Industry News

During the month of May, the Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation will be seeking 50 new sustaining donors to provide ongoing support for its bookseller assistance programs.

Here’s a look at key deadlines for booksellers planning to take advantage of exclusive ABA member-only events and discounted prices at BookExpo America 2015.

Vermont’s Phoenix Books is using a “community supported enterprise” model to open a 2,400-square-foot space in Rutland this August. This will be the third store for Mike DeSanto and Renée Reiner, his wife and business partner.

This week, approximately 190 booksellers converged in Pasadena for the 2015 ABC Children’s Institute. The packed schedule included education sessions on topics from birthday parties to story times, and presentations from authors such as Jeff Kinney, Marla Frazee, and Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Village Books & Paper Dreams founders and co-owners Chuck and Dee Robinson have announced plans to open a branch store in Lynden, Washington, 20 miles north of their flagship location in Bellingham.

Don’t miss out on the special ABA member rate at the Grand Hyatt New York, this year’s Hotel ABA at BEA. The deadline is May 1.

The SBA Office of Advocacy has released an issue brief that examines the potential impact of new SEC rules for equity-based crowdfunding, which are expected to be released this fall.

Among the authors scheduled to autograph in the ABA Member Lounge at BEA are Jonathan Franzen, the Opening Day Spotlight speaker, and seven of the eight speakers at this year’s Book and Author Breakfasts.

More than 100 writers from 30 countries will gather in New York City from May 4 to 10, at the 11th Annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, where the theme will be “On Africa.” Booksellers are invited to use a special discount code for online ticket orders and to share the code with their customers.

Last year, Mississippi’s independent booksellers and the University Press of Mississippi began working together to revitalize the Books pages in the Jackson-based Clarion-Ledger. Since then, the section’s resurgence has enlivened the state’s literary culture.

All ballots to elect a new president, vice president/secretary, and three directors to serve on the ABA’s Board of Directors must be cast by midnight EDT on April 30 in order to be counted.

CBC and WNDB partner on internship program; GLIBA, MIBA bestseller lists debut; Shortlists announced for 2015 PEN Literary Awards; SIBA Book Award finalists announced; ALA releases list of most frequently challenged books of 2014; S&S’s Wendy Sheanin promoted; New Zealand booksellers and retailers launch eFairness campaign

This weekend, 11 independent booksellers will be exhibiting at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, to be held at the University of Southern California just prior to the ABC Children’s Institute.

The first quarter of 2015 saw five ABA member store openings and six sales of existing businesses to new owners.

On Monday, HarperCollins announced it had reached an agreement that would ensure its print and digital books would continue to be available through Amazon.