Important Picks Nomination Deadlines Near

There are two significant deadlines approaching for Book Sense Picks lists.

• October 7 is the deadline for the December Book Sense Picks List, and
• October 14 is the deadline for the Winter Children's Book Sense List.

These are both extremely influential lists for gift-buying consumers, who are especially looking to independent booksellers for intriguing and satisfying title suggestions. Book Sense is especially cognizant of the increasing demands on booksellers as the holidays approach, but participation is extremely important to ensure that the lists are as strong as they can be.

A few (possibly) helpful suggestions to keep in mind:

• Don't worry about being "quotable." Just write conversationally and let your opinions and passion flow. Put down what you'd say to a customer in the store. All the quotes you see in the flier and in BTW have been edited. Put down your thoughts, and we will do the rest.
• Don't make extra work for yourself -- use the nominations you already have on hand. Many booksellers send in what's on their stores' staff pick cards, or they e-mail us staff picks from the store newsletter or website. (If you have a Word document of staff pics, why not send it to us via e-mail before you send your newsletter to the printer?)
• Don't forget nonfiction, including such categories as cooking and business. All subject categories are welcome. Increasingly, there's a wide range of notable nonfiction, and its inclusion strengthens the entire Picks program.
• Don't worry about the timing. A good rule of thumb is this: Whenever you finish a title that you are excited about, send in a nomination -- we will organize and archive them all.
• Don't do it all alone! Encourage your colleagues to send nominations, too.

Nominations may be e-mailed to Book Sense Picks Editor-in-Chief Dan Cullen at [email protected], or they may be sent via an online nomination form at www.bookweb.org/read/6305.