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Wednesday, November 2, 2022  
The Civic Economics Unfulfilled Report
 

ABA commissioned Civic Economics, an economic analysis and strategic planning consultancy, to do a study of how Amazon affects small businesses and communities across the nation. The result is a damning report entitled Unfulfilled: Amazon and the American Retail Landscape. Help spread the word about the report’s findings with our digital assets on BookWeb.
 
Read The Report
A Message from ABA’s CEO Allison Hill on the Future of a Fair Marketplace

The decision in the DOJ case to block Penguin Random House’s acquisition of Simon & Schuster is good news for the book industry. ABA is grateful to the Department of Justice for its efforts in support of a fair marketplace and hopes others will follow suit as the FTC continues its investigation of Amazon and the Senate considers the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. 

It's critical that the FTC, DOJ, and legislators act now to protect and support your stores and thousands of other small businesses by creating a level playing field, but also to protect and support the communities they impact. The new Civic Economics report, Unfulfilled: Amazon and the American Retail Landscape, is a devastating report of the costs and consequences of Amazon for communities. We encourage you to share its findings with customers and your local representatives. We’ve created turnkey graphics to help you spread the word. 

In the coming weeks, ABA will be sending copies of Unfulfilled along with copies of How to Resist Amazon and Why: The Fight for Local Economics, Data Privacy, Fair Labor, Independent Bookstores, and a People-Powered Future! by Danny Caine of Raven Bookstore and Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow to key legislators. Both Danny and Cory, along with Stacy Mitchell at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, will be having a keynote conversation at Winter Institute in February on this important issue.

ABA’s antitrust work in the fight against Amazon is a long game. But so was the fight for sales tax.
Order IBD Exclusives by November 11
IBD
One Week Left to Order IBD Exclusives
 

Join the 400+ stores who have already signed up to participate in Independent Bookstore Day! Order IBD Exclusives by November 11, as they will only be available until then.

Take a look at the digital catalog, which includes the complete list of paid and free exclusives. There is a 20-item minimum needed for free shipping AND freebies. Free items, Blackwing Pencils and T-shirts do not count towards the 20-item minimum. Without the 20 paid item minimum, stores will pay the $6 flat rate shipping fee.
 
Order IBD Exclusives
Action Items
"Read Dangerously" this Election

It's election season: Do you have your "I Read Dangerously" tattoos and T-shirts? If not, there is no better time to order than now. The temporary, waterless tattoos wholesale for $1.25 each, and the minimum order is a quantity of 50. The tattoos retail for $2.99 each. All net profits from sales go to the American Booksellers for Free Expression.

To order or inquire, please email [email protected]. T-shirts can be ordered on Bonfire. All sales of both the tattoos and T-shirts go to support ABFE, ABA's free speech initiative. 
Claim A Free Custom Design from Bonfire

Bonfire is a free online platform where you can design, sell, fundraise with, and order custom products to build your bookseller brand. They handle 100% of the logistics — like payment processing, order fulfillment, and customer service — so you can focus on connecting with your community. Whether you want to sell limited edition releases or have a long-term online store, their flexible platform offers a catalog of premium merchandise that never sacrifices quality. ABA members can claim a free custom design (one time only) by emailing Taylor Soignoli at [email protected].
Sign up for NetGalley’s Digital Box

NetGalley works with over 300 publishers, from large trade publishers to university presses, nonfiction and craft books, children's book publishers, and more. By signing up with NetGalley, ABA-member booksellers will receive a free monthly email with pre-approved access to select digital galleys of upcoming print books. Members will need to first log in to BookWeb.org. Each individual working at an ABA member store can receive their own Digital Box email.
Partner with “Shop Black-Owned” This February — And All Year Long

The American Independent Business Alliance’s (AMIBA) Shop Black-Owned Campaign is back! The movement works to inspire your community to support your own or others’ Black-owned businesses and celebrate diversity in your community. AMIBA has compiled articles and resources to leverage the movement including:
Save the Date

Save the date for these upcoming events: 
What to Know
Native American Heritage Month
 

November is Native American Heritage Month, celebrating the history, traditions, contributions, and living cultures of Native people. Carolann Jane Duro, founder of Quiet Quail Books shared audiobooks on Libro.fm they recommend for Native American Heritage Month, highlighting the importance of Native stories.

As the holiday season approaches, alongside time to celebrate with family, it is also a time to consider the stories and traditions we share and observe. “We do not need the poisonous ‘pilgrims and Indians’ narrative,” writes Sean Sherman, author of The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen. “We do not need that illusion of past unity to actually unite people today. Instead, we can focus simply on values that apply to everybody: togetherness, generosity and gratitude.”

As part of that celebration of tradition, we would like to honor our Native Booksellers and share some of their stories. We will be doing so in next week’s BTW. If you are a bookseller or bookstore owner who identifies as Native and would like to share and highlight your store, please send us images, traditions, or stories you are comfortable sharing to [email protected]. We would love to honor you and yours in BTW this month.
A Q&A with Jas Hammonds, Indies Introduce Author of the November/December Kids’ Indie Next List Top Pick We Deserve Monuments

Independent booksellers across the country have chosen Summer/Fall 2022 Indies Introduce YA author Jas Hammonds' We Deserve Monuments as their top pick for the November/December 2022 Kids Next List. Here, Nicole Brinkley of Oblong Books and Cynthia Compton of 4 Kids Books & Toys talk with Hammonds about We Deserve Monuments.
Children’s Book Week

Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading. Every year, young people across the country participate by attending events at schools, libraries, bookstores, celebrating at home, and engaging with book creators both online and in person. This year, on its 103rd anniversary, the second dedicated week of celebration takes place November 7-13 with the theme How do you book?. Check out these FAQs and free resources to learn more about participating this year.
Politics & Current Events Bestseller List

Here is the Indie Politics and Current Events Bestseller List, based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending October 30, 2022.
December Indie Next List Preview

Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the December 2022 Indie Next List flier. Top pick? The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton. And, to mark the start of a new month, November Indie Next List and November/December Kids’ Next List social media assets are live on BookWeb.
 
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