Stay up to date with the world of independent bookselling.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Register for Virtual Wi2023!
 

Registration is now open for Virtual Winter Institute on March 23, 2023! This one-day digital experience includes:

  • Virtual Galley Room: Request ARCs of upcoming titles!
  • Keynotes: Watch incredible keynote presentations from leading voices in the bookselling industry and beyond.
  • Breakout Sessions and Idea Exchanges: Hear from panelists and engage with fellow attendees through a range of topics.

And more!

Register today to attend for $35. Virtual Winter Institute is a great opportunity for booksellers unable to attend in person in Seattle, or to share a variety of education sessions from Winter Institute with your staff, along with other fresh programming built for the virtual environment.

Videos from Winter Institute keynotes and select sessions will be available on BookWeb at a later date for all ABA members to watch at their convenience.
 
Save My Seat for Virtual Wi2023
Scam and Fake Page Alert

It has recently come to ABA’s attention that an individual or group calling themselves the "American Booksellers Federation" has been soliciting authors. This organization is not affiliated with ABA in any way. We urge everyone to share this information and to exercise caution when providing money or information to an organization you’re not familiar with. Please also note that ABA does not place large book orders with literary agents. If you’re contacted about such an order, please let ABA know at [email protected].
ICYMI: 26 Days Until Winter Institute 2023

Yesterday, January 24, attendees received an email from [email protected] with the subject line, “Wi2023 Community Forum, HealthShield Vaccination Verification, and Reminders.” Refer back to this email for information on the following:

  • How to submit your HealthShield Vaccination Verification by January 31 (or submit via an alternative)
  • Sign-up links for Publishers by Appointment and IndieCommerce One-on-One’s

ABA Community Forum

The ABA Community Forum will be held at Winter Institute on Thursday, February 23, from 10:40 am to 11:40 am PT. This is a reimagined Town Hall with the same opportunities for members to be heard and more opportunity for constructive discussions about our industry. The ABA Board, ABA Staff, Publishers, Wholesalers, Bookstore Owners, Booksellers — the indie bookstore community — will be in attendance to discuss industry ideas, issues, and experiences. The hope for this session is to create community dialogue around priorities for the industry, to answer questions, and to share information about members’ needs and concerns. 

This is an opportunity for us all to discuss pressing issues and the future of the industry. It will also help the Board understand the needs of members and inform the Board as they shape the Ends Policies that drive ABA’s work on behalf of members. It will help ABA Staff in their work as well. We want to hear from members!

Attendees can bring topics up during the meeting or submit topics ahead of time via email [email protected]. This session will be recorded and will be available to members after Winter Institute.
Action Items
Long Delayed IndieBound Buy Button Switch to Bookshop Buy Buttons Finally Happening!

One of the key pieces of ABA’s partnership with Bookshop.org — shifting the industry from IndieBound links to Bookshop.org links — was planned for 2020 but postponed during the uncertainty and anxiety of the pandemic. The shift to Bookshop.org buttons was planned to help eliminate consumer confusion, improve data for the indie channel, convert more consumers, generate more revenue for booksellers (thanks to a simpler purchase flow and higher conversion rate), and optimize the impact of Bookshop for independent bookstores.


Now, beginning March 1, all of this will be possible, as IndieBound “buy” buttons will become Bookshop.org “buy” buttons with a new tagline emphasizing support for independent bookstores. Answers to questions about this switch can be found on BookWeb.
Membership Renewal Reminder 

Your store’s 2023 membership renewal email arrived on January 5. All ABA memberships run from February 1 through January 31. Member stores can opt to pay dues on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, but all members need to complete the renewal process to update their store’s data. Renew now to avoid a lapse in membership! 

Membership benefits can be reviewed on BookWeb. Questions about dues renewal can be emailed to the Membership Team.
You May Still Be Eligible for Employee Retention Credits!

We’ve heard from stores who thought they weren’t eligible for ERC money but they are! If you thought you weren’t eligible because:

  •   You claimed PPP money
  •   Your overall revenue wasn’t down in 2020 and/or 2021
  •   Your accountant told you you weren’t eligible

You may still be eligible!

Employee Retention Credits, or ERCs, are available to businesses affected by the pandemic. It’s a tax return that could equate to you receiving up to $26,000 per employee. And it’s estimated that only 6% of eligible businesses have claimed ERC money.

To find out if you may be eligible and to hear how BrightPoint Associates and Connect My Biz can help you, join us for an informative 20-minute Zoom webinar on Thursday, February 2, at 5:00 pm ET.
Register Today for Board Office Hours/ABA Open House

This Friday, January 27, at 4:00 pm ET, booksellers and bookstore owners can talk directly with ABA Board members and ABA staff to ask questions, share concerns or experiences, and/or express their needs for support. Register now!
Books Across America Documentary Call for “Super Readers”

In a new public television documentary, Mason Engel will travel to 50 states, read 50 books, and interview 50 authors...all in 50 days. But Mason's journey is only part of the story. He and his crew are hoping to interview "super readers": book collectors, BookTokkers, larpers, cosplayers, fandom insiders...anyone who embodies the "extremes" of American book culture. If you know anyone who fits that description, please send them this link.

Save the Date

Save the date for these upcoming events:

For 2023:

ShopTalk and ShopTalk Subsets will be combined. Sessions will occur every other month. The majority of each session will be set aside for smaller breakout groups, with the last 15 minutes of the hour reserved for a larger group discussion.

Board Office Hours and ABA Open Houses will also be combined to create an opportunity for members to connect and engage in discussion with both Board members and the ABA team. Members of the ABA Board of Directors, the ABA CEO, and other members of the ABA staff will be in attendance.
What to Know
An Indies Introduce Q&A With Miya T. Beck

Miya T. Beck is the author of the novel The Pearl Hunter, a Winter/Spring 2023 Indies Introduce Kids selection. Here, Beck and Gabriella Crivilare of Prairie Fox Books in Ottawa, IL, discuss The Pearl Hunter.
A Q&A With Grady Hendrix, Author of February Indie Next List Top Pick “How to Sell a Haunted House”

Independent booksellers across the country have chosen Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House as their top pick for the February 2023 Indie Next List. Here, Bookselling This Week and Hendrix talk about How to Sell a Haunted House.
An Indies Introduce Q&A With Dizz Tate

Dizz Tate is the author of the novel Brutes, a Winter/Spring 2023 Indies Introduce Adult selection. Here, Tate and Alyssa Raymond of Copper Dog Books in Beverley, MA, discuss Brutes.
Buzz Books Editors Panel

The Buzz Books Editors Panel, sponsored by Publishers Lunch and ABA, is tonight, Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 7:00 pm ET. Join editors as they describe exciting forthcoming titles and interview their six breakout authors. Galleys are available for the first 50 bookseller registrants.
LIG Q1 Health & Wellness

From ABA’s health coverage partner LIG Solutions, here is what you need to know about staying healthy this winter. Resources include health insurance options outside of open enrollment and information on the No Surprises Act, which aims to protect consumers from surprise medical bills and took effect in 2023.
 
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