It’s not every day that a lawyer quits the rough-and-tough culture of the courtroom for a career in selling books.
But several years ago, Vanessa Ledbetter did just that.
“I had worked a lot in the corporate world, and it just didn’t work for me anymore,” Ledbetter said. “I liked the idea of having my own business.”
Being a lawyer was something Ledbetter said she wanted to do since she was a child. She got her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. To make extra money, she would sell books in her spare time.
Ledbetter later pursued her law degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Texas Southern University, but dropped out after her second year, partly because of her divorce from 22nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge Michael B. Calvin. Then, she decided to switch to selling books permanently.
Ledbetter has operated her bookstore on and off since 1995. She chose to open it at the flea market to avoid overhead costs and to give customers the best bargain for their favorite novels.
“This was something I had a passion for,” Ledbetter said. “I wanted to allow people to buy books at a discounted price, meet authors and get into the writing and publishing aspect of the book industry.”
Out of her store at Big Top Flea Market, Ledbetter sells an array of African-American literature ranging from fiction to religion to children’s topics – and it’s all for a discount.
Ledbetter sells her books for up to 50 percent off the publisher’s price, and her prices are usually $3 or $4 cheaper than Wal-Mart. That’s a nice deal for book lovers who can’t afford pricey books in a shaky economy. In 2005, the average cost of a hardcover fiction book was $24.88.
“A lot of black bookstores are going out of business and there’s not a forum for black authors to go to promote their books,” Ledbetter said. “I try to carry a little bit of everything here and make it affordable for people to read.”
Authors and publishers from all over the country visit St. Louis to sign and sell their novels at Ledbetter’s bookstore. She has had national best-selling authors K’wan, Erick S. Gray, T. Styles, Michael Covington, Jason Pool and Deja King, and also gives a lot of support to local authors Teresa Sills, Mary Wilson and Brenda Hampton.
“Vanessa is great,” said Essence best seller Deja King, who was recently in St. Louis to promote the third installment of her Precious Cummings series called Bitch. “I heard about Vanessa through a woman that was in New York and she said Vanessa had a great place where I could sell my books.”
Ledbetter’s business has been pretty successful thus far. She said she earns enough to make a decent living in North St. Louis County. She has been featured on Ferguson Literary Hour Radio Show and is also a member of OOSA, an online book club that reviews African-American and urban literature.
Like most bookstores, her business has grown largely by word of mouth. She just opened a second location at BJ’s Everlasting Oils, 1202 Chambers Rd. Her two children, Michael and Justin, and uncle, Melvin Graham, offer extra help when needed.
In addition to selling books, Ledbetter sells greeting cards and custom-made baskets and cookie jars.
But it isn’t just about selling books, it’s about giving back too, Ledbetter said. Each year, she donates hundreds of books to area elementary and middle schools.
“I enjoy making a difference in what I do,” she said.
Business hours for Black Visions are Fridays noon to 7 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Sundays 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Big Top Flea Market, 9971 Lewis and Clark Blvd. For more information, email blackvisionsstl@yahoo.com or call 314-388-3943.
