Five Important Things You May Have Missed This Week Valentine’s Day Assets
Melissa Napolitano — ABA’s resident graphic artist and the talent behind “October is the new December” and our other great marketing assets — has created Valentine’s Day assets for stores. A recent Finder survey showed that 161.8 million people will buy gifts for their valentine this year. The National Retail Federation’s recent survey results indicated Valentine’s Day spending to total $21.8 billion and, for the first time since the question was added in 2015, consumers listed small businesses as a top-five shopping destination for their Valentine’s Day shopping. ABA’s New At-a-Glance Calendar
We’re offering more educational programming and events than ever before and we know it’s a lot to track. So we’ve created a new convenient calendar view for the entire ABA event and programming lineup. The link to the Events Calendar can be found under the Events tab on BookWeb. Trivia Night Fun & Fundraising Event for Binc: Saturday, February 20, 5:10 pm – 6:25 pm ET
A virtual night on the town with fellow booksellers and publishers to test your literary trivia knowledge and raise money for a great cause: the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing a financial safety net for booksellers and their families. There’s a $5 donation to register (though you’re welcome to donate more!) and the host will assign teams. Register now! Open to anyone in the book business. Advocacy Campaign: Tell Your Lawmakers to Save Small Businesses
Tell your lawmakers that it’s time to pass relief. Booksellers’ outreach can play a critical role on this important issue, and ABA’s easy-to-use tool allows booksellers to send one targeted message to Republican lawmakers and another targeted message to Democratic lawmakers. Take action here. (2 minutes!) MahoganyBooks in the News
Congratulations to MahoganyBooks in Washington, D.C., on a surprise visit from President Obama and a great feature on the Today Show about the store, representation, and the importance of Black-owned bookstores.
A Few Reminders Winter Institute Heads Up! If you registered for Winter Institute, watch for upcoming emails from ABA and Hopin for important access information, Zoom details for breakout sessions, and more! IBD Ordering Deadline Today! Today is the final deadline to order this year’s amazing Independent Bookstore Day merchandise. See the catalog here; the list includes exclusives like a special short story edition by Stephen King and Joe Hill, signed copies of Sharks in the Time of Saviors, signed copies of Nigella Lawson’s latest cookbook, and other exclusive and literary-themed items. Orders are not required to participate, but stores must register using the same form to be included in the searchable map of participating stores and press opportunities, and to receive free bookmarks promoting the event. Details about how to participate in Independent Bookstore Day are posted on the website, and you can find more information in next week’s BTW. IndieCommerce Institute 2021: Wednesday, March 17 (IndieCommerce stores), and Thursday, March 18 (IndieLite stores)
This year’s virtual IndieCommerce Institute will focus on helping stores manage website content and optimize their online shopping cart for higher conversion rates, and will review all the new tools and features added to the IndieCommerce platform. The live, one-time-only programming is free and limited to 200 registrants. Registration will open on Wednesday, February 10. Booksellers can reach out to [email protected] for more information about the IndieCommerce Institute.
Next Week’s Events New Member Coffee Break Series, Part 2: Store Ownership 101: Monday, February 8, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET
This session will provide new and prospective bookstore owners with an opportunity to ask questions of seasoned bookstore owners/staff. New and new-ish members are welcome. Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, use this form to submit your questions for our seasoned bookstore owners/staff ahead of time. Coffee Break: Tuesday, February 9, 3:00 pm ET
Join us for an opportunity to share support, ask questions, and trade best practices. All booksellers are welcome. If you’ve never attended this event before, it’s a great way to hear what’s working well at other stores, crowdsource solutions to any challenges you’re facing at your store, and ask questions. Watch your email for an invitation and login details. School Partnerships: Book Fairs: Wednesday, February 10, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
Book fairs can be a profitable undertaking for a bookstore, but for those who have yet to launch a fair or who are new to them, the task can be overwhelming. This next session in the ABC Group’s virtual education series will feature booksellers with established relationships with their local school districts who will share how to build a realistic timeline for a book fair, manage bookstore and school expectations based on a school’s needs, and create a checklist to ensure the fair goes off without a hitch, whether it’s in-person or online. Register here. NEW! ABA Board Coffee Break for Members: Wednesday, February 10, at 3:00 pm ET, with board members Jamie Fiocco (Flyleaf Books), Melanie Knight (Books Inc.), and Tegan Tigani (Queen Anne Book Company)
The ABA Board will be hosting three dedicated Coffee Breaks this spring as a forum for bookseller members to share questions, comments, and concerns. The other coffee breaks are scheduled for Wednesday, March 10, at 7:00 p.m. ET and Wednesday, April 14, at 3:00 p.m. ET (board attendees to be announced). Watch your inbox for an invitation and login details. Technology Meetup: Constant Contact: Thursday, February 11, 1:00 pm ET
This session will feature an overview of Constant Contact led by Thomas Nettesheim, associate account manager. Topics discussed will include how to create a template, contacts, managing reporting, and ways to grow your contact list. Attendees will be able to ask questions during the session; they can also submit their questions ahead of time by emailing [email protected]. Register here. BIPOC Coffee Break: Thursday, February 11, 6:00 pm ET
A meeting space for BIPOC — Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — booksellers and bookstore owners to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking. This will be a non-hosted opportunity; there will not be a facilitator and ABA staff will not be in attendance. Booksellers and store owners interested in attending should email [email protected] for the Zoom information. Each BIPOC Coffee Break meeting has a new password, so please be sure to email for details.
ABA is here for all of you. Please reach out if there is anything we can help with. Members can contact me directly or email the Membership, Advocacy, or IndieCommerce teams. Best,
Allison |
