‘I’m a Leeds writer - here’s why I think our city needs a bookshop which champions independent authors’
Writer Billiejo Priestley reveals why she thinks Leeds needs a shop for independent authors
A Leeds author has launched an online fundraiser to create a city centre bookshop which champions independent creatives.
Billiejo Priestley, a romance writer based in Rothwell, has launched a Kickstarter with a £50,000 fundraising goal to create Hollow Spine Books, a shop which she wants to share works by fellow self-published authors with a wider audience.
“I’ve always wanted to have a bookshop since I was a kid and when I started writing, I noticed that there was a lot missing for authors just getting started,” the 38-year-old told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“I’m going to be asking for readers to tell me their favourite authors, especially the ones that are less known and then get their books in the store.”
Billiejo started sharing her novels with an audience almost 10 years ago when she finally decided to fulfil her lifelong passion for writing.
She remembered finding it “very hard” at first to find her space in the publishing market and that’s why she hopes to spotlight other independent books at Hollow Spine Books.
Billiejo said: “A lot of authors have admitted that going to bookstores, even small independent ones, is a big fear.
“A lot of them don’t reach out because people reject books just because they’re not well known.”
The author has built her success through social media and now boasts over 13,000 followers on TikTok.
When she shared her idea for Hollow Spine Books online, her followers described it as an “amazing” idea that they “can’t wait” to see.
The bookshop aims to put the books that rarely get a window on direct display for customers to discover something new.
As well as this, Billiejo wants Hollow Spine Books to be a creative space with crafts on sale to support local makers and regular events for writers and artists to connect.
“A lot of people who are creative work from home so they’re constantly isolated and the only people they speak to are online. It’s nice to actually have a space to meet up,” Billiejo said.
The writer is now looking at a short list of city-centre spaces where Hollow Spine Books could be in the future.
Ultimately, Billiejo wants this business to show how varied the independent book market is.
Billiejo said: “A lot of bookshops go for very popular indie offers who are at the top of the charts. Even if they have the smaller offers, they don’t promote their books as hard.
“I want to change that so the lesser known authors start getting seen more as well.”