Print edition: 
David Lovett lives a booklover’s dream, as the owner of Book-a-holic.
But as much as he loves books for themselves, he’s also a smart businessman who has succeeded and prospered amid ongoing technological change.
Lovett, 50, has three stores in Wichita – at 924 S. Oliver, 8760 W. 21st St. and 601 N. West St., No. 216 – and offers tens of thousands of books online. Last week, he began selling Google’s eBooks.
He and his wife, Maria, have three children who work in the business.
How did you get interested in books?
“I was always interested. … I lived way out in the country and there was not a whole lot to do out there, and I remember riding 10 miles from my house to the library every weekend. I was pretty much a regular customer for them.”
What attracted you to starting a business?
“For me, the desire has always been to work for myself. I don’t think there is any freedom in the world like working for yourself.
“People always tell you there’s no job security in it, but in today’s economy they are finding there is job security. Because you know what? I’m the last guy here that will be laid off.”
Used bookstores have come and gone. What is your secret?
“The desire to go out and find books beyond Wichita. We have a tractor trailer coming from Great Britain and it’s just hit New Jersey, so we know it’s coming.
“Bookstores tend to have the same product in the same region. You will see the same books over and over again. We try to mix things up, have some diversity.”
What books sell the best?
“There are no guaranteed sellers, but there are some categories that do better than others. Since 9/11, religion has catapulted way up. … I think people in hard times turn to God looking for answers when we can’t answer it ourselves.”
Any advice for people starting a business?
“The day we opened, we were broke. We didn’t have anything left.
“The key ingredient we missed: Whatever you think it’s going to cost, double it and double it again. We forgot to double it again.”
