Water Street Bookstore marks 20 years with Dan Brown signing and PitchaPalooza, while RiverRun ends lease after five years

Online markets and digital books threaten to debase the experience of reading to its most impersonal form, but Dan Chartrand’s approach to his independent bookstore stands in the way.

“It’s not my job to sell stuff. It’s my job to build community,” said the owner of Water Street Bookstore. “My job has evolved. It’s about what we do together.”

Water Street Bookstore in Exeter is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an open house party on Friday, Nov. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. New Hampshire resident Dan Brown, the bestselling author of “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons,” will be there to sign books, including special illustrated editions.

The party marks the beginning of a celebration that ends with a PitchaPalooza event, during which the next generation of local writers can announce themselves.

Since people tend to write and read when they’re alone, Chartrand’s job of bringing them together can be difficult.

“I don’t think I did well the first 15 years,” he said.

Now, when he introduces an author at readings, for instance, it’s in the context of a shared community.

“I’ve come to understand in the last five years, it’s not just, ‘Hey, buy this book,’ it’s ‘Hey, talk about this,’” he said. “That’s what’s changed for me.”

Chartrand said there has been much change in writing, publishing, bookselling and reading, and the environment is “very challenging” for independent bookstores. But he said his new approach has led to the store thriving in this environment.

The challenges are evident at RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth. Owner Tom Holbrook is not renewing the lease for its prominent but costly space on Congress Street, which ends on Dec. 31. The bookstore opened five years ago and, since then, has been forced to deal with a recession and the introduction of digital books.

Holbrook also has debt from the loan used to buy out a pair of former business partners who helped him launch the store. He is now considering new investors, as well as a new space. Without those two things, it is possible RiverRun will close permanently.

“I wish we had done things differently, and been better prepared for hard times. Portsmouth deserves a first rate bookstore, and RiverRun hasn’t been that for a couple years,” Holbrook said in an e-mail. “It’s time for us to fix the problems and launch into a brave new world of bookselling, or it’s time for us to get out of the way and let somebody else take a shot at it.”

Chartrand said Water Street will continue to respond to changes in the industry, but will hold fast to what it’s all about—building a community.

“That’s a great pole to align yourself with. That’s true north, I think,” he said.

Though Water Street makes electronic books available, Chartrand said technology won’t sway him away from the storefront.

“No one can do that, to try to do what we’re doing, without being a bricks-and-mortar building,” he said. “It’s not wires and lights. It’s flesh and blood... That’s how we’re laying the base for the next 20 years.”

Chartrand said downtown Exeter is an ideal location to carry out his vision.

“People love the streetscape of Exeter and want to support the business there,” he said.

Stefanie Kiper, events coordinator for Water Street, said hardcover fiction that booksellers recommend are selling well, including Chad Harbach’s “The Art of Fielding,” Erin Morgenstern’s “The Night Circus,” Jussi Adler-Olsen’s “The Keeper of Lost Causes,” and Jeffrey Eugenides’ “The Marriage Plot.”

Also popular are titles from the in-store book group, books by authors who hold events at the store, books of local interest, timely biographies, and children’s books, she said.
Books of local interest include Allan Teel’s “Alone and Invisible No More” from Chelsea Green Publishers, Rodney Watterson’s “32 in ’44” about the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and Kevin Flynn’s and Rebecca Lavoie’s “Legally Dead” about the local Vicki Bader murder.

The bookstore has a few other anniversary events scheduled, included a 20 percent off sale for members from Nov. 2 to 7, open mike poetry on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m., a reading and signing with author Beach Conger on Thursday, Nov. 10, and a Staff Picks Night on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.

Water Street is also hosting a PitchaPalooza event with Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, authors of “The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published,” on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. Twenty writers will be selected at random to pitch their book or book plan in one minute. The winner receives a relevant introduction to a publisher or literary agent. In the last month, three writers have gotten publishing deals as a result of participating in similar events elsewhere across the nation.

Eckstut and Sterry are cofounders of The Book Doctors, a company dedicated to helping authors get their books published. Eckstut has been a literary agent for 18 years, authored seven books and is the co-founder of the iconic brand, LittleMissMatched. Sterry is the best-selling author of 12 books on a wide variety of subject.

The third judge is James Landis, a former book editor and author of over a dozen books. His work has won an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has also been among New York Times Notable Books.

Judges critique everything from the idea to its potential in the marketplace, so authors come away with advice as well as a greater understanding of the publishing industry.

To participate, buy a copy of “The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published” at Water Street Bookstore and sign up. Everyone who buys a copy of the book at the store will also have the opportunity to set up a 20-minute phone consultation with the authors.

Call 603-778-9731 or visit www.waterstreetbooks.com for more information. Water Street Bookstore is located at 125 Water Street in Exeter.