“Over the last couple of years, we’ve had an ongoing conversation about how we can best provide the resources of the book world to our community. Writers are, of course, part of our community. Though we can’t hire every writer in the greater Porter Square area, we still want to make some of the resources that were so important to our writers available to others.”          Porter Square Books

Nestled in bustling Cambridge, Massachusetts, Porter Square Books has come up with a unique way to help support the writers in its vibrant community: It’s launching the Porter Square Books Writers in Residence program. What a novel idea — and what an ingenious enterprise to bring together books and the intrepid souls who create them!

The program will select via application, two writers — one writing for adults and one writing for young readers — for nine-month terms in2019. During their term, the writers in residence will get the store’s staff discount (40% off!), access to advance reader copies, and access to the store’s offices on nights and weekends as a quiet place to work.

On their end, writers in residence will contribute at least three pieces for the store’s blog, introduce or take part in a conversation with at least three other authors (and making connections to other publishing authors), participate in a “Welcome Reading” and Independent Bookstore Day, and agree to launch with Porter Square Books any book they work on during their residency that wins publication.

Introducing the initiative, Josh Cook, author of An Exaggerated Murder, wrote on the store’s blog: “Working as a bookseller at Porter Square Books gave me access to the book world in ways I could never have imagined when I took the job. I learned about the inner workings of publishing, formed relationships with people throughout the industry, and stayed current with the books being written today. Not only did my work as a bookseller help me connect to publishers, I was also able to get to know other authors at all stages of their careers and, perhaps most importantly, through the staff discount and advance reader copies, I was able to afford far more new books than I ever could otherwise. Working at Porter Square Books gave me access and resources that directly helped me as a writer, both in terms of my career and my work….”

Indie bookstores — what a gift! Always coming up with creative ideas to build community. Let’s keep their flags flying high as we all write on!