Industry News

Bookstore sales in April dipped slightly below April 2003 levels, interrupting the mostly upward trend of the last 11 months. April 2004 bookstore sales of $1,015 million were off 0.3 percent from the $1,018 million for April 2003.

As a result, bookstore sales in April failed to keep up with overall retail. Overall retail of $332 billion for April 2004 was 8.9 percent better than the $305 billion for April of the previous year.

From former President Bill Clinton's Keynote Address, to a lively trade show floor, to the celebration of the fifth birthday of Book Sense, to author events, and even to the city of Chicago itself, this year's BookExpo America (BEA) proved a crowd pleaser. Booksellers and publishers described this year's trade show at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center as an upbeat, busy event, allowing both to reconnect and to establish new relationships.

On Friday, June 4, at this year's BookExpo America, ABA held its annual Town Hall Meeting, which was then followed by its Annual Membership Meeting.

The Town Hall meeting covered a number of topics during an hour of spirited give and take, and the central focus of the meeting was on the question of whether to report aggregate sales of independent bookstores to publishers. Other issues discussed included the pending sale of ABA's headquarters and booksellers' concerns regarding the rising costs associated with the receipt of damaged books.

As everyone returns from BookExpo America (BEA) to share new ideas, catch up with bookstore business and e-mails, and, hopefully, eliminate some of that sleep deficit, there will also be lots of discussions about upcoming titles, many of which were highlights of BEA.

While everyone is so closely focused on great new books, we hope that you will be especially primed to send in nominations for the upcoming Book Sense Lists.

Some deadlines to keep in mind:

At 27 years old and 16,000 square feet, Little Dickens and Givens Books is the oldest and largest independent bookstore in historic Lynchburg, Virginia.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) has launched an online auction featuring many unique items from BookExpo America (BEA), including posters autographed by bestselling authors and hundreds of new autographed books. Like the three-day Silent Auction that ABFFE runs during BEA, the online auction offers bargains on the latest books, book sidelines and services, and a wide variety of entertainment items, ranging from DVDs and video games to airline tickets and hotel stays.

On Friday, June 4, at BookExpo America, Baker & Taylor announced it was lowering its terms for free freight on book orders for customers utilizing Baker &Taylor as their primary book wholesaler. Customers on file declaring Baker & Taylor as their "first call distributor" will be allowed free freight on shipments of 10 or more books.

Politics and business mixed on Saturday, June 5, at BookExpo America, as Day 3 featured a political lunch, an update on the Campaign for Reader Privacy, and a presentation of petitions to Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, as well as ABA's comprehensive seminar exploring ways to improve profits.

Live From BEA -- Day 1

On Thursday, June 3, more than 425 independent booksellers from around the U.S. converged at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago for ABA's Full-Day Educational Program at BookExpo America (BEA). Booksellers participated in activities ranging from morning marketing sessions to the booksellers' "What Are You Reading Lunch" to afternoon programming, which focused on independent business alliances, identifying competition, children's bookselling, and more.

To show their support for Book Sense @ 5, the fifth birthday of the Book Sense program, publisher partners exhibiting at BookExpo America (BEA) have planned celebratory events ranging from ice cream giveaways to wine and cheese parties to cheering for a horse trying to overcome the odds. Their events will be part of the Book Sense @ 5 Birthday Bash, which will be held at 5:00 p.m. sharp on June 5 on the BEA trade show floor.

This week, ABA announced the availability of a Book Sense @ 5 Publicity Kit for bookstores participating in the Book Sense marketing program. The publicity pack will be available at BookExpo America and in June's Red Box mailing and is online at www.bookweb.org/education/marketing/.

Marjorie Cole Receives Bellwether Prize for Fiction

On May 5, Barbara Kingsolver announced the 2004 winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction. Marjorie Kowalski Cole will receive the $25,000 award for her novel, Correcting the Landscape, which will be published by HarperCollins. Cole has lived in Seattle and Ireland, but since 1966 has been a resident of Alaska, where her novel is set.

As part of its continuing partnership with Book Sense, The History Channel will be giving away prizes to booksellers at this year's BookExpo America. From Thursday, June 3 - Saturday, June 5, in the ABA/Book Sense Lounge (Room 401) in the McCormick Place Convention Center, a representative from The History Channel will be collecting business cards for a daily drawing in which five people will win a Day of Valor DVD.