Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer Call for Support of Independent Bookstores Through "Indies First"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHITE PLAINS, NY–SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

Bestselling Author Neil Gaiman and Musician-Author Amanda Palmer Call for Support
 of Independent Bookstores Through “Indies First” Campaign

The American Booksellers Association (ABA) announced yesterday that bestselling author Neil Gaiman and musician and soon-to-be-published author Amanda Palmer will be volunteer spokespeople for the Indies First campaign during the 2014 holiday season. Indies First is a grassroots movement on behalf of independent bookstores, and has expanded to welcome widespread involvement by authors, publishers, and readers. Indies First kicks off with nationwide author appearances at local indies on Small Business Saturday, November 29, 2014.

In a letter released yesterday, Gaiman and Palmer call on fellow authors to actively support Indies First by signing up to act as booksellers at their favorite independent bookshops on Small Business Saturday, and to link to indies for book sales. In the letter, explaining their motivation for getting behind the campaign, Gaiman and Palmer say, “there’s nothing like the human, organic serendipity of an independent bookshop, where people who read and love books share their love with others.”

Indies First efforts are facilitated by ABA. To assist with outreach and coordination efforts for Indies First, booksellers and authors can visit the Indies First resource webpage, which offers details and links to the Indies First Event Registry, the Indies First Author and Illustrator Index, Indies First marketing materials, the interactive IndieBound map, and more.

Gaiman and Palmer are picking up the Indies First mantle from author Sherman Alexie, who began the movement in 2013. Follow Indies First on Twitter at hashtag #IndiesFirst, and watch for tweets from Gaiman and Palmer as they continue to rally authors and readers for the Indies First celebration on Small Business Saturday and beyond.

Bestselling author Gaiman is known for titles including American Gods, Coraline, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane (HarperCollins), among others. Palmer is the singer for musical acts The Dresden Dolls, Evelyn Evelyn, and Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra, as well as the author of the upcoming The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help (Hachette, November 11, 2014).

About the American Booksellers Association (www.BookWeb.org)
Founded in 1900, the American Booksellers Association is a not-for-profit trade organization devoted to meeting the needs of its core members—independently owned bookstores with storefront locations—through education, information dissemination, business products and services, and advocacy. ABA exists to protect and promote the interests of independent retail book businesses, as well as to protect the First Amendment rights of every American. The association actively supports free speech, literacy, and programs that support local and independent retail shops. A board of 10 booksellers governs the Association. ABA is headquartered in White Plains, New York.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Dan Cullen, Senior Strategy Officer ([email protected] or 914-406-7560) or Joy Dallanegra-Sanger, Senior Program Officer ([email protected] or 914-406-7518)