Stay up to date with the world of independent bookselling.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
First Victory in Arkansas
 

The Court has granted a preliminary injunction barring the implementation of Arkansas Act 372. ABA, in conjunction with WordsWorth Books, Pearl's Books, the Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers, and other partners, had filed for the preliminary injunction along with the coalition's lawsuit opposing the law.

Allison Hill, ABA CEO, said this: “The judge’s decision to grant a preliminary injunction is a win for the constitutional rights of Arkansas readers and bookstores.There’s a lot at stake in the final decision — the rights of readers, the precedent for vague and unconstitutional laws, and the risk of infringement of Arkansans’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights — but we respect the due process that will follow the judge’s decision and we remain hopeful that ultimately the law will be overturned.”   
 
Read the Press Release
 
Save the date for these upcoming events:
 

Affinity Groups are on hiatus for the summer and will resume in the fall.
 
Visit the Events Calendar
 
“Fast Track” Migration to IndieCommerce 2.0 for Qualified Bookstores on IndieLite
 

We are looking for the next five IndieLite stores who are interested in moving to the new IC 2.0 platform. 

The IndieCommerce team is now offering a hands-on “Fast Track” assistance program to help you make the move! 

To qualify for this new “Fast Track” program your bookstore must:

  1. Have a website that is currently live on the IndieLite platform
  2. Commit to completing your new IC 2.0 website within three weeks of when we first hand it over to your store
  3. Have a registered domain for your new website 
  4. Complete and submit a new IC 2.0 contract

To sign up for the “Fast Track” program, please complete the sign-up form. If you have additional questions, please email [email protected] with “IC 2.0 Fast Track” in the subject line.
 
Sign Up for the “Fast Track”
 
Black Business Month: Featured Stores

For Black Business Month we’re highlighting our Black-owned member stores. Thank you to these amazing Black bookstore owners who responded to our call for stores. 

We'll update this list as the month goes on! If you would like your store to be featured, please email 
[email protected] and tell us about your store.

This list features Black-owned bookstores located across the United States, as well as pop-ups and online-only stores. 
See Featured Stores
ABA Releases Latest Antitrust White Paper

This week, ABA’s Advocacy Division released its third white paper, The Stepping Stone to Monopoly, detailing Amazon’s anticompetitive behavior.

While previous white papers focused on Amazon’s impact on different markets, this paper focuses exclusively on the bookselling and publishing markets.
Read the White Paper
ABA Education: Lightning Talks

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5–10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they’ve made in their stores. The August 10 session will feature:

You can also watch recordings of previous lightning talks on BookWeb! Check out Isis Asare (Sistah Scifi) describing her Book Vending Machines and Angela Trigg (Haunted Book Shop) discussing Airtable.
Register Now
AMIBA Intro to Crowdfunding

If you’ve been curious about crowdfunding for your business, you'll want to join AMIBA’s next training!

On Thursday, August 10, AMIBA is hosting a free Intro to Crowdfunding webinar. 
Register Now
September Indie Next List Preview

Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the September 2023 Indie Next List flier. Top pick? The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. And, to mark the start of a new month, August Indie Next List and July/August Kids’ Indie Next List social media assets are live on BookWeb.
See the Indie Next List
Indie Mystery/Thriller Bestseller List

Here is the Indie Mystery/Thriller Bestseller List, based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending July 30.
See the Bestsellers
 
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