The brothers sold their company to Kmart Corp. in 1992, which already owned the Waldenbooks mall bookstore chain.

WSJ: Borders Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Konrath even named a major character in Rusty Nail, due out this year, after the manager of Waldenbooks in Schaumburg, Ill.

FORBES: Promote It Yourself

Borders Group, delaying payments to publishers and distributors as it struggles to refinance its debt, shut down approximately 200 of its Borders and Waldenbooks stores in 2010.

FORBES

Once upon a time, publishers had relatively small lists of new authors whose books they distributed to independent bookstores and small-format mall chains like Waldenbooks and B Dalton.

FORBES: Publishing Is Broken, We're Drowning In Indie Books - And That's A Good Thing

Borders Group ( BGP - news - people ), delaying payments to publishers and distributors as it struggles to refinance its debt, shut down approximately 200 of its Borders and Waldenbooks stores in 2010.

FORBES: Retail

Borders Chief Executive George Jones said Thursday that in addition to a plan to shave costs by closing about half the company's 564 Waldenbooks stores and selling some overseas operations, Borders will unveil its new proprietary Web site early next year.

FORBES: Booking Losses