Booksellers With Book Sense Invited to Join Quills Nominating Board

Response Needed by April 15

Independent booksellers participating in the Book Sense marketing program have been invited to become members of the Nominating Board for The Quill Awards. On Wednesday, March 30, in an e-mail communication to Book Sense stores, ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz forwarded the invitation from Gerry Byrne, chairman of The Quills Literacy Foundation. In January, Reed Business Information (RBI) and the NBC Universal Television Stations announced the launch of The Quill Awards, a new national book award that honors excellence in book publishing and includes consumers in the voting process.

From the start, with the appointment of Domnitz to the Quills Executive Council, The Quills have recognized independent booksellers as a significant partner in the program. Now, The Quills Literacy Foundation is inviting booksellers from around the country to join in creating the short list of books to be presented to consumers for voting. The first Quill Awards will be presented in October 2005, during a red-carpet ceremony to be carried on the 14 NBC Universal Owned and Operated Television Stations.

Bookstores subscribing to Publishers Weekly are automatically on the Nominating Board; however, stores with Book Sense that are not already receiving PW will receive a complimentary subscription during the nominating period, and all nominators from these stores will be entered into a drawing to be held by The Quills for a prize chosen just for Book Sense stores.

The Nominating Board booksellers will vote on titles in 18 book categories over the course of three months -- May, June, and July 2005 -- with approximately six categories available for voting during each month. Bookseller nomination voting will take place online at www.quillsliteracy.org.

Booksellers wishing to participate must e-mail Anne Binkley at [email protected] no later than April 15. A description of the information that must be provided from each bookseller nominator to sign up is outlined in Byrne's letter.

From August 15 - September 15, consumers will select the final winners (voting will be done electronically) based on a "short list" of nominated books. But, noted Domnitz, "the short list will be drawn from our Book Sense Picks -- as well as from starred reviews in PW, B&N Discovery Books, and Borders' Original Voices -- and will be chosen by a nominating board of approximately 6,000 booksellers and librarians."

Domnitz also announced that The Quills Literacy Foundation is sponsoring the Book Sense Picks Lunch on Friday, June 3, at this year's BookExpo America.

Byrne said of the Quills sponsorship, "Appreciating the dynamics and power of the independents, The Quills, in its launch year, is delighted to join with the ABA in its BEA luncheon celebration."

For more information about the Quills, visit www.wnbc.com/quills/index.html. --Rosemary Hawkins