Library, I loved my job! I had the best, most supportive boss! I started working on my Masters degree in Library Science so I could be eligible for a promotion. Then I found out I was pregnant. It was wonderful news, but, as some readers may know, pregnancy can make you feel pretty crummy. Somewhere between fulltime work and my night school classes, throwing up, and falling asleep at my desk, I decided something needed to give. It was a tough decision, but I decided to leave my beloved job at the library. I figured I would finish my Masters, have the baby, and be ready to go back within a year or so. Of course, then life unfolded with another baby, and then just as I was applying for library positions, the pandemic struck. All the libraries froze hiring.

Without this one twist of many, I wouldn’t have decided to open Betty’s Books. It’s funny how life works.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bettysbooksstl.com/
• Instagram: @bettysbooksstl
• Facebook: @bettysbooksstl
• Twitter: @bettysbooksstl
• Other: TikTok: @bettysbooksstl