How a Small-Town Bookbinder Turned the Page with Temu
For Brent Wynne, a 40‑year‑old entrepreneur, opportunity has always come from spotting what others miss. Originally from what he calls a “little old nothing town” — Bear Grass, North Carolina — he and his twin brother built Lay it Flat Bookshop around a simple concept: take traditional bound books and reformat them into spiral-bound editions that lie flat for easier use in settings like kitchens, classrooms, and physical therapy clinics.
The format struck a chord—customers loved the practicality, and Lay It Flat’s founding company, BTW Global, LLC, has received several industry recognitions for business excellence. Now based in Washington, North Carolina, the business has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for three consecutive years since 2023. The Inc. 5000 lists the 5,000 fastest-growing U.S. private companies based on their revenue growth rate.
But its real breakthrough came in February 2025, when the company became one of the earliest U.S. sellers to join Temu.
“Launching on Temu opened an entirely new chapter for us,” Wynne said. “We’re not just selling books—we’re reviving them.”
One of the first titles they listed was Chair Yoga for Seniors, a backlist release from Skyhorse Publishing that had largely faded from circulation. After giving it a spiral-bound refresh and launching it on Temu, the book took off, selling over 5,000 copies in just six weeks—many to readers discovering it for the first time.
In just a few months, Lay It Flat’s Temu storefront has moved more than 100,000 units, and even attracted publishers approaching the company to explore similar collaborations. What started as a niche production process is now reshaping how publishers think about the long tail of their catalogs.
“Our model is about utility, not novelty,” Wynne explained. “We’re not racing to the bottom on price. We’re using format, marketing, and reach to reconnect readers with books that still have something to say.”
Temu offered more than visibility and a level of seller support that Wynne describes as game-changing.
“We’ve worked with a lot of platforms, but Temu is the first where we felt truly supported,” he said. “The team was responsive from day one. They want you to win, and they help make it happen.”
That flywheel effect—where quality listings earn more visibility, leading to more sales and stronger store performance—helped Lay It Flat scale quickly. And it came at a time when the business needed it most.
From Crisis to Comeback
In late 2024, Lay It Flat’s storefront on another major e-commerce platform was suspended for 27 days during the peak holiday season, following what Wynne describes as false copyright infringement claims. Although the company held documented rights, the platform acted before verifying the situation.
The suspension resulted in $6 million in lost revenue and 35 employees laid off.
“Unfortunately, disruptions like these are becoming more common across e-commerce,” Wynne said. “But they can be devastating for small businesses that rely on stability.”
After their store was reinstated, Lay It Flat began onboarding with Temu to ensure stability moving forward. By the time its older storefront was slowly returning to normal volume, the new one on Temu had already started to overtake it in traction and revenue.
“Temu helped us rebuild and regain our business,” he said. “We’ve already brought back 25 of the 35 people we lost—and we’re hiring more.”
A Bigger Future on the Horizon
With sales growing and new demand from publishers, Wynne sees Temu not just as a new channel, but an opportunity for growth. A new integration with global book distributor Ingram Content Group could soon bring millions of new titles to the platform. Wynne projects Temu will soon become the company’s largest sales engine, surpassing platforms they spent more than a decade building.
“The addressable market in publishing is huge,” he said. “We’re planning to expand our Temu presence internationally next year.”
With more publishers seeking help reviving their backlists and more customers discovering Lay It Flat’s format through Temu, Wynne is excited about the company’s future.
“With Temu’s seller support system, it’s not just a pie-in-the-sky anymore.”