#HarperCollinsLovesIndies to Showcase Dozens of Bookstores in 2018

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As part of the #HarperCollinsLovesIndies initiative, seven independent booksellers have taken to Facebook Live this year to show off what makes them special.

HarperCollins Publishers, which launched the program in 2017, is inviting a new bookseller to share a video on Facebook Live each Saturday in 2018. Booksellers interested in participating should e-mail [email protected].

During their videos, booksellers can introduce themselves and the store’s staff, show how the store works behind the scenes, discuss upcoming special events, share current staff favorites, answer questions posted by commenters, and more.

In 2017, the #HarperCollinsLovesIndies initiative featured 54 bookstores from 25 states. The live videos garnered more than 130,000 views across the stores’ Facebook pages and HarperCollins’ Facebook page, which has 140,000 followers. The program is once again using the hashtags #HarperCollinsLovesIndies and #HarperCollinsLive.

This year, the American Booksellers Association will boost the audience for the videos by sharing them with a total of 44,000 followers on its Facebook page and IndieBound page.

All a bookseller needs is a smartphone with an Internet connection and the Facebook app to participate. The live videos are usually around 20 minutes long.

HarperCollins is helping bookstores plan their live events by sending a “best practices” guide in advance of the live video, including helpful hints like checking that smartphones are fully charged and a reminder to post a graphic on social media to alert followers that the live video is coming.

Check out all of the 2018 #HarperCollinsLovesIndies Facebook Live videos so far: