On Demand Education Sessions

Marketing is absolutely necessary for a business to be successful, and even more important for small, independent businesses. Without thoughtful marketing, your store may only be recommended a few times by people who happen to find you — but that’s it; there’s no real customer growth. In this session, you’ll hear from ​six guest speakers from small bookstores, who will share what works for their stores in a variety of marketing areas, including social media, newsletters, events, and general marketing.

This is a special session of the ABA’s Coffee Break series that features ABA CFO PK Sindwani answering finance questions and also includes an Open Forum. The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

ABA is revisiting the topic of "Marketing Your Store to a School" with a focus on what needs to change as businesses are in various states of operation and events are taking place virtually instead of in-person. Booksellers will hear about the changes bookseller panelists have made or are considering making and get fresh points of view from booksellers just beginning the process.

Guest Speakers include:
Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Texas
Stephanie Heinz, Print: A Bookstore, Portland, Maine
Jamie Anderson, Duck’s Cottage, Duck, North Carolina
Emily Woods, McNally Jackson, New York City, New York
Kathy Burnette, The Brain Lair, South Bend, Indiana
Suzi Hough, Hicklebee’s, San Jose, California

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

“How to Make Friends and Influence Purchases: Digital Marketing’s Self-Help Guide to Customer Retention.”

For Part 2 on Retaining New Customers, Jordan Brannon and Cass Cross of Coalition Technologies will return to discuss how to maximize the value of each new visitor to your site through social media marketing, retargeting, paid advertising, and more. 

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session looks at services and tools that are helping booksellers manage the new ways of doing business that many are having to adjust to.

Guest speakers include:

Broche Fabian of River Dog Book Co., Portland, Oregon
Ariana Paliobagis of Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, Montana
Bryan Loar of Cover to Cover Children’s Books, Columbus, Ohio
Dave Lucey of Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, North Carolina

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

For the first in this two-part session, Jordan Brannon of Coalition Technologies will offer expert guidance on retaining new customers, as stores are seeing an increase in online sales.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

With readers staying home and bookstores in various states of closure due to COVID-19, virtual events are quickly becoming one of the main ways bookstores are keeping their connection with customers and the local community. The publisher panelists in this session will share what online platforms they are using, any tips/tricks/best practices they have come up with, what types of events are being held, how they are deciding whether to ticket or offer free events, what they are contributing to bundles, and how they work with the bookstores and the platforms they are using.

Guest speakers will include:

• Melissa Campion of Macmillan
• Lara Phan of Penguin Random House
• Taryn Roeder of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Karen Torres of Hachette Book Group

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This video has been edited from the original recording due to an unfortunate zoom-bombing incident. 

With readers staying home and bookstores in various states of closure, staying connected with customers and your community is becoming vitally important. Virtual events are quickly becoming one of the main ways to keep that connection. In this session you'll hear from 4 guest speakers who have held virtual events recently, using different platforms with tips and recommendations for all.  

Guest speakers include:

• Liz Decker of Caprichos Books in Bel Air, Maryland
• Kimberly McNamara of Read It Again in Suwanee, Georgia
• Cassie Riva of An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts
• Roseann Backlin of Love’s Sweet Arrow in Tinley Park, Illinois

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

Tom Jardim and Scott Salmon, experts in employment and labor law from the law firm Jardim, Meisner & Susser, P.C., will walk booksellers through the federal government relief and wage requirements recently passed in response to COVID-19. 

Jardim and Salmon will cover the relief for small businesses in the CARES Act such as the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, the Paycheck Protection Program, increased unemployment benefits, and tax/tax credit information. Additionally, the webinar will cover wage and hour requirements in part implemented by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

• Jamie Anderson, Ducks Cottage, Stephanie Heinz, Print: A Bookstore, Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop

The session will follow the format of an Open Forum, with attendees welcome to share what they need, ask questions of ABA and fellow booksellers, and just see some friendly faces.

Jorge Portillo and Donna Kumar from Eventbrite provide information on postponing/canceling events through Eventbrite.

Independent Bookstore Day (IBD) has grown from a handful of bookstores in California to a national celebration involving more than 575 stores and, in some cases, citywide celebrations. Participating bookstores see an increase in sales, increased foot traffic, and increased brand awareness. This session will offer attendees an overview of the program and tips from booksellers who have figured out how to make the most of IBD. Panelists will offer information on how to order and make the most of the IBD exclusive merchandise, how to organize and publicize your store’s party to bring people into your store, and how to use social media strategically to increase sales and community participation. Panelists: Samantha Schoech, Program Director of Independent Bookstore Day, Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA), Rebecca George, Volumes Bookcafe (Chicago, IL), Tom Nissley, Phinney Books (Seattle, WA), Christie Olson Day, Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle's Children's Books (Mendocino, CA)

This informal yet informative talk is designed to provide a relaxed atmosphere for inspiring and educational conversations. Two booksellers with experience with everything from fundraising to campaigning to serving will discuss and offer suggestions and encouragement for those who are curious about what it takes to serve in office. Panelists: Kate Schlademan, The Learned Owl (Hudson, OH), Becky Anderson, Anderson's Bookshops (Naperville, IL)

This forty-five minute long session offers attendees three lightning talks from booksellers who have had game-changing aha! moments in the past year. Presentations will be short — 10 minutes or less — and will focus on concepts that have saved money, improved operations, created a new efficiency, or increased sales. From major shakeups to a better system for ordering store supplies, innovative ideas come in all sizes but can make a big impact. Presentations this hour include: How to Turn Social Media Activism Into Increased Sales (Danny Caine, The Raven Bookstore, Lawrence, KS); Black Books Matter (Ramunda Lark Young, MahoganyBooks, Washington, D.C.); and Ithica is Books (Lisa Swayze, Buffalo Street Books, Ithaca, NY). Panelists: Danny Caine, The Raven Bookstore (Lawrence, KS), Lisa Swayze, Buffalo Street Books (Ithaca, NY), Ramunda Lark Young, MahoganyBooks (Washington, D.C.)

Welcome to ABA’s live Marketing Meetup! Marketing is more than social media, newsletters, or placing ads. While all of these tasks are vital to marketing, it is important not to overlook search engine optimization, or SEO. In this session, you’ll learn what SEO is, why it matters, and some best practices for implementation. Panelists: Ryan Quinn, ABA (White Plains, NY), Eileen McGervey, One More Page Books (Arlington, VA), Cassie Clemans, Roundabout Books (Bend, OR) and  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialists Jordan Brannon, Coalition Technologies (Culver City, CA), and, Cassandra Cross, Coalition Technologies (Culver City, CA).

Pre-registration required. Registration is closed. Join bestselling and award-winning authors Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds in conversation on the history of racist ideas in America and how to better navigate these complex realities. Reynolds and Kendi’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, March 2020) delivers a timely YA reimagining of Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped From the Beginning. Through his work, Kendi has explored how racist ideas were developed by some of the most brilliant minds in history to justify and rationalize the nation’s deeply entrenched discriminatory policies. But while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited. Jason Reynolds’s remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning also offers the tools needed to combat these ideas. With Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, Kendi and Reynolds have come together to deliver an energizing narrative that speaks to young people and shines a light on the many insidious forms of racism—and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

In the 1960s and 1970s, scores of Black bookstores opened in the U.S. Founded by activist entrepreneurs, these indie stores served as a refuge and intellectual center for communities in search of books by and about Black people. This Wi15 keynote event will be a wide-open conversation about the history and vital position of Black bookstores in our communities and in our industry with pioneers of Black bookselling and publishing, moderated by Professor Joshua Clark Davis, author of From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs (Columbia University Press). Speakers include: W. Paul Coates, Black Classic Press (Baltimore, MD); Shirikiana Aina Gerima, Sankofa Video Books and Cafe (Washington, D.C.); Judy Richardson, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (Atlanta, GA); Nati Kamau-Nataki, Everyone's Place (Baltimore, MD).

Board games are a hot trend and a growing business that capitalize on popular TV and streaming shows and pop-culture moments. And they all have something in common: face-to-face social interaction, which is a key component of successful independent bookstores. Come hear from booksellers who have integrated board games and play nights into their sales and events. An independent board game seller joins the panel to discuss the aspects of her business and how booksellers can bring games — and customers — into the bookstore. After the session, come to the Winter Institute Board Game Playroom to sample games with colleagues or game reps, review discounts, and place orders. If you are looking for new non-book inventory, this may be an opportunity for you. Panelists: John Stacy, Executive Director, GAMA (Columbus, OH), Todd Dickinson, Aaron's Books (Lititz, PA), David Prescott, Blackwells (London, UK), Milton Griepp, ICv2 The Business of Geek Culture (Madison, WI)

In our highly charged and increasingly challenging political landscape, author visits and even authorless events can become a flash point. Managing and pre-planning for potential event disruptions by fully understanding your community, your audience, and your guests can go a long way toward creating solutions. This panel will offer suggestions from booksellers who have experienced store boycotts and both peaceful and not-so-peaceful protestors. Panelists: Dave Grogan, ABA (White Plains, NY), Reiko Redmonde, Revolution Books (Berkeley, CA), Elisa Thomas, Cellar Door Books (Riverside, CA), Bradley Graham, Politics and Prose Bookstore (Washington, DC)

One minute of planning can save you 10 minutes in execution. But when you are one of the only booksellers on staff, finding that one minute can be tough. Panelists will provide useful tools for fighting distraction and tracking time so you can create those efficiencies that lead to improved productivity. Panelists: Dan Cullen, ABA (White Plains, NY), Bel McNeil, Bel & Bunna's Books (Lafayette, CA), Angela Maria Spring, Duende District Bookstore (Washington, D.C.), Kathy Burnette, The Brain Lair (South Bend, IN)