James Patterson Expands Holiday Bonus Program: Nominations Now Being Accepted

During Wednesday’s Celebration of Bookselling & Author Awards Lunch at BookExpo 2017, American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher announced that author James Patterson was supporting his Holiday Bonus Program for Booksellers for another year and was “generously increasing the donation amount for 2017 by $100,000, to a new total of $350,000.”

This is the third year that Patterson is thanking independent booksellers for their dedication and hard work by offering the bonus program, which rewards bookstore employees who are making a difference in their stores and their communities. Patterson personally funds all the bonuses. He is devoting proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books to funding pro-reading initiatives such as the independent bookstore employee bonus program.

In a statement, Patterson said, “It’s been incredible to see how these bonuses have positively impacted the lives of booksellers and their families, and I hope they make even more of a difference this holiday season.”

Store owners, managers, fellow booksellers, publishing professionals, authors, and bookstore shoppers are invited to submit nominations on behalf of any current independent bookstore employee of an ABA member store except those who received a bonus in 2016. Booksellers who received a bonus in 2015 are eligible to receive a 2017 bonus.

The Holiday Bonus nomination form, online at bookweb.org/bonus, must be submitted by October 1. A total of $350,000 dollars will be awarded in bonuses ranging from $750 to $1,250 for distribution between December 1, 2017, and December 18, 2017.

James Patterson will personally review the nominations and select the bonus recipients. More than one bookstore employee from the same store may be nominated.

More information, including lists of past bonus winners, and the 2017 nomination form are available at bookweb.org/bonus.