Raccoon River Press is an independent bookstore and partnered-publisher in West Des Moines, Iowa. 100% Women owned & operated. We are committed to being part of a rising-tide. We now proudly offer book-ish merch from a variety of local & women/LGBTQ-owned businesses in addition to titles by local authors and titles published locally by BookPress Publishing.
Online and pop-up only. We can ship anywhere!
Member:
- Certified Targeted Small Business (Iowa Economic Development Authority), 2021.
- West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, 2021.
- American Booksellers Association (ABA), 2021.
- Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (MIBA), 2021.
MEET THE OWNER:
Hi y'all! My name is Jena Best and opening Raccoon River Press is truly a dream come true. A Midwest native, I've lived all over Wisconsin and Iowa before settling in the Des Moines area with my spouse, son, and two dogs (Mya & Piper). My husband & I are both Wartburg College alumni (Go Knights! Be Orange), so you may notice small nods to our alma mater here and there.
A biologist by training, I took a leap of faith to leave the laboratory and pursue my passion for reading and editing!
For those wondering, yes! Raccoon River Press is currently in partnership with BookPress Publishing to try and bring more local voices to the literary world! I'm learning more every day so that I can bring the best local publishing services to the Des Moines metro that I can! You can see our current publication information here.
Thank you all for supporting my dream and I hope to see and serve you for years to come!