Monthly Box Schedule Changes to Every Other Month in 2021

Beginning in 2021, the American Booksellers Association’s Monthly Box mailing schedule will move to every other month, with the first box of the year arriving in January 2021.

Bookstores are eligible to receive the box mailings based on participation in certain ABA activities. Points are awarded for making nominations to the Indie Next List (one point for each nomination) and reporting to the Indie Bestseller List (five points for each week reported). The point system is weighted to ensure that smaller stores with fewer staff have an equal chance of receiving a box as larger stores.

As always, the boxes contain publisher-sponsored ARCs and galleys as well as the month’s Indie Next List fliers. In the alternating months when no box is mailed, booksellers will receive an envelope with the month’s Indie Next List fliers.

In addition to the print list, booksellers can access the monthly lists in digital format on BookWeb, in Bookselling This Week the first week of the preceding month, and on Edelweiss.

No change will be made to the quarterly kids’ box mailings.

Questions can be directed to Director of Development and Publisher Relations Matt Zoni.