Book Sense

Here is the full listing of the April "Book Sense Picks," with booksellers' comments. Independent booksellers in the Book Sense program are receiving their Picks fliers in the March Red Box.

This week, Book Sense also presents a preview of the April "Book Sense Notables." Bibliographic information for titles designated "Notables" is included on the April Picks flier.

Booksellers in the Book Sense program are reminded that the March and April Book Sense Picks fliers will contain a short consumer survey designed to solicit important feedback regarding the Picks program.

As an incentive, consumers who complete the survey will be eligible to win all 20 titles featured in either the March or the April Picks fliers. One winner will be chose at random in both March and April, and each winner will be notified by Book Sense that he or she has won.

Pages for All Ages Books, Music, Cafe & DVDs has been serving the Illinois communities of Champaign-Urbana-Savoy since June 1988. Brandon and Susan Griffing founded the store, but in a different location, with far less floor space and fewer titles, and certainly no DVDs.

When Steven Sorrentino quit his job as vice president and executive director of publicity at HarperCollins to write his memoir, it was a remarkably bold move.

The March Book Sense Notables selections are now available in a downloadable PDF flier on BookWeb.org. The flier includes jacket image, bibliographic information, and bookseller quotes. These additional 20 titles are also featured in an electronic file of shelf-talkers for in-store use.

There are two important deadlines coming up for the Book Sense Picks programs:

• Friday, March 4, is the deadline for the Reading Group Book Sense List, and
• Friday, March 11, is the deadline for the May Book Sense Picks List.

Now in its third year, the Book Sense Reading Group list -- initiated at the suggestion of booksellers in the Book Sense program -- has been a big success with book-buying consumers.

Here's a look at some exciting new functionalities recently added to BookSense.com, as well as some important customer service news.

New Features: In addition to fixing a few bugs, last week BookSense.com added three new, exciting pieces of functionality:

In an effort to solicit important feedback regarding the Book Sense Picks list, ABA is asking bookstores in the Book Sense program to participate in a short survey, which they received in the February Red Box mailing. Booksellers can also complete the survey online at www.bookweb.org/read/7619, or can download it in PDF format by clicking here.

In the classic baseball movie Field of Dreams, the mantra repeated throughout the film is, "If you build it, they will come." Not so with websites.

The March issue of The Atlantic magazine on sale now includes a full-page ad featuring Book Sense and the recommendations of independent booksellers from the March Picks and Notables lists.

Drawing attention to the uniqueness of independent booksellers' recommendations, the headline banner of the ad proclaims, "There's Nothing Like Book Sense: Independent Bookseller Recommendations." The ad can easily be displayed in stores.

Featured Picks titles with bookseller quotes are:

Booksellers and other industry professionals attending ABA's Celebration of Bookselling at this year's BookExpo America (BEA) will be treated to an event hosted by multitalented performer Al Franken.

As a helpful reminder to member booksellers, ABA has begun producing a "3-Month Bookseller Action List," highlighting important dates and deadlines related to ABA and Book Sense activities and events. The list for February through April 2005, which was included in the February Red Box mailing to stores with Book Sense, is also provided below and is available in pdf format.