THE LITERARIES

Bea and Leah Koch, co-founders of The Ripped Bodice bookshop Platform Kickstarter Raised £70,010*

In 2015, sisters Bea, 27, and Leah Koch, 24, decided to open the US’s first romance-only bookshop in Los Angeles. The only problem? They needed £70,000 for books, furniture, equipment and licensing – so they crowdfunded the entire project. “Kickstarter is an amazing tool for people who aren’t the typical recipients of a bank loan,” Leah says.“Our age, level of experience and gender counted against us.” They hired a publicist, who told them to build a solid Twitter following before launching their campaign, and an illustrator, who created a strong, consistent look for their logo and merchandise, such as totes and tops. The Ripped Bodice opened last March and now sponsors signings, a book club and a stand-up show called Romantic Comedy, hosted by two female comedians.

SECRET TO SUCCESS Seek practical advice from successful founders. “We sent booksellers questions such as ‘What insurance company do you use? How many distributors do you have?’” Leah says. “Do not say, ‘Hi, can you give me advice?’” Vague asks get vague answers.