That's more like it.

If nothing else, going from reactive to proactive has improved my mood mightily. That's no small thing at this point in my career. I can always use more money -- who couldn't ?-- but in some ways it's much more important that I keep up my interest in the store, and I've done that over the years by constantly re-inventing it.

It was kind of dispiriting to just sit here and wait for people to come in the store and spend money -- or not spend money.

It's much more fun to figure out what I can get that will interest people. The process is fun, as well. I've always enjoyed the searching and finding and ordering of new product. I've always enjoyed taking shipment and finding a place for the new product.

Plus, I've always thought people can instinctively pick up when you're doing things and when -- you're not doing things. They pick up on the 'dispirited' part, even if it doesn't really point to the relative strength or weakness of the business. They pick up on it, because -- well, in most cases, probably because it does point to weakness.

The only reason I was sitting back was because I felt the store was full. Almost too full. So ordering yet more product seemed a little silly. Plus, well as I've said before, I'd really like to see if this store can turn a major profit someday.

But now that I've reversed course, I'm finding solutions to the space problem. (It usually involves taking 'dead' product and either consolidating it, or moving it.)

I've winnowed my manga and anime down enough, that I can probably use my green bookshelves for books instead of manga. (I can pile the unsold manga on an endcap and sell it for half price...)

That would give me a spot for paperbacks, and a row along the top for hardcovers and tradepaperbacks.

For:

1.) S.F. and fantasy.

2.) Mysteries.

3.) Paranormal romance.

4.) Horror.

This was something I intended to do close to Christmas, or even at the beginning of next summer, but I'm thinking I'll do it over the next ten days or so, instead. Why not? It accomplishes what I wanted to do, and stimulates the store at the same time, and I will still have about 5 or 6 weeks to take advantage of summer business.

This will also open space on the white bookshelves for the other kinds of books.

So I'm engaged in improving the store, and that is much more like it.