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I thought it was pretty cool to see that this small, longstanding Whidbey Island (Washington state) bookstore made the Publisher’s Weekly news report. I loved going into bookstores when I was a kid and young adult. And while now I do appreciate the easy, immediate access of ebooks and online ordering, I am still nostalgic for the look and smell of the traditional book store. It always feels like knowledge and worlds in the books reside in the store itself, reaching out to draw you in.

It’s an ongoing conflict in me, this nostalgia for the past, amazement at the present opportunities and intense curiosity about what the future will bring.

When Josh Hauser, who had never worked in her adult life and had no knowledge of bookselling beyond her love of the written word, decided to open Moonraker Books in 1972 her plan was to keep the store going until her children graduated from high school a few years later.

Things didn’t turn out that way, though, and on June 15 the mayor and Chamber of Commerce of Langley, Washington will honor Hauser as Moonraker celebrates its 40th birthday and the distinction of being the longest-running business in town. Whidbey Island is about 25 miles from Seattle. “I’ve loved every minute of it,” Hauser says. “I brought absolutely no expertise with me when I opened the store, but being able to chat with people inside where it’s warm and dry instead of out on the sidewalk is what’s kept me going. That, and my love of books.”

Hauser and her husband purchased their opening inventory from Raymar Northwest in Bellevue, which later became part of Ingram; they handpicked each title. “We brought all the books back to the store and put glass wax on the windows.” They took their time designing the store and shelving the books. “One morning my husband said, ‘Should we open the store today?’ and we cleaned the windows and there was the bookstore.”

Hauser says that Moonraker has “a brilliant staff of five” and is in a two-story building with skylights at the top. The interior of the store has remained the same for 40 years, but the inventory has changed, increasing five-fold to 10,000 titles over the years as the population on the island, home to authors such as Elizabeth George and Nancy Horan, has changed and grown. When Moonraker first opened, the store’s motto was “Sumptuous books for house and garden.” Although Hauser still stocks a lot of these pictorial titles, Moonraker is a general trade bookstore that runs the gamut from children’s books to fiction. “We’re a fluid group here in the store. We’re always stocking different things,” Hauser says.

The celebration honoring Moonraker will take place June 15 at Langley’s Friday night market and street fair in the center of town

via Moonraker Books on Whidbey Island Turns 40 This Month.

Nope, I’m not writing about homelessness this time, despite the title of this post. Although if don’t play this right, I could be one step away from being homeless if I’m not careful.

The article below is about one author agonizing over whether he should quit his job to write full time. I completely understand his dilemma. A little over a year ago, I made a decision to go part-time at work so I would have more time to devote to writing. Unlike the author in the article, coming to that conclusion wasn’t quite as stressful. What had been stressful, was the pace and workload I was carrying which left me so exhausted I had neither energy more brain power left to accomplish anything creative.

It made perfect sense at the time. The job I did was usually sporadic. Some weeks kept me working overtime and others had me asking coworkers if I could help them in order to have something to do. And it worked perfectly, for the first few months anyway. Then the work load slowed down and the freelance writing jobs did not come in quickly or steadily enough to make up the difference.

Thus I had no choice but to “get a job” despite the fact that I already have two. Even for a writer, it is extremely difficult to write a cover letter to a potential employer when you’re not 100% committed to wanting the job. Then Linked In sent me a little “Jobs you may be interested in” message that included a part-time office administrator job at a consulting firm. The description fit my skills to a T, sounding almost exactly like one of my previous positions. Part-time? That’s perfect.

I sent off my resume and got an email that morning requesting a phone interview for that afternoon. Later that evening, I got an email asking when I could come in for a face to face interview. That is scheduled for this afternoon. Who knows how that will end, but my don’t things fly fast when you’re not really even looking?

During the phone interview, they asked me what my three-year goal was. The answer was easy. Sure I’d like to be a famous author by then, bringing in enough money to support myself entirely with my fiction. But the truth is even if I do get three titles out as planned, it’s very likely they won’t make me rich. Few writers are. Three years from now, I will consider myself very lucky to be a part-time writer, part-time office worker, workload balanced, financially balanced, and the author of three successful and nationally acclaimed suspense novels.

Every writer needs to figure out what their goals are, and decide upon the best ways to reach those goals. Quitting your job to write full time is a big risk, with no guarantees. Remember that luck is extremely important. You can write a great book and it could take years to find an audience. It might not find an audience within your lifetime. Betting your entire future on luck may not be a wise way to approach life.

via A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing: Guest Post by Jude Hardin.