This Indies First, Sign Up to Appear on the 2019 American Express Shop Small Map

Booksellers participating in this year’s Indies First on Small Business Saturday, November 30, are encouraged to sign up and get listed on the American Express Shop Small map, a searchable map created by Small Business Saturday sponsor AmEx that helps customers find small businesses in their city or town.

On November 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, small retailers across the country will celebrate the tenth annual Small Business Saturday, founded in 2010 by American Express as a day dedicated to supporting small businesses. That Saturday, booksellers will simultaneously participate in the seventh annual Indies First, a collaborative event among authors, publishers, retailers, and readers to celebrate independent bookstores and local communities.

American Express Card-accepting merchants can sign in to their AmEx merchant account to learn more about how to get listed so that consumers can browse the Shop Small Map to find qualifying local businesses in their communities.

Independent booksellers looking to promote Small Business Saturday can also visit American Express’ Shop Small Studio to access a variety of marketing materials to help business owners attract and engage with their customers. Booksellers can access the Shop Small Studio now to begin creating customized materials.

To help stores with planning Small Business Saturday events, AmEx also offers a downloadable Shop Small passport, an event planning checklist, and an action plan checklist. Follow @shopsmall and #ShopSmall on Instagram to keep up with the latest Small Business Saturday news and events.

Like in previous years, bookstores participating in Indies First on Small Business Saturday will invite their favorite local authors, illustrators, and celebrities to their stores on November 30 to participate in events or hand-sell books, and to promote their events via their websites, newsletters, and social media platforms (using the hashtag #IndiesFirst). Science fiction and fantasy writer N.K. Jemisin will serve as the 2019 spokesperson for Indies First. In a video created to promote the event, New York Times bestselling author Jemisin encourages viewers to visit their local indie bookstores on November 30. 

ABA member booksellers can also take advantage of the special offers available from publishers as part of the seventh annual celebration of Indies First. This year, more than 50 publishers have signed on to offer indie booksellers these terms, including traditional publishers as well as nearly two dozen university presses. The terms, which can be applied to a wide array of frontlist and backlist titles, are available during various periods between now and January 2020.

Special terms are currently listed on a downloadable Excel spreadsheet that will continue to be updated as new publisher offers are received. Booksellers can use the promotional codes listed on the spreadsheet, which is accessible from the ABA Book Buyer’s Handbook and from the Indies First homepage on BookWeb.org.

ABA bookstore members will need a username and password to access the spreadsheet from the ABA Book Buyer’s Handbook or the Indies First homepage; e-mail [email protected] for login information.

Learn more about Indies First on BookWeb, or send inquiries about Indies First to [email protected]. Booksellers and customers can follow news about Indies First in Bookselling This Week and via the hashtag #IndiesFirst on social media.