When Amanda Badeau came on The Shelf Made Stories podcast, she was on the verge of opening her dream business: The Archive, a dark academia-inspired bookstore in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Amanda shares her journey from corporate worker to bookstore owner, including the challenges, surprises, and joys she’s experienced along the way.
Turning a Childhood Dream into Reality
Like many book lovers, Amanda has dreamed of owning a bookstore since childhood.
“When I was a little girl, I’d always dreamed of owning a bookstore,” she explains. “Reading has always been my passion, my therapy, what I turned to… my friends.”
Despite this lifelong dream, Amanda found herself working in financial technology as a director of operations. While going through the motions of her daily tasks, she wasn’t feeling fulfilled. The dream of owning a bookstore kept resurfacing.
“It was just poking every day and every day, saying, ‘ Do something that you want,'” she recalls. “It took me a little while to voice that because I knew once I voiced what I wanted to do, I had to either do it or forget it forever.”
Last November, Amanda finally decided to pursue her dream, and the wheels were set in motion for opening The Archive at 700 S. Shelmore Blvd., Unit 103 in Mount Pleasant, SC 29464.
The Business Side of Books
When asked about the challenges of running a profitable bookstore, Amanda acknowledges the concerns but has a plan.
“I think that’s part of the reason why I never really went with this dream. When I was little, everyone was like, ‘You know, owning a bookstore is not profitable. It doesn’t work.'”
However, she believes there’s currently a resurgence in the popularity of bookstores.
“I think right now there is such a return to the bookstore and return to going somewhere, sitting where you can enjoy,” she says, noting how even coffee chains are redesigning their spaces to be more inviting.
To make The Archive profitable, Amanda plans to supplement book sales with other revenue streams.
“When I was thinking about what I wanted to do, you know, we all say like, ‘Oh, I wanna own a bookstore with a flower shop and wine and coffee.’ And I was like, ‘You know what? How do I make this work?'”
She hopes that the margins from coffee, wine, and other merchandise will offset the smaller profits from book sales. Additionally, she plans to host events like book signings and art classes to create a community space.
Creating a Dark Academia Vibe
The Archive isn’t going to be just any bookstore. Amanda is creating a distinct dark academia atmosphere, setting it apart from the trending pink, romance-focused bookshops.
“I was seeing this resurgence of the bookstore, especially the romance bookstores, which is fantastic. I love it. I love the bubblegum pink,” she explains. “But I really saw that there was a hole for other niche bookstores.”
Amanda has always been drawn to darker fantasy books and fiction that explores mental health and education. The entire store is painted green—her favorite color—creating an immersive atmosphere.
“When it comes to dark academia, some people who don’t know what the genre is think it’s basically this gothic murder type dark books, and some of them are, but it’s also just this intellectual curiosity and that deep love for hidden knowledge and basically the warmth of a well-worn book,” she explains.
Her goal is to make customers feel transported when they walk through the doors, as if they’ve entered an old library in a castle, even in sunny Charleston.
Learning the Book Business Through Trial and Error
Running a bookstore isn’t as simple as buying and selling books. Amanda has had to learn the business from the ground up, primarily through research and trial and error.
When she decided to pursue her dream, Amanda immediately created a comprehensive business plan for herself.
“It wasn’t really for anyone else except myself, to really detail out what it is that I have to do in order to get this operational and successful,” she says.
Her 30-page document covered everything from inventory to operations, including details as small as cups for coffee, lids, straws, and sugar packets. Having come from an operations background, this approach felt natural to her.
To learn the specifics of the book industry, Amanda relied heavily on Google searches, researching articles about “bookstores 101,” checking the American Booksellers Association website, and exploring publisher resources.
The Challenge of Curating Books
Surprisingly, one of the most challenging aspects of opening a bookstore has been selecting the books to stock.
“I thought that was gonna be the best part of owning a bookstore,” Amanda admits. “I see all these interviews with other bookstores, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I love selecting books. This is the most fun chatting with the reps.'”
While she does enjoy talking with publisher representatives, Amanda finds the book selection process stressful.
“What resonates with you might not resonate with everyone else,” she points out. “I feel like reading a book is kind of like eating food. Like our taste buds are all different.”
To build her inventory, Amanda has gone through publisher backlists, focusing primarily on dark academia titles before branching out to other fiction genres like fantasy, historical fiction, thrillers, and more. She’s also making a point to carry banned books.
For new releases, Amanda researches titles on Goodreads, checks what other indie bookstores are carrying, and consults the American Booksellers Association recommendations.
“It’s a lot of work that goes into selecting the books. It’s not just checking the boxes,” she emphasizes.
Finding the Right Team of Booklovers
When it comes to staffing her store, Amanda isn’t necessarily looking for retail or barista experience. She’s looking for passion.
“It’s not necessarily that someone has the most experience in retail or in being a barista or serving wine; it’s more their passion for literature, conversation, inclusivity, and their ability to learn,” she explains.
At the time of recording, Amanda had already extended offers to six individuals for part-time help and plans to begin training soon. For specialized training, like coffee service, she’s partnering with a local coffee distributor, which will provide training for her staff. She’s also working with a sommelier to curate the wine menu and create educational materials for staff.
Finding the Perfect Bookstore Location
The location for The Archive came about serendipitously. In December, while dining at Cramer’s Kitchen in Mount Pleasant, the restaurant’s owner mentioned that the space next door was becoming available for lease.
“My husband and I just looked at each other, and it was like, ‘Can I see it?'” Amanda recalls.
The next day, she viewed the space—previously a children’s hair salon—and knew it was perfect.
This discovery accelerated her timeline considerably. “I found the space before I built the company,” she explains. “I signed the lease for January, and I was like, ‘Okay, I have this rent now, so I have to get going.'”
The location in Shell More Shops, just five minutes from downtown, provides excellent visibility and accessibility for both locals and tourists.
Navigating Permits and Unexpected Costs
As of the interview, Amanda is waiting for permit approvals from Mount Pleasant, a process that can take 4-6 weeks.
“Every day counts in terms of dollars,” she points out. “I’m sitting on inventory… people are wondering when I’m opening, I wanna open, I wanna get this going.”
The waiting game is particularly stressful given the financial investment Amanda has already made. Beyond rent, inventory, and staffing costs, there are countless other expenses.
“The cost of chairs, the cost of the glasses, the cost of the plates, the book stands… it’s everything, and it adds up very quickly.”
Advice for Aspiring Bookstore Owners
For others dreaming of opening a bookstore, Amanda emphasizes the importance of thorough planning.
“Put everything down, write it out, make sure you know every single thing that you need to do so there are no surprises,” she advises.
She also recommends starting with the bureaucratic aspects.
“The first thing you do is figure out what licenses you’re gonna need and what permits you’re gonna need, because that is gonna take the longest. Start there and then work backward.”
Despite the challenges, Amanda is thrilled to be pursuing her passion.
“I’m so happy to finally be doing what I love to do,” she shares. “There are days where I just cannot believe that I’m saying this is my store. But then there are also days that I’m like, ‘What the F am I doing?'”
The support from the bookish community has exceeded her expectations, making the journey worthwhile even when it feels overwhelming. As Amanda awaits her final permits, the book community eagerly anticipates the opening of The Archive, a unique addition to Mount Pleasant’s literary landscape.
Amanda’s Book Recommendations
Ironically, since starting her bookstore journey in November, Amanda has only read two books—a significant decrease from her usual 50-70 books per year. The two she’s managed to finish are Onyx Storm and an advance copy of The Night in the Moth.
Her all-time favorite book is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, which she describes as “beautifully written” with its blend of reality and magical elements. When it comes to popular fantasy series, Amanda enjoys Sarah J. Maas’s works but prefers the Throne of Glass series over the more popular A Court of Thorns and Roses.
