Since opening Spelled Ink in Orange, Virginia, owner Cindy Pagan has been adamant about finding unique ways to serve her community. Today, the store features notary services, events for homeschooling families, and partnerships with multiple organizations, including the local food bank.
I sat down with Pagan to learn more about Spelled Ink’s growth and goals.
Cindy Pagan and her former business partner, Heather Griffin, originally started Spelled Ink as an online bookstore during the pandemic lockdown.
“We thought it was the perfect time for it,” Pagan explained. “Everything was being purchased online at that time, and no one was leaving their homes.”
When the lockdown eased, they expanded into candles, soaps, and bookish goods, setting up at the local farmers market and adding those items to their store’s inventory. From there, things escalated quickly.
“Within that first year, we were contacted by the person heading the local downtown alliance. They offered to let us do a pop-up shop for the holidays, and we jumped at the opportunity!”
To their delight, once the holidays passed, Spelled Ink’s temporary home became permanent. The store has continued to grow, but Pagan says the rapid growth has caused a few bumps along the way.
Last year, Pagan and Griffin parted ways, as Griffin opened another bookstore in a neighboring town. Though originally they had planned for the new bookstore to be a second Spelled Ink location, the pair felt the distance between locations made it difficult to coordinate properly, and that independent stores would be more successful.
“It was kind of bittersweet,” Pagan recalled. “It was sad to lose a partner, but at the same time I found out I was going to be able to expand our space in the building we’re in.”
Pagan admitted that suddenly being the sole proprietor and wearing so many hats was a bit of a challenge, but she tackled it head on.
She applied for — and received — a grant from American Express and Main Street America to help furnish the store’s expansion and she’s introduced several new programs and services to Spelled Ink.
“I’m constantly trying to make sure we have as much as possible to offer,” Pagan said. “I feel like bookstores today have so much competition that we have to be more of a destination than just a bookstore.”
“Last year, I thought, ‘Would being a notary help?’ There are often times that I’m open but other places are not. Why not become a notary and have that service available for people outside of bank or post office hours?”
“It comes in handy,” she laughed, “You'd be surprised how many people really need a notary on Saturday afternoon.”
Spelled Ink also offers a gaming room, crafting classes, regular book clubs, visits from Inkling (Pagan’s bewitching black cat and Spelled Ink’s mascot), and regular events for the homeschooling community.
Pagan, who was a stay-at-home homeschooling mom before Spelled Ink, remembers how hard it was to find homeschooling events in town.
“Because the town is so small, most of the homeschoolers out here have had to travel to other communities to meet up for different groups. I always wanted to be able to offer an opportunity for the homeschoolers to meet up right here in town.”
She also works with local organizations whenever possible. One of Spelled Ink’s longstanding partnerships is with the local food bank.
“We do a free birthday book certificate with the food bank. They give visitors a little coupon that they can bring in here, and they can pick out a book of their choice for free for their birthday,” Pagan said.
In just a few years of operation, Pagan’s creativity and focus on her community has allowed the store to flourish, and I can’t wait to see what Spelled Ink does in the future.
If you find yourself in Orange, Virginia, take a moment to stop and explore Spelled Ink. You can also visit the store’s website, or follow them on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook.