Winter Institute

At “Marketing That Moves the Needle,” a well-attended Wi8 session, ABA’s Meg Smith and Greg Galloway revealed the results of a marketing experiment, while panelists Julie Wernersbach of BookPeople and Jill Miner of Saturn Booksellers discussed the strategies that work best in their stores.

As part of the ABA/NACS cooperation for Winter Institute 8, booksellers who visited the CAMEX trade show while in Kansas City and place an order of any size from an exhibiting vendor between February 24 and April 1, 2013, are entitled to a $100 rebate per ABA member store.

A snowstorm in Kansas City just before the start of Winter Institute 8 didn’t keep authors and illustrators away from the event’s signature Author Reception and Small & Independent Press Closing Reception.

Monday’s Winter Institute session entitled “Banned Books, Censorship, and YA Literature” fostered a lively discussion about booksellers’ roles when communities face censorship issues.

Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell will share insights from his forthcoming book, David and Goliath (Little, Brown, October 2013), with booksellers at Wi8’s Sunday morning plenary session. Here, Gladwell talks about what drew him to the theme of David and Goliath and some of the opportunities for bookselling “Davids.”

ABA President Becky Anderson’s bimonthly letter to members looks at some of the highlights of this weekend’s Winter Institute and notes that some of booksellers’ best ideas will also be featured in an education session at the association’s upcoming Spring Forums.

Here’s a quick reminder about some of this weekend’s Winter Institute highlights.

ABA Membership and Marketing Officer Meg Smith provides a suggested itinerary for getting the most out of next week’s Winter Institute in Kansas City, Missouri.

ABFFE will conduct a silent auction of 25 original children’s book artworks in conjunction with the Authors Reception at Winter Institute 8.

Here’s look at the 67 new and established authors and illustrators who will be featured at the Winter Institute’s signature Author Reception or the Closing Reception hosted by Wi8’s small and independent press sponsors.

Laurie Halse Anderson, a featured panelist at the Wi8 session “Banned Books, Censorship, and YA Literature,” speaks to ABFFE President Chris Finan about how she chooses the subjects for her books and why people try to ban them.

Sherman Alexie and Laurie Halse Anderson, bestselling authors and passionate defenders of the freedom to read, will be at Winter Institute 8 to discuss efforts to ban their books and other young adult works that some people claim are too “dark” for children.

Winter Institute 8 will feature several opportunities for booksellers to learn more about the ABA/Kobo program and plans in the works for 2013. In addition, Kobo representatives will be available to talk to booksellers directly.

Joining previously announced ABA affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and others at the Winter Institute 8 Consultation Station will be representatives of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, BookExpo America, Ingram, LIBRIS, and Rafter.com.