BookExpo

Literary prize created in honor of Politics & Prose founder; BEA to expand independent author programming; Colorado’s “Amazon tax” law blocked by judge

The Grand Hyatt New York, located at 42nd Street and Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, will once again become Hotel ABA, the exclusive hotel for ABA member booksellers attending BookExpo America.

BEA author breakfast emcees announced; World Read Aloud Day to be celebrated March 5; Study shows changes in use of college course materials; Chronicle to distribute Twirl Books; Image recognition feature added to Amazon app

Penguin Random House to consolidate warehouse facilities; BookExpo America to host China in 2015; Simon & Schuster launches all-publisher business book site 250 Words

Pennsylvania House pushes Congress toward e-fairness; More consumers to finish holiday shopping online; National Book Foundation calls for Innovations in Reading nominations; Candlewick reaches out to teens through E-Volt Tumblr; Making Information Pay conference to co-locate with Digital Publishing Forum at BEA

BEA asks for input on future locations; HarperCollins launches direct-to-consumer e-book platform; New Zealanders win scholarships to Winter Institute 2014; BISG survey looks at e-book reading; Changes afoot at World Book Night U.K.; Lerner Publisher Services to distribute for Walter Foster Publishing

David Quinton Holton, Jr., who was known to many in the book industry for his coordination of BookExpo America’s author autographing for more than 20 years, died on Wednesday, September 18, at age 66 of cancer. 

ABA’s educational session “Being Social: Reaching Your Customers and Community” at BookExpo America 2013 welcomed four panelists, who discussed using social media to enhance the communications reach of independent stores. 

Six panelists joined moderator Richard Buthod of Turtleback Books for the session “Common Core: Insight From Industry Touchpoints” at BEA: Melissa Jacobs-Israel from the New York City public school system; Cheryl Dickemper of The Booksource; Kenny Brechner of Devaney Doak & Garrett; Phoebe Yeh, then of HarperCollins Children’s Books; Becky Anderson of Anderson’s Bookshops; and Victoria Stapleton of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Members of the ABC Children’s Group at ABA participated in Illustrator Studio Tours, sponsored by the ABC Group and the Children’s Book Council, on Wednesday, May 29, at BEA. Illustrators including You Byun, Tad Hills, Paul Hoppe, Kate Yamasaki, and Betsy and Ted Lewin welcomed booksellers into their studios.

At ABA’s education session “How to Plan for a Second Location” at BEA, a panel of experienced booksellers shared their experiences of starting a new venture, including determining when to expand, arranging startup capital, finding a location, coordinating staff, managing inventory, and handling POS and store logistics. 

In his bimonthly letter to members, ABA CEO Oren Teicher shares the renewed sense of optimism about indie bookselling that was evident at last week’s trade show, looks at some of the important changes of the past year, and reminds booksellers about several new programs and initiatives.

BISG asks for input from book industry professionals; Raw BEA numbers announced; Small Business Week begins June 17; British booksellers seek government’s help in fighting Amazon; Lambda Literary Award winners announced; Akashic Books launches Infamous Books

On Wednesday morning at last week’s BEA, Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore and Mary Magers of Magers & Quinn shared their best practices for remainder buying. Offering remainders can help bookstores provide “great books at great prices in a great atmosphere that keeps readers reading longer,” Shanks said.

Income from the online and live auctions of children’s book art held in conjunction with this year’s BEA increased by 50 percent over the previous year’s auction results. Proceeds from the auctions support ABFFE’s defense of the free speech rights of young readers.