BookED

Prolific and debut authors are landing on banned books lists across school districts and in statewide book bans. Bookstores may soon become the only place where children have freedom of choice when it comes to reading. A panel of children's librarians and booksellers will discuss the current state of banned books, how this affects the book industry, and what bookstores can do to support children's...

Purchasing manga for the bookstore can quickly take over a buyer's brain space, not to mention figuring out where to shelve it and how to display it. This bookseller-led panel will give attendees foundational plans for researching what's hot as well as best practices for marketing, shelving, and selling manga to the 12-and-up crowd. Speakers Cori Theroux, The Green Dragon Bookstore - Fort Dodge, I...

A book club for young people engages them with reading and can make them feel like a part of your store's community. It's also a great way to do some covert market research! In this session, booksellers will share details of their middle-grade book clubs, illustrate how they create a positive community for middle-grade readers (including those who are English language learners or who have exceptio...

Booksellers know it's important to create a space where readers can find stories with characters that represent their experiences, but how does one do that if some authors aren't receiving the same buzz as other authors with high sales records? How can bookstores market and support debuting LGBTQIA2S+, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American, and Pacific Islander authors so that everyone can rea...

For people in historically marginalized communities, having a space to exist, work, play, and connect can be a powerful thing. There are many ways to honor your community by creating space, and this panel will feature four booksellers who have done just that. You will leave this session with great hope for the future and promise of bookselling and with new ideas for creating space for the communit...

Book deserts are communities without access to printed books. They exist in all kinds of locations, from urban neighborhoods to rural communities. Independent bookstores in neighboring communities can help fill the gaps in book deserts. This session will present ideas for how indies can expand their reach to support literacy in communities with less access or no access to printed books. Speakers C...

The rights of readers and the importance of representation in books is critical to the work of independent bookstores. The wave of book bans threaten these rights and these values as an orchestrated movement attempting to silence historically marginalized voices and experiences. As authors, publishers, and booksellers are under constant attack from random and targeted book bans, ABA has assembled...

A school partnership is an important asset to any bookstore. It strengthens the community, introduces books to younger readers, generates future customers, and supports a bookstore's bottom line. This session is a bookstore-presented panel on how to best establish school connections from square one. Booksellers will learn first steps to take to begin a healthy partnership, key roles in school admi...

There are many factors that go into publisher decisions for author visits and tours, and bookseller event grids help them make those choices. In this session, publishers will provide sample event grids, explain how they use them to determine author tours, and share info on what has changed in their approach to events since 2020. Booksellers will learn: - The number one thing publishers are looking...

This session will offer insight into the small data sets you didn't know you had and how to mine data to better focus your efforts. Information from POS reports, one-question customer surveys, and even understanding store traffic patterns can make the difference between a good day and a great one. (All) Speakers: Cynthia Compton, 4 Kids Books & Toys (Zionsville, Indiana); Melissa DeMotte, The Well...

A big challenge for all bookstores is the volume and management of publisher invoices. In this session, you'll hear from Batch colleagues and current Batch users about how they save time and money using Batch to manage their invoices and prepare payments to publishing partners. The session will include discussion and demonstrations with focus on how Batch: - Automatically and electronically organi...

Whether your store or a portion of your bookstore is classified by the IRS as a nonprofit or not, you can still raise funds by applying for grants. Come to this session to learn more about the art and science of grant writing for both nonprofit and for-profit bookstores. (All) Speakers: Brandon Lueken, Bellevue College (Bellevue, Washington) Presentation powerpoint is available on Bookweb.org Reco...

This financial modeling workshop will help you evaluate potential new initiatives for your business. Whether you think it's time to expand your space with another physical or pop-up location, you want to begin or increase your offering of used books or non-book items, or you're considering adding a cafe or bar, this workshop will walk you through the financial analysis to help you make sound busin...

What is a book fair if not a mobile and pop-up bookstore appearing at different times at various locations? In this session, bookstores with robust and successful book fair programs will share how to apply their book fair business principles of inventory management, set up, and execution to the inventive business models of pop-up and mobile bookstores. Presented by the ABC Children's Group for all...

This session is a celebration of the symbiotic relationships between independent bookstores and other literary institutions. Featuring representatives from Town Hall Seattle and Hugo House, as well as booksellers who have relationships with these institutions. The panelists will highlight how their partnerships began and will discuss the creative and successful results of these ongoing collaborati...

Gen Z — ages 10 to 25 years old — is the largest population in the world. Come to this fun panel where members of Gen Z will share their thoughts on merchandise, marketing, and partnerships that engage this essential group of readers with buying power. Presented by the ABC Children's Group for all booksellers. Speakers: Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company (Seattle, Washington); Payton; Aurora; R...

On Monday, April 24, 2023, the American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), the free speech initiative of the American Booksellers Association, hosted a virtual panel on how to fight book bans in your community. The panel discussion, "Local Organizing to Combat Book Bans," featured Chris Finan, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship; Samiya Bashir, Executive Director,...

Many bookstores have found creative financial stability and community buy-in through the nonprofit model. Others have added a nonprofit component to their business. By recognizing the intrinsic social and community benefits of independent bookstores, these bookstore owners have moved beyond the retail model and transitioned some or all of their business into a nonprofit organization. Hear from a p...

If you are a user of Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and you haven't yet examined your user analytics from these platforms, today is the day! This workshop will teach you how to access analytics on each of these platforms and interpret the data in order to spot trends. Bring your laptop and get ready to dive into your data. But wait, there's more! Bring what you learn in this workshop to...

Whether you refer to them as sidelines, non-book, or gift merchandise, they're important to the profitability and customer experience for many bookstores. Come to this panel to gain insight into the process of curating, merchandising, and selling sidelines. Speakers: Elizabeth Freeman, East Bay Booksellers (Oakland, California); Susan Kehoe, Browseabout Books (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware); Kelly Ever...

Regular and honest communication creates stronger teams and stronger customer connections. However, our current age is one of great volatility and great change, making successful communication harder than ever. But don't despair! Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy, authors of Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies (Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster) will offer you insight on...

A good hiring process will help you attract and retain high-quality booksellers who are passionate about your mission. Onboarding new employees, while time consuming, can make or break that employee's successful transition from a new employee to an involved and productive employee. If it's been a while since you took some time to think about hiring and onboarding in a strategic way, then this sess...

The last few years have revealed the realities of the impact of long-term stress and burnout. Join this conversation with Dr. Corey Yeager, author of  How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself , (HarperCollins Christian) and Christine Onorati, ABA board member, bookseller and therapist, as they discuss skills to manage self-care. Topics will include communicating your needs, respecti...

Author Jason Reynolds tells the story of being a reluctant reader as a child, to being a bookseller at Karibu Bookstore, and how all of it helped shape him as a writer. Recorded on April 7, 2017, at ABA's 5th Annual Children's Institute in Portland, OR.

This panel discussion is among booksellers who successfully curate their stores with a focus on the importance of backlist. They discuss how to choose and display books, which titles sell well, and which children's categories to invest in to maintain a robust backlist collection. The panelists are Karin Schott, Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers (Farmington, ME), Molly Olivo, Barstons Child's Pla...