The paperback edition of Biking Uphill in the Rain is out now + A call for merch ideas

Preorders have been shipped, and one person who selected local pickup" from the Seattle Bike Blog shop already has the new paperback edition of Biking Uphill in the Rain in their hands.

Also, if you buy a copy of the book in either paperback or hardcover from our shop, I will sign it and add a handsome Washington State Book Award Finalist sticker to the front, courtesy of the Washington Center for the Book. They also sent me a lovely certificate, and I have so far managed to prevent my child from turning it into an art project. It is among the only sheets of paper I own that still has a completely blank side.

Speaking of the shop, I am looking to expand what we offer. The shop's software and my shipping system is working great, and I'm ready to add more options. I have a few ideas for new stickers and have been in discussions to stock copies of other Seattle-area biking books. Do you have any ideas for merch to sell? I want to avoid holding complicated stock (like boxes of t-shirts in many sizes) or using low-margin merch drop-shipping services. I want the stuff to be quality and cool, but also to have a good margin to support Seattle Bike Blog's work. I assume anyone buying it would like as much of their purchase to go to supporting the site as possible. I'm very new to the merch game, so please send ideas or (preferably local) companies to look into. You can either post in the comments below or email tom@seattlebikeblog.com.