ABA’s Red and White Boxes Explained

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IndieBound logoEach month, the American Booksellers Association sends Red and White Box mailings to member booksellers who have opted into the IndieBound movement, but who gets what depends on a bookstore’s level of participation.

The Red Box, containing Indie Next List fliers and publisher-supplied items such as shelf-talkers, posters, easelbacks, catalogs, special offers, and other time-sensitive marketing materials, typically lands at stores by the middle of the month.

However, to receive the White Box, containing ARCs, galleys, and finished books supplied by ABA publisher partners, by the end of each month, stores must participate in the IndieBound movement in at least two of the following ways:

The greater the level of participation by a bookstore, the more robust their White Box mailing will be each month.

The quarterly Children’s White Box will also be sent as long as a bookstore participates in at least two of the ways mentioned above.

Any ABA member store not currently receiving White Box mailings can start receiving them by participating in ABA’s marketing programs as outlined above.

New bricks-and-mortar ABA bookstore members that sell some amount of new books will automatically receive the Red Box. New stores are exempt from the White Box requirements for the first three months of membership; however, to continue receiving White Box mailings after that time, they must participate in ABA’s marketing programs as described above.

Bookstores with questions about the Red and White Box mailings should contact their Member Relationship Manager: Nathan Halter (for the NCIBA, SCIBA, MPIBA, PNBA, SIBA regions) at (800) 637-0037, ext. 7514, or Catherine Cusick (for NAIBA, NEIBA, GLIBA, MIBA) at (800) 637-0037, ext. 7566.