Indies First Tote Bags Are Back

The bright-blue Indies First bags from last year — same design, same vendor, same fabric — are back, and they’re the perfect way to celebrate Indies First with authors, readers, and favorite bookstore-loving friends on Small Business Saturday, November 26, and beyond.

Author Richard Russo with an Indies First tote bag

Thanks to Penguin Random House, this year the American Booksellers Association will be shipping five Indies First bags gratis to participating member stores, and booksellers who want to go bag happy can order additional bags at cost.

These lightweight, reusable bags are available in packages of 25 for $25.

Indies First bag orders can be added to a store’s next PRH book order using the Penguin Gear ISBN 9781101919576. Booksellers can also contact their sales reps for details, or learn more about ordering Indies First tote bags here.

Booksellers looking forward to celebrating the fourth annual Indies First should be making plans now to host an author or illustrator in their store on Small Business Saturday; the Indies First Author and Illustrator Registry lists authors and illustrators who would like to participate.

Once confirmed, booksellers should add their event details to the Store Indies First Activity Registry so that it can be publicized on the Indies First map on IndieBound.org. Booksellers should also plan to take advantage of publishers’ special offers for Indies First when planning their orders.

To help with promoting the event, the October Red Box mailing includes Indies First balloons and bookmarks, along with the tote bags. Booksellers can find digital Indies First logos and poster designs in BookWeb’s Designs and Downloads.

Questions about Indies First should be directed to [email protected].