Hachette, Macmillan Launch Reopening Programs for Indie Bookstores

As independent bookstores look to reopen following COVID-19 shutdowns, Hachette and Macmillan have developed reopening programs for American Booksellers Association member stores.

Booksellers can visit the Book Buyer’s Handbook here to see details under the COVID-19 Publisher Special Offers section. A BookWeb.org username and password are required; email [email protected] for login credentials if needed.

More resources for reopening are available on BookWeb.org.

Hachette Book Group

Hachette Book Group and participating client publishers are offering reopening and recovery terms to independent bookstores in the U.S. and Canada. These terms are available to all independent bookstore accounts that were in good credit standing with HBG as of March 15, 2020, and remain in good standing. These terms are intended to support independent bookstores as they resume their retail businesses as states, localities, and their own judgment allow.

The terms, which are available to view in the Book Buyer’s Handbook, consist of four financial offers and one merchandising request to help support authors whose book publications were hurt by the pandemic. Offers include invoice payment amortization, extended dating, additional discounts, and a returns shipping credit.

The following HBG client publishers are participating in these offers: Abrams Books; Chronicle Books; Disney Book Group; Hachette UK; Kids Can Press; Lonely Planet (US accounts only); Moleskine; Octopus (U.S. accounts only); Phaidon Press; Phoenix International; Quarto Publishing Group; and Yen Press. The above offers may not be combined with any other HBG or client promotional offers.

For questions, booksellers can contact their sales rep or HBG’s customer service or credit departments.

Macmillan

On May 19, Macmillan announced it would be issuing promotional terms to help independent bookstores in the U.S. recover from the significant impacts of COVID-19.

These promotional terms include additional discounting, extended dating, and a longer timeline for repayment of outstanding balances

Macmillan distribution publishers Bloomsbury, College Board, Guinness World Records (for 2020 and 2021 editions), Kingfisher, Macmillan Collectors Library, Media Lab, Page Street, Papercutz, Seven Seas, Sounds True, and Wattpad will also participate in the promotional terms.

“Indies have always been reliable partners for highly personal book discovery and community engagement, which is why they were hit especially hard by COVID-19,” said Jenn Gonzalez, EVP, trade sales for Macmillan Publishers. “As stores reopen, stores will need to balance immediate concerns around restoring business stability and safety protocols with existing priorities. These terms hopefully offer stores some leeway to help survive the pandemic and beyond.”