Stay up to date with the world of independent bookselling.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022  
Note: In next week’s BTW, we’ll share Winter Institute registration information & more!
 
The Children’s Institute Session Video Recordings Are Now Available!
 

Thank you to those who attended Ci10 in-person and virtually! ABA is committed to the education of all bookstore members. To make long-distance learning accessible, ABA records programming and disseminates the content on BookWeb whenever possible. We are excited to share the session video recordings from Ci10 are now available!

Whether you were unable to attend Ci10, or attended and would like to revisit sessions, we invite you to check out the session video recordings. We look forward to seeing you for the 11th anniversary of Children's Institute in 2023!
ABFE Condemns Attack on Rushdie

“ABFE is appalled by the violent attack on author Salman Rushdie and co-founder of City of Asylum Pittsburgh, Henry Reese, that occurred Friday at an event in Chautauqua, New York. Throughout his career, Rushdie has been a courageous defender of free speech. For almost two decades, Reese and City of Asylum have provided sanctuary for exiled authors. As threats to free expression have escalated this year, we have been inspired by, and benefited from, their work in the world,” ABFE’s Director Dave Grogan said. “Our thoughts are with them and we wish them a speedy recovery.”

ABA’s CEO Allison Hill issued a statement on Tuesday, August 16, and asked for people to sign ABA’s petition for action.

Question of the Week
A member asked for an update about the annual ABA publisher meetings at Town Hall last month. ABA and publishers also discussed their shared concern and actions surrounding the current wave of book banning.  
 

In addition to ABA’s regular conversations and meetings with publishers, once a year ABA has formal meetings with publishers to speak to the value of independent bookstores and independent booksellers to the book industry ecosystem; to communicate the ways in which publishers can support independent bookstores with the shared goal of selling more books; and creating a sustainable industry that can support a livable wage for booksellers, bookstore owners, and publishing employees.

As usual, the priority was how to increase sales and profitability for bookstores and address livable wage. With that in mind, we discussed the importance of discoverability to drive sales, industry inefficiencies that hurt bookstores and publishers and how to improve them, and examples of publishers that are driving sales with bookstores by improving their terms. We also prioritized representation in the industry, DEI issues, livable wage, and new store growth. As always, we spoke to the critical importance of pre-order campaigns for independent bookstores. Continue reading the response on BookWeb.
 
Read More
Action Items
Order the ABC Catalog

Complete this form to receive your free ABC Catalog copies. Search your email for the subject line, “Claim your free 250 ABC Best Books for Young Readers Catalogs now!” The deadline to claim your copies is tomorrow, August 18.
September’s Management Book Club pick!

Announcing the September Management Book Club pick, Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back by Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson. You can register for one of the meetings based on your geographical location or schedule: Management Book Club West or Management Book Club East.

Banned Books Week Digital Assets

Booksellers are encouraged to check out the digital assets for this year's Banned Books Week, which will be celebrated from September 18 through September 24. It includes a new Banned Books Checklist and a Banned Books BINGO game! (For those who may have already downloaded the assets, there has been an update to the BINGO game: “George by Alex Gino” now reads “Melissa (previously published as George) by Alex Gino.”

"I Read Dangerously" T-Shirts

In the wake of book bannings across the country, show your support for free expression and Banned Books Week by purchasing an “I Read Dangerously” T-shirt. All sales go to support ABFE, ABA’s free expression initiative. Let everyone know you support the right to read!
Incomplete ABACUS Surveys

Stores who have started but did not complete the ABACUS survey, look out for an email from Industry Insights to help finalize and submit the survey by August 28. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] if you have questions or need help.
Save the Date

Note: There will be no Tech Meetups for August.

Save the date for these upcoming events
What to Know
Good Morning America visits Loyalty Bookstore for Black Business Month!

In celebration of Black Business Month, Good Morning America visited Black-owned independent bookstore, Loyalty Bookstore of Washington, DC. During the GMA segment, Loyalty Bookstore owner, Hannah Oliver Depp, shared that she opened the store for important reasons including that she “wants to make sure everyone knows there is a multiplicity of Black stories” to read. She shares the importance of the opportunity to influence what kind of books get attention, publishing, and represent her neighborhood. Author Jason Reynolds, surprised Loyalty Bookstore with a visit during the GMA segment. Reynolds spoke to the importance of Black independent bookstores, sharing that “independent bookstores, Black independent bookstores, provide community spaces.” Oliver Depp hopes to build a book-mobile in her mission to continue her work in reaching as many people as possible.
PartnerShip Update

PartnerShip is now administering two separate shipping benefits for ABA members: FedEx Discounts and Freight Savings:

FedEx Discounts: Rely on FedEx for all of your shipping needs and save through the ABA benefits program. Members receive 50% off FedEx Express and 30% off FedEx Ground. If you currently ship with FedEx, you’ll be able to continue using it the same way you do today. After you enroll in the FedEx Advantage Program, the discounts will be added to your account and then automatically applied to your shipments. Don’t have an account? No problem — you can open one when you enroll. Enroll now.

Freight Savings: ABA members save on shipments with TForce Freight, YRC, XPO, Saia, and many others. These competitive rates are made available through our endorsed shipping provider, PartnerShip® . With this free ABA member benefit, you’ll reduce your freight costs, easily rate shop between carriers, and get dedicated support from shipping experts. Whether you’re shipping a single pallet or a full truckload, PartnerShip will help you ship smarter. Get a quote.
Bookstore Romance Day!

Bookstore Romance Day is this Saturday! Bookshop.org shares, “Bookstore Romance day is a day designed to give independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction — its books, readers, and writers — and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community.”

The Romance Specialty Bestseller List

Here is the Indie Romance Bestseller List, based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending August 14, 2022.
IndieCommerce 2.0 Update

Last week we handed over the first IC 2.0 sites to our initial group of ABA member stores, and they are hard at work populating their new sites with content. While working on their new sites, these stores have been providing our developers and support staff with invaluable feedback and suggestions. See what is next for stores transitioning to IndieCommerce 2.0!
 
 
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