On today’s episode we’re answering a question from a listener: If you want to sell a large library, what can you do to prepare before Ken, or someone like Ken, comes to take a look? The good news is, we don’t really care how tidy or organized your shelves are, within reason—in fact, we’ve almost certainly seen much worse. Our top tip is to decide in advance what you’re keeping, and, if there’s anyone else with sentimental feelings about the collection, to involve them in the process from the start. Listen to learn more about book buying, and email info@brattlebookshop.com if you have any questions for Ken.
Brattlecast #143 - Home Staging
If you’re getting ready to sell a house, you may already know about painting the walls eggshell white and popping a tray of cookies into the oven, but have you considered paring down your library? Home buyers tend to be dreamy and fickle: something as innocuous as a Harry Potter hardcover collection in the living room can prevent them from envisioning a happy future there. On the other hand, desolate shelves are also depressing; it’s best to convey the idea of books without getting too specific. We’ll talk about how the Brattle can help with your home staging journey, as well as the unexpected connections between the real estate market and the secondhand book business, on this moving new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #109 - Where's Ken's Book? (audio fixed)
Edit: Sorry about the technical difficulties! The episode should work now.
Ken tells great stories, and he’s around books all day, so people sometimes ask him, “Why don’t you write a book of your own?” It’s a nice idea, but, unfortunately, being good at selling books doesn’t necessarily translate to being good at writing them. Jordan, on the other hand, has just published a memoir: ON-AIR: My 50-Year Love Affair with Radio, which he wrote with the help of an editor friend (learn more about Jordan’s book here: https://www.jordanrich.com/book.shtml).
Today we’ll talk about the mysteries and difficulties of the writing process, how hard it is to stay focused when writing feels like a chore, and why the funniest story in the world can come out so flat when you put it down on the page. Think of this episode as Ken’s séance for ghostwriters: Are you out there? Can you hear us trying to summon you?
Brattlecast #44 - Boston Latin
Founded in 1635, Boston Latin School is the oldest public school in the United States, and boasts many famous graduates, including Benjamin Franklin, Henry David Thoreau, and Leonard Bernstein. One could build a collection consisting entirely of works by and about its illustrious alumni, as Ken suggests to one of his former Boston Latin classmates during a seemingly fairly raucous high school reunion. Plus, some tips on insuring your own rare book collection.
