This Indies First, Take Advantage of Special Terms From More Than 35 Publishers
- By Liz Button
The American Booksellers Association is reminding member booksellers to make use of special terms publishers are offering in support of this year’s Indies First on Small Business Saturday, which will bring together authors, readers, and publishers in support of independent bookstores on November 24.
As part of the sixth annual celebration of Indies First, 37 publishers (and counting) have signed on to offer indie booksellers specials on books and exclusives. These special publisher terms from traditional presses as well as nearly a dozen university presses can be applied to a wide array of frontlist and backlist titles; the terms are available between now and January 2019.
These special terms are listed on a downloadable Excel spreadsheet that will continue to be updated as new publisher offers come in. As each special offer becomes available, 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. Members will need a username and password to access the spreadsheet; e-mail [email protected] for login information.
In his letter to booksellers published in Bookselling This Week earlier this month, ABA President Robert Sindelar urged booksellers to check out these offers and use them. “The ease of using so many of these offers has changed dramatically and many can be used multiple times. So, yes, it is in your store’s best interest to take advantage of some of these deals as they will impact your bottom line,” he wrote.
“The other reason [to take advantage], as eloquently relayed to me by a very smart bookseller from the NCIBA board, is that when we all participate in programs like this we have the opportunity to remind our publishing partners of our collective muscle,” the letter continued. “And every time we flex that muscle, and do so well, it gives our publishing partners yet another reason to get creative with us as to how we can continue to do business together in smart, efficient, and beneficial ways.”
This year, more than 500 independent bookstores have also signed on to participate in the new “Indie Bookstores Give Back on Small Business Saturday“ campaign, in which ABA and American Express are working together with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing to make available 20,000 special edition copies of author Jason Reynolds’ Ghost (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books) to young readers in underserved communities. Reynolds will kick off the holiday season campaign in November at the Miami Book Fair.
Booksellers can learn more about Indies First on BookWeb and follow the hashtags #IndiesFirst and #IndiesGiveBack on social media.