My Biz: Happily Ever After endings guaranteed

MARION — As a little girl, Jenn Draper would often play “bookstore.”

“I have memories of pulling down my 100 Babysitters Club books and playing ‘bookstore,” typing in the UPC codes on my fake cash register,” she said.

So, when Draper, 38, left her job in nonprofit fundraising and event planning in February 2023, and started considering what her next career move might be, bookselling came to mind.

“I had fallen back in love with reading during the pandemic … and specifically with fantasy and romance books,” she said. “It seemed like a dream to do something in the book world, so I began doing some research and reaching out to people about how to combine both my love of romance books and event planning.

“But, as it turns out, there just aren't a lot of full-time jobs out there that other people are hiring for in such a niche market. So ultimately, I decided I'd just do it myself.”

So now, she plays bookstore every day as the “chief book babe” at HEA Book Boutique, an independent boutique bookstore specializing in the romance genre. The HEA stands Happily Ever After.

“We not only sell books that are both traditionally and independently published, but we also sell goodies like book and e-reader accessories, stickers, T-shirts, jewelry, candles and more, all closely aligned with the books we sell,” she said, noting that she designs about 50 percent of those items. “Some people also call us your ‘local spicy bookstore.’ ”

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Pop-up events

Draper started her venture in May 2023, establishing a limited liability corporation and doing lots of research.

She held her first pop-up book event in August at Stillwater Coffee, and it was an instant hit.

“It was a sell-out event. I remember texting my family and saying, ‘What have I gotten myself into!?’ But because of that amazing response, I knew that people were looking for this kind of a thing.

“There's a new trend nationally of romance bookstores opening up, and people love to be able to say we have one in Eastern Iowa. The pop-ups are an amazing way to bring attention to the business, and when I pop-up at a local market or business, people are really receptive.”

The idea for a pop-up event during the Marion Chocolate Walk led to Draper finding a short-term lease for a holiday pop-up store on Seventh Avenue.

“And again, we saw an even greater response from the community. People would say ‘this is exactly the kind of thing we needed’ or ‘we were wondering when someone would move into this space!’ ”

Draper has extended her lease through March, for now, to give her a little more time to evaluate and determine what might be possible.

Dream come true

Draper said she’s grateful every day for her new venture.

“Being surrounded by books all the time feels like a dream come true,” she said. “But I also love that word is spreading about the store. We've started to see people come from not just around the Corridor, but even as far as Dubuque, Prairie du Chien, the Quad Cities and Des Moines.

“And getting to spend time talking books with other like-minded people is truly so much fun. I certainly don't work any less as a small-business owner, but I take so much pride in every little success I see from the shop — the first online sale, launching my book box subscription, getting my first exclusive signed copy deal. Every new first feels like a building block for the next one.”

Draper plans to attend romance book convention this year as a vendor.

“I'll be bringing back special edition romance books from these events as well to sell locally. It's really hard in Iowa to get access to some of the more well-known authors in the romance world, so we aren't likely to get access to special editions in the same way that other markets might.”

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Events

Draper also plans to host author signings and other events that aren’t typically seen in this part of Iowa.

“As an event planner for the majority of my career, events were always going to play a key role in this business,” she said. “Having the temporary location is allowing me to do some really cool things like monthly romance book swaps where people bring used books to trade with others one night a month, as well as things like our upcoming midnight release party for the next Sarah J. Maas blockbuster fantasy novel, and our ‘build a book bouquet’ event on Feb. 9.”

Draper also is thrilled to be part of the local indie bookstore scene, noting other owners helped with connections and encouragement when she started her business.

Happily Ever After

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But Draper is definitely carving out her own niche.

“HEA Book Boutique is a novelty. People have seen gift shops before, and they've seen independent bookstores, but they haven't really seen something as niche as a romance bookstore,” she said “And they certainly aren't used to seeing it as pop-up at markets and other businesses.”

She noted that the numbers don’t lie. Even in the face of declining books being published, romance books have dramatically increased in production since 2020, with 39 million copies of books printed in 2023, compared to 19 million in 2021 during the pandemic.

“This business is more than just transactional,” she added. “We're really creating a community of romance book lovers, who oftentimes are stigmatized or disregarded in the book world. People often roll their eyes at the idea of a romance novel, but romance readers are loyal, voracious, and really dedicated to the genre.

“There's magic in creating a space where people can talk openly about the things they love, their sexuality and self-identity, the stories that have given them hope or escapes during difficult times … and being able to hold space for that is an honor and a privilege.”

“One of the things I founded the store on was a belief that everyone deserves more Happily Ever Afters,” Draper said. “That might look different to different people. It can be an LGBTQ+ story, a polyamorous relationship, different races or cultures represented, and maybe you want a sweet love story with zero explicit scenes. … Whatever that is, we aim to carry a wide variety of stories so everyone has access to what they love.”