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Halley Vincent

@behindthebookshop

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followers

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"Youngest Bookstore Owner in America"
Owner - Indie Bookshop @shop7stories
Founder - @pawsupkc Bookmobile
🇹🇼🇺🇸 SMN 27

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2 months ago

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6 months ago

Happy Small Business Saturday! Seven Stories is open today from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Can you believe that this is my FOURTH year participating in this annual day?! There's so many of you who have yet to still visit my store! Let's please fix that soon. Third location is the charm, right? 😆🤷🏻‍♀️

Yesterday was a beautifully successful day with 40% of transactions coming from existing customers that returned to support the store! You could feel the love just by looking up at the paper chains hanging from the ceiling, all of which were crafted by customers and friends of the store who came to our annual Friendsgiving on Wednesday. As ambassadors of Seven Stories, so many of you have been out there wearing your t-shirts and chastising friends and coworkers and I just love it. As a tiny team of 2.5 people, it is really hard for me to find the time and energy just to even post here consistently so your effort and support really is so important to me and thank you times a million for helping by being my volunteer promotions team!

So... we had a lot of returning customers yesterday. The average sale was a solidly good number. But you know what wasn't good? Overall we still have a slight slump in sales. I've been down over 8% this entire calendar year and I'm not the only small business experiencing this. Being down even 2% is troublesome when expenses are up everywhere. This is why I keep talking about the inequity between small, family owned businesses and big box stores which are designed to handle larger losses over a longer stretch of time.. and don't even get me started on how those big box stores also receive tax and bulk buying advantages. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.... SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES THIS YEAR (and every year)!

Make a commitment and keep strong ethics when it comes to using your wallet as a daily voting tool for the kind of world that you want to see more of. Stores like mine need your support year round, but the holiday season is the largest window when we can build ourselves up and prepare for the year ahead.

As always, you are awesome and appreciated! We look foreward to seeing you soon!!

-Halley & Tiny Team taken in Shop7Stories by @behindthebookshop

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a year ago

This is me, 16 years old, in a hotel lobby. This is Virginia Giuffre’s upcoming memoir, Nobody’s Girl, her final chance to “tell” her story.

I certainly don’t claim to be Virginia, nor do I have the experiences she has. But what I do know is that she was 16, and I am 16. It doesn’t matter what decade we each grew up in. I am standing in the same set of years, where the whole world is in front of me.

She worked at Mar-a-Lago, in the spa as a towel girl when she was 16. Months before she turned 17, she was recruited to give a “massage.” She was promised the world and then pressured, lured, pushed, and pulled.

Virginia started asking for the files to be released in 2015, becoming one of the loudest and strongest voices around. 🗣️

That phrase—that “demand,” if you will—has been posted tens of millions of times. If there’s any book you buy simply so the world sees that this subject matters, if there’s one book you could buy like a vote in this world, please make it this one, and please buy it from me.

If you do not buy it from me, please DO NOT buy it from a big-box retailer or an online billionaire. If I have to explain the “why,” then you already don’t understand why this book NEEDS to be on your shelf.

I beg of you. Order the book, and if and when it sells out, please order it anyway and patiently wait for it to arrive.

It may not be Pulitzer Prize–winning writing, but it is an important book. In the words of John Green “What’s the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?”

This is the result of her life—of conquering not only what happened to her, but also spreading the stories of others who were unable to push as hard as she did.

If this means something to you. I urge you:

✅️Order the book.

✅️Read the book.

✅️Pull it out in public spaces as a demonstration – As a form of silent solidarity.

✅️Share it! Help this story reach the people who need to hear it.

••••••••

If you’d like a direct link to pre-order the book, you can find it on the homepage of our website OR simply comment below, and I’ll send it your way. taken in Shop7Stories by @behindthebookshop

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a year ago

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a year ago

"The Future is no more uncertain than the Present." —Walt Whitman

————

Someday the backwards nature of my life will all make sense.

Someday maybe we can all look back and laugh about how weird it was that I had a store... but was also learning to drive... but also paying the Kansas Division of Taxation... but also taking a college class... but also just starting my junior year of high school (run-on sentence very much intended 😅).

It’s a weird life, and I’m so grateful that you’re in it with me. ❤️

While I do try to create balance between school and working at the store, the reality is that I can’t always do that.

Life happens. And when you don’t have a huge team, if you can’t do something, then you just CAN’T do something!

Which means sometimes the book order doesn’t get placed when you want it to, and sometimes you have too many conversations going on to finally sit down and sort through the mountain of boxes overflowing with donated books.

If you’re new to who I am or what I do, thank you for sticking it out. If you’ve been here for a while, thank you for trusting me — thank you for taking me seriously.

As we head into September, there’s a lot on the horizon: from being a bookseller at the Olathe Public Library Foundation event, to welcoming new folks into our space, to finally putting more intention behind our social media. I’m especially excited to bring back consistent book reviews, since I know so many of you have missed them. It’s a lot to juggle, but it’s also the good stuff — and I’m glad I get to do it.

—Halley ❤️ 📚

P.S. Yes, these are all somewhat book-related photos/moments from Taiwan. We visited a bunch of bookstores and bought a bunch of books on the trip!

Sorry I’ve been so slow to post these, but feel free to ask all the questions! I’m beyond happy to tell you about the stores, the trip, and/or the books that came home with me lol.

*Song chosen by our Middle Grade Book Club (because why not?!) taken in Taipei, Taiwan by @behindthebookshop

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a year ago

I try not to focus too much on what I’ve accomplished by a certain age, but I do take time to look back each year and reflect. Between photos, videos, and old setups of my store or bookmobile, I sometimes have to literally scratch my head to figure out when something happened. Thankfully, I have milestones to mark the journey.

In September 2022, I got my bookstore license and started selling. In 2020, I started my 501(c)(3) for pet adoption and literacy (definitely a little backwards). It’s humbling to think I launched a nonprofit before I’d even earned a dollar. But that’s me.

Just since last year, I’ve spoken to a dozen groups about entrepreneurship, literacy, and what I see as the current crisis in publishing. I also expanded my store to 1,400 square feet — not the most glamorous detail, but what matters is that it works. There’s a back door for trash and deliveries, and the space easily transforms for a book club, speaker event, homeschool group, or embroidery class.

Last year, at 15, I bought my own bookmobile van. I still can’t legally drive it, but hilariously, I’ve been "driving" versions of my bookmobile since I was 9 — starting with a riding lawn mower. Go figure.

My life may seem surreal by most standards, but to me, this is just how things are. I don’t measure myself against others.

And turning 16? To me, it just means I’m two years closer to applying for more grants, mentorships, and opportunities. I’m not waiting for a milestone to tell me I’m ready. I’ve been doing the work, and I’m not slowing down.

As Miss Janet @sourcebooksellers told me last week: “I don’t bow down.”

She meant it about not being swayed by fame or wealth. For me, it’s about not shrinking myself or sitting things out just because it might be easier. Plans change, buildings get sold, and life surprises you — but I don’t get knocked off course.

Thank you for supporting me, for being patient, collaborative, and just the best kind of people to grow alongside. You give me space to try, fall, get up, and try again.

Here’s to another lap around the sun! ☀️

-Halley 💗 taken in Shop7Stories by @behindthebookshop

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a year ago

You’re not imagining it.

Grocery prices have had people nervous for a while now.

Tax time stress is real. The stock market situation isn’t helping.

If any of that’s been weighing on you lately, I get it. AND if that’s how it feels at home, imagine how it feels to be a small business right now.

The next 60 days are make-or-break for locally owned shops like mine.

Even if your budget’s tight, I’m asking you to give us a shot:

Come in, see what we’re offering, tell us what you’re looking for—and let us win you over with something that fits your life and your budget.

I’ve added $10 dime novels—now filling every bottom shelf on the east wall.

You can grab 3 for $20 if you're building a stack.
I’ve added a full case of used books where you pay what you can.

I’ve shifted my jewelry options to include more pieces between $17–25.

I’m doing what I can to make shopping small a little easier.

And tonight, I’m asking you to do what you can by stopping in.

It’s First Friday. 7pm to late. 📖 💗

This is your “get around to it” moment.

We’ve packed the store with good vibes, local vendors, karaoke energy, and some seriously fun things to browse.

We’re serving up pizza from Old Shawnee and two specialty cocktails + mocktails—all under $5.

And we’ve worked with quality, well-known small businesses to make that possible.

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time, this is it.

Tonight’s the night.

I'd love to see you!

-Halley 💗 🫂 taken in Shop7Stories by @behindthebookshop

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2 years ago

Today marks a full week since Wi2025, the @americanbooksellers biggest annual gathering, came to a close.

By now, many of you know I started my bookstore in 2022. I attended my first Institute thanks to a scholarship from @thinkingbinc , and from that moment, I realized how essential this event is in shaping my craft and career path.

As a 15yo bookseller, resources tailored to people like me are scarce. One of the things I admire most about the ABA is that when I applied for a scholarship, no one questioned it. They saw my application and experience for what they were—something to be taken seriously. They’ve always treated my store as a business, not a project.

Since then, institutes have become both a cornerstone of my learning and a place of connection. A space where I can just exist among fellow booksellers who understand this world as deeply as I do.

Now, for the important updates: Over the five days I spent in Denver, I somehow managed to collect a box and two suitcases full of books—many of them Arc's.

I also *almost* had a dramatic escalator incident, but lets not talk about that. 😅

Of course, the real highlights were the people. Shoutout to @unapologetic_scorpio @lucyrtan (go check out her book!), and @marisque_behavior —who I met on day one and then ran into nonstop for the rest of the week, as if the universe insisted we be friends.

Pictured:

- A special thank you to Ms. Janet of Source Booksellers in Detroit. Last year, at my first Institute, I was shy and nervous. One of the first people I approached happened to be her daughter, Allison. Ms. Janet is, quite literally, a legend—some call her the oldest bookstore owner in the country (I prefer to say she’s well-seasoned). After all, she’s been doing this for over 30 years.

- A snapshot from the AANHPI meetup at IGNITE, the BIPOC Pre-Con.

- Moments from the keynotes—including @ocean_vuong unforgettable talk and @thebrianselznick deeply personal closing keynote.

- Nadia from @maveybooks in Pennsylvania. ❤️—whom I first met at Children’s Institute in New Orleans last June!

And lastly, a *huge* thank you to my dad for making it possible for me to attend! 🩷❤️📚 taken in Denver, Colorado by @behindthebookshop

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

HEADS UP... I'm about to record a spot for TV with the beautiful and talented Dorissa White for KMBC 9 ... from the new and UNDER CONSTRUCTION Seven Stories! Tune in if you can and let me know how I did.

***If you saw an earlier post, I misunderstood! I thought this was going to be live, it's actually prerecorded and playing 4pm TODAY.

No problem! Tbh, I didn't get out of bed knowing I was going to do TV at all this morning so... It's a blessing either way!

Just to keep you in the loop:

We have had a few setbacks, but things are going along just fine! Boxes are starting to arrive. Anyone who has volunteered to help, I have not forgotten you and if I have not already... I will be reaching out soon. I just have to kind of take things step by step as time allows.

ALSO... Tomorrow morning I will be back on KCUR with BLK+BRWN. Our spot will be at 9:00 a.m. to talk about book picks for the end of the year!! by @behindthebookshop

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2 years ago

🇨🇱📚 29th Annual Texas Book Festival RECAP!

Last Friday, I spent my evening at the airport and woke up the next day ready for a weekend full of walking, waiting in signing lines, and mustering the courage to introduce myself to authors.

It's funny how that works, isn't it? I'm not a shy kid anymore, but sometimes approaching an author of a really good book can be intimidating!

Here's a snapshot of my weekend trip:

1. I took this photo of the Capitol building on Saturday. It was the first photo I took during the trip. 📸

2. That's right, I found a KC friend! @celestially_yours

Ps. Thanks for hanging out with me at the airport (time passes quickly when you're talking books)!

3. Saturday was a blast, super loud and busy. Took this photo on Sunday morning. Weather was nice, and it was so quiet and calm out! 🌳☀️

4 & 5. Random photos from Sunday of the State Theater sign and a photo I took so I could remember where we parked. 🤣

6. At the conclusion of his talk, a photo with Hanif Abdurraqib. It was one of my favorite sessions this weekend, and the best way to finish off the trip.

7, 8, & 9. Picture with Lyla Lee, Vanessa Chan, and Porochista Khakpour, who have been huge
supporters of me.

They have all supported my GoFundMe and
mailed bookmarks/signed good for our
AANHPI Book Fair last August! 🫂🩷

10. Had a great time meeting Ladarrion
Williams and super excited to read his book! (I
hear his 2nd book cover was recently released,
and there may be a 3rd book in the future?!? 🤫🤫)

I also made sure to stop by and support a few
Indie Bookshops!

⭐️Shout out to BookPeople (Austin, TX) and
The Painted Porch (Bastrop, TX).⭐️

This was such a fun and encouraging way to relax and prepare for the moving chaos!

Ps. Did you know we are moving??

Seven Stories 11109 location is officially
CLOSED.

We hope to RE-OPEN during the first week of
December in our NEW LOCATION:

12119 Johnson Drive (Still in Shawnee),

In the meantime, sit tight, and we will be back
open ASAP.

If you want to join us in the build, send me a
DM! We're planning a Friendsgiving, and I
would love for you to join us. 😊📦 taken in Texas Book Festival by @behindthebookshop

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2 years ago