August Marketing, Technology Meetups to Look at Crowdcast, Romance Books

In the coming weeks, the American Booksellers Association will present a Technology Meetup that will focus on the video platform Crowdcast, and a Marketing Meetup on marketing romance books. Sign up and learn more about ABA meetups here.

August 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET: Technology Meetup: “Crowdcast”

As virtual events become increasingly important, good information about hosting options is increasingly important. Steve Fisher, Crowdcast specialist and a general fan of indie bookstores, has offered his time to provide a brief demonstration of how to create an event through Crowdcast. He will be available to answer questions regarding the platform during this session. 

August 20 at 1:00 p.m. ET: Marketing Meetup: “Romance Books: They’re Good for You”

Romance novels offer a happy ending usually accompanied by warm fuzzy feelings, and, to a point, predictability. During these uncertain times, is it any surprise that more readers are seeking the comfort romance books provide?

In this session, booksellers will hear from several guest speakers on a bevy of topics, such as marketing romance books, who the romance reader is, who might be a romance reader, what a store is missing out on by not selling romance books, what type of events can be created, and more. This meetup is expected to run about 75 minutes.

Guest speakers will include:

• Billie Bloebaum of Bookstore Romance Day and Third Street Books in McMinnville, Oregon
• Hannah Oliver Depp of Loyalty Bookstores in Washington, D.C., and Silver Spring, Maryland
• Emily Hall Schroen of Main Street Books in St. Charles, Missouri
• Deidre Dumpson and Amanda Toronto of Word Bookstores in Brooklyn, New York, and Jersey City, New Jersey
• Deanna Bailey of Story on the Square in McDonough, Georgia
• Robyn Crawford of Eden Books
• Ronnie Kutys of HarperCollins