When 28-year-old Vanessa Nicolle started her online bookstore, Femme Fire Books, she wanted to build a community for readers who weren’t widely represented in the literary world.
Two years later, Jacksonville native Nicolle will soon be opening her first brick and mortar store.
Nicolle learned in April that Cultivate Jax, a home goods store that has been selling books as part of Femme Fire’s “Blind Date with a Book” program, has opened a space for rent.
“The opportunity presented itself, and out of 20 applicants, they chose an indie bookstore,” she said.
Since signing the lease in May, Nicolle has been preparing the storefront as the first home for her previously online-only bookstore. Femme Fire Brooks’ mission is to celebrate diversity and promote reading for all, she said, and to elevate the voices of women and people of color.
“I started Femme Fire Books right before the pandemic really started,” she said. “I kind of did it just for fun because I love reading and I love sharing my books. I thought, ‘Let me try shipping books and I’ll see where that goes.'”
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Even while serving in the Navy, Nicolle said she couldn’t stop thinking about business, and when she was released from active duty in September, she began taking her books to more pop-up events. She called the community’s response “overwhelmingly positive.”
“People were like, ‘This bookstore is so cool,’ and ‘I feel so seen,'” she said. “I think the most fun and fulfilling thing for me is being able to interact with my customers who come to my pop-ups and who are so excited [about] a bookstore like mine in Jacksonville.”
Nicolle said her customers appreciate that she focuses on women authors and that the store is Asian-American owned and that the community support — both online and in Jacksonville — has been exceptional.
“My husband has also been incredibly supportive in pursuing this venture,” she said. “He was the one behind the scenes who would help me load my little Kia Soul with books to take me to a pop-up in Jax Beach or Murray Hill at Vagabond [Flea].”
While Nicolle paused her pop-up events during the store’s opening, she said it was important to include women and people of color in a pop-up market that will be featured during Femme Fire’s opening day celebrations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m p.m. July 16 at 2766 Park St.
Caked by the Ocean, Besos Boutique, Little Red Cottage Cookies, Tipsy Creative Co. and Crochet With Passion are among the featured vendors.
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Tipsy Creative Co. owner Lydia Griffin is someone Nicolle relied on throughout the process of starting her business.
“She’s also someone I’ve served with in the Navy and is a small business owner who has been incredibly supportive of my business and we’ve helped each other in that,” Nicolle said. “Many of these providers have come to me in the past. It’s great to celebrate with other small businesses.”
Griffin, 30, said she was a supportive ear to Nicolle during the launch of her bookshop.
“Once it got going, there was no stopping her and her business,” Griffin said. “Vanessa is one of the most genuine people I’ve met. She always shows up for others and I’m very curious to see how others show up on her Saturday.”
“I can’t really explain how exciting it is to see someone come into my shop or my tent and see someone see a book cover with a Filipino author and say, ‘That’s so cool. I’ve never seen anything like it,'” said Nicolle. “I hope that one day diversity in literature will be the norm, not the exception.”
Griffin said it literally makes [her] heart explode with happiness to see another small business grow the way Nicolle has.
“It’s so tough for small businesses, especially with inflation right now and increased shipping costs, packaging costs and just about everything,” she said. “Not only that, many of us small businesses need to hurry after our 9-5. It is so refreshing and enriching to see a small business and more importantly a friend succeed and take such a pivotal step in her business growth.”
The business will remain a one-woman show for now, but Nicolle said she hopes to hire some part-time employees in the near future.
