Firestorm Books — Local services in Asheville

I was approached by Firestorm staff wanting to sell a queer anthology published by my small press, and while I was initially interested in the opportunity, my actual experience was very poor. I had to follow up with staff three times over a period of several weeks before I could get any information on selling to them, and finally drove over personally with only the barest indication that the store was interested purchasing in a small amount of books. Upon arrival, I was given no contract, no terms of service, and had to ask for a physical receipt of the sale, which I did not get. (In fairness, I received an emailed receipt a few hours later.) The cashier acted completely uninterested in doing business with me and at one point bluntly told me to move so they could service a customer. If I hadn't been so taken aback, I would have left; as it is, I'm glad I was paid up front and didn't spend more than 20 minutes making the trip.

I don't know if my experience reflects a few below average weeks, but I'm not encouraged by how this was handled. I respect the way Firestorm is set up and understand that it's not your typical bookstore—but part of boosting marginalized creators and voices is making them feel welcome and worthwhile, as well as providing legitimate opportunities that don't feel like they're off the books, if you'll pardon the pun. Despite the fact that I was approached independently, I feel as though I ended up putting far more effort into actually getting the book on Firestorm's shelf than any member of the staff, which is confusing and frustrating. Without significant changes to their practices, I will not be conducting business with...

One of my favorite places in Asheville, and favorite bookshops ever!

Firestorm isn’t just a bookstore - it’s an incredibly important part of our community and a truly special space. They have an amazingly wide and interesting collection of books, often titles that would be difficult to find in other stores, and it’s hard for me to go in and not leave with a stack of fascinating new reads. If they don’t have a book on hand, they’ll order it for you!

In addition to the books, Firestorm has plenty of great gifts - I often go there to pick up small presents for friends, because I love their selection of stickers, zines, art prints, and buttons.

But the most important part of Firestorm is the role that they take in Asheville’s community. They host amazing free community events (and have a meeting room anyone can book) and are seemingly always looking for ways to help support local nonprofits and collectives. Not only that, but they’re a worker-owned cooperative and an inspiring model for how to operate as a true non-hierarchical collective.

I feel so lucky to have Firestorm in my town. If you’re visiting, definitely stop by. If you live in Asheville, consider supporting Firestorm with a recurring donation via their Patreon - you get a discount on books! And, if you haven’t been in a while, be sure to check out their new space - it’s gorgeous, and...

The new space is amazing, well lit, open, and fresh feeling. The worker owners are wonderful and friendly, not pretentious or rude. The book selection is so extensive and appealing that I pretty much buy a book every time I go in. They now carry a much wider selection than at the old location, including awesome fiction, classics, assigned readings for school go-ers, cookbooks, and children's books.

And for anyone complaining about the slightly higher prices than other similar coffee shops...please note that TIPS are included in the prices, which ensures that everyone gets paid regularly and evenly. Firestorm worker owners currently make $9 an hour, as opposed to many coffee shops that only pay $3-5 plus tips. However no one talks about that because at other coffee shops, employees can get fired for talking publicly about wages.

I would much rather spend an extra dollar on my coffee to support a business where everyone gets paid evenly and equally, and none of the employees work under the stress of having to act or dress a certain way to get "better tips."

Also this place makes a bangin almond milk latte. And the bake bloc cupcakes are to die...