Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 7 8 BEACHCOMBER BOOKSTORES, continued from page 7 sense the time of year by the store's atmosphere. Laurie Potter, owner of River Road Books in Fair Haven, knows that if she builds a community in her book- Jill Ocone Jill Ocone "words!" in Asbury Park. The children's section at "words!". At River Road Books, they strive to create a community of readers that you can't find in an online store. Jill Ocone River Road Books in Fair Haven. Jill Ocone store, people will come. "We think about our community all the time. People rely on us for our book rec- ommendations, whether for children or adults," she says. She explains that there's no community to belong to when purchasing books online, but when a browser walks into River Road Books, they most likely turn into a customer who will become part of the real community that exists in her store. Jan Sparrow, owner of "words!" in Asbury Park, sells books that are up-to-date with the bestseller lists as well as children's titles plus a large number of "gently read" books. Sparrow says that her staff's knowl- edge of literature is something cus- tomers can count on. "What helps us thrive is our customer service. Everyone who works at words! can offer great suggestions." Their well- read staff brings well-read customers, and receiving the right title sugges- tion at the right time is what keeps them coming back for more. Independent bookstore owners such as Maggio, Potter, and Sparrow know they have to stay in contact with their customers through fre- quent newsletters and social media posts, which entice readers to visit the next time they pass through town. Maggio explained that BookTowne's staff keeps on top of emailing newsletters and posting on Instagram and Facebook many times a week. She says, "It's what people want to see, and we have to keep on top of our online presence." While the days of each town having their own bookstore may be behind us, Jersey Shore readers need look no further than one of the nearby independent bookstores to find that classic they hope to read again, the newest memoir from the New York Times list of bestsellers, the perfect book to read to their children at bedtime, or the latest collection of Jersey Shore memories. —Jill Ocone

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