Industry News

Book Sense is pleased to welcome the recently launched Unbridled Books as its newest publishing partner. In February, industry veterans Fred Ramey and Greg Michalson announced the formation of Unbridled Books, a new house based on a longstanding publishing partnership.

Special Promotion on Original 10 Titles Available at BEA

Brad Pitt may miss the fall grand opening of bookseller Susan Novotny's new store in upstate New York. He'll be losing a good opportunity for a cross-promotion.

LIBRIS (League of Independent Book Retailer Insurance Services), the insurance company created by ABA for the benefit of independent booksellers, has announced that it will soon be distributing dividends to participants in the program. Dividends to be distributed to ABA members are determined by a percentage of premiums paid on Business Owner Package and Workers' Compensation policies written from July 2002 through June 2003. Dividends distributed to non-ABA participants are equal to a smaller percentage of these premiums. Dividend checks will be mailed shortly.

On Thursday, May 20, Michigan's House of Representatives passed legislation that would streamline the tax codes to make it easier for businesses to collect state sales and use tax on Internet and catalog purchases, the Associated Press reported. Rep. Lorence Wenke (R-Richland), chairperson of the House Tax Policy Committee, introduced the main bill in the four-bill package (H.B. 5502 - 5) and stressed, "This is not a new tax, but rather a tax already owed by Michigan citizens.

On Tuesday, May 25, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), the American Library Association (ALA), and the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) filed a brief in support of an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenge to Section 505 of the USA Patriot Act.

The ABA/Book Sense Lounge at BookExpo America (BEA) -- Room 401 at the McCormick Place Convention Center -- is the place to go to learn about Book Sense Bestseller reporting. ABA staff will be on hand from Thursday, June 3, through Sunday, June 6, to explain how easy it is to report your weekly sales figures through the Nielsen BookScan, ABA Upload, or ABA Web Data Form methods.

The "American Booksellers Association, Inc. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedules -- September 30, 2003 and 2002 (With Independent Auditors' Report Thereon)" has been posted to BookWeb.org and is accessible to ABA bookstore members. For a downloadable PDF format, click here.

Jane Pauley, whose forthcoming book, Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue, will be published by Random House, will be the host of ABA's Celebration of Bookselling at this year's BookExpo America (BEA). Pauley, who interviewed thousands of newsmakers as a co-anchor of NBC's Today Show, for which she was named "1986 Broadcaster of the Year" by the International Radio and Television Society and "Best in the Business" by the Washington Journalism Review in 1990, will host the event to be held on Friday, June 4, from 5:30 p.m.