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Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Winter Campaign: Simplify the Season
BincTank Applications are Open Until November 10! Apply NOw!
University Press Week, November 11–15.
A Note from ABA CEO Allison Hill on the Election

Dear Booksellers,

It’s impossible to send BTW out today without acknowledging the election.

As a trade association representing 2,500+ independent members we can’t presume how you voted or speak for you.

But we do want to speak to the impact of the election results on your stores and ABA’s work on your behalf. 

The conditions have changed. We’ve potentially lost momentum around the Credit Card Competition Act and allies in the FTC’s lawsuit against Amazon. The hate and disinformation we saw fuel this election have created fertile ground for new unconstitutional legislation and book bans. And the divisiveness evident in the election results make bipartisan support of small business needs more challenging. 

It would be easy to despair. But that’s not what we’re going to do. ABA remains committed to our work on behalf of our members because we believe deeply in the work of independent bookstores and in the critical role they will play in what happens next in this country.

Independent bookstores provide inclusive and affirming community spaces; support access to books; ally with librarians and teachers; ensure that people can see themselves reflected in books; champion the right to read and the First Amendment; promote long-form reading that fosters critical thinking; create opportunities for discourse; provide alternatives to monopolies that limit consumer choice; and bring people together. The work of independent bookstores matters more than ever.

If your candidates won, hold them accountable and demand bipartisan partnerships to accomplish what is needed for all people, small businesses, and our country to thrive. 

If your candidates didn’t win, take care of your mental health, keep the faith, and connect with others. Find ways to support yourself and the goals you hoped your candidate would achieve to ensure that all people, small businesses, and our country thrive. 

We know today is a painful and divisive day for many, but election results are not the end; they’re the beginning. What matters most is what we do next. 

Allison K Hill, CEO
American Booksellers Association
 
Save the date for these upcoming events:
 
 
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James Patterson Holiday Bookstore Bonus Program
Last Chance to Nominate Booksellers for the James Patterson Holiday Bonus

Nominate a bookseller for the James Patterson Holiday Bookstore Bonus!

Patterson has pledged a personal contribution of $300,000, to be distributed in amounts of $500, to 600 booksellers from ABA member bookstores.

The deadline to submit nominations is November 8. Booksellers can self-nominate.
    Submit Nomination
    Children’s Institute 2025 will take place June 12–14, in Portland, OR.
    Apply for a Children’s Institute 2025 Scholarship

    Applications for Children’s Institute 2025 scholarships are open!

    Children’s Institute 2025 will take place June 12–14, in Portland, OR. 

    Scholarship recipients receive waived event fees to in-person Children’s Institute, a comped hotel room during the Institute, and up to $600 reimbursement for travel to and from the Institute. 

    Applications are due by Wednesday, November 20. 
      Apply Now
      Action Required!
      Action Required! Is Tertulia Using Your Store Logo Without Permission?

      Is Tertulia.com using your store content and logo without your permission? 

      Google your store name and the word “Tertulia.” If you see a link that says “YOUR STORE NAME Book Recommendations” but have not granted Tertulia permission to use your content or logo, please email [email protected]. ABA has helped several stores remove their content from Tertulia, but we need your permission to act on your behalf. (If you’re open to speaking to the press about your experience, please let us know.)
        Email ABA
        Make Amazon Pay
        International Coalition Against Amazon

        If you would like to join an international coalition in the fight back against Amazon, check out Make Amazon Pay. This coalition focuses on organizing days of action during Black Friday (November 29) and Cyber Monday (December 2).

        They have also created bookstore specific assets that you can download!
          Download Assets
          National Native American Heritage Month
          November Is National Native American Heritage Month

          Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month this November by creating displays and hosting events that center Native American voices.

          Need ideas? You can visit Indigenous Reads Rising to find book lists for all ages as well as resources and education. 

          As our National Native American Heritage Month coverage continues, we’ll be spotlighting a few of our Native-owned member stores. Check back each week!
            See Book Lists
            Veterans Day
            Monday Is Veterans Day

            Show your support by visiting Veteran-owned businesses! 

            Did you know you can filter for Veteran-owned bookstores on the IndieBound bookstore finder? 

            Please note: This search only includes ABA member stores that have shared their ownership identity with ABA and given permission to share their identity publicly. Stores who wish to share their identity with ABA can contact [email protected].
              Search for Stores
              75th National Book Awards Display Contest
              Congratulations National Book Awards Display Contest Winners

              Congratulations to This House of Books in Billings, MT, for winning the National Book Awards Display Contest! They will receive two tickets (including travel) to the 75th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner on Wednesday, November 20, in New York City,

              Honorable mentions go to Golden Fig Books in Durham, NC, and Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, NC! They will each receive a signed set of the National Book Awards Finalists.
                Grant Opportunities
                Grant Opportunities

                NEA Big Read

                Applications are now open for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read! This grant program is designed to support community reading programs. Interested parties must submit their Intent to Apply by January 23, 2025. 

                Faire Small Business Grant

                This grant program gives new stores $5,000 to use on Faire, an online wholesale marketplace. The deadline to apply is Saturday, November 30.
                  December Indie Next List #1 Pick: "The Serviceberry," by Robin Wall Kimmerer
                  December Indie Next List Preview

                  Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the December 2024 Indie Next List flier. Top pick? The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

                  And, to mark the start of a new month, November Indie Next List and November/December Kids’ Indie Next List social media assets are live on BookWeb.
                    See List
                    November/December KNL Q&A with Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin.
                    November/December KNL Q&A with Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

                    Independent booksellers across the country have chosen Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin’s The Bletchley Riddle (Viking Books for Young Readers) as their top pick for the November/December 2024 Kids’ Indie Next List.

                    Here, Bookselling This Week talks with Sepetys and Sheinkin about The Bletchley Riddle.
                      Read Interview
                      Best Books for Young Readers Catalog
                      Best Books for Young Readers Catalog

                      There are still a limited number of Best Books for Young Readers catalogs available. Visit BookWeb to place an order.

                      And as part of Ingram’s holiday promotions, all indie bookstores automatically get an additional 2% discount on catalog titles placed through Ingram from now until December 10!
                        Order Catalogs
                        Indie Politics and Current Events Bestseller List
                        Indie Politics and 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 November 3.
                          See Bestsellers
                          Advocacy Updates
                          Advocacy Updates
                           

                          All elections impact the strategy and priorities of our advocacy, this one more than most. We will communicate those shifts as appropriate when the results finish coming in. But one thing will not change: our commitment to stand up for bookstores in the marketplace, for free expression, and against censorship of literature.

                          Book Bans, Achieved and Thwarted

                          The review committee of South Carolina’s Board of Education recommended statewide bans for seven of the 11 books under consideration in an October 31 hearing, a recommendation that was accepted by the entire board yesterday, November 5. South Carolina thus becomes the second state, after Utah, to ban books statewide.

                          Iowa citizens had an opportunity yesterday to register their opinions on SF 496, the combination book ban/Don’t Say Gay law that saw Iowa jump to second place in states with the most banned books in the 2023-2024 academic year. On the American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) Instagram, Philomena Polefrone explained how to register comments and what to say.

                          The Matanuska-Susitna school district in Alaska settled for $89,000 and agreed to return books to shelves after being sued by impacted students and their parents. The settlement follows a federal ruling in August that the district had improperly removed 49 books.

                          Requirements for S-Corps, LLCs, and Corporations

                          The US Treasury Department is now requiring corporations, S-corporations, and LLCs to report to FinCEN the identifying information about the individuals who directly or indirectly own or control a company. FinCEN launched the BOI E-Filing website on January 1, 2024. If you are signed up for VoterVoice notifications (which you can register for on BookWeb), you should have received an email with more information.

                          Chase Bank CEO: We Are Going to War with Retailers Over Processing Fees

                          Head to our Advocacy page when you have a moment to urge your lawmakers to support swipe fee reform and the Credit Card Competition Act! Booksellers’ advocacy on this issue is needed more than ever as the banks’ rhetoric regarding swipe fees is heating up. 

                          Just recently, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon spoke at the American Bankers Association annual convention in New York City, saying the Fed’s proposal to lower the regulated rate for debit card swipe fees “really pisses me off” and “it’s time to fight back. I’ve had it with this s---,” according to Banking Dive. American Banker quoted him saying “we’re going to war with the retailers.”
                           
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