Start Planning: Special Indies First Publisher Offers Begin October 20

Booksellers have the opportunity this month to take advantage of special offers from publishers looking to support the Indies First campaign. This week, members of the American Booksellers Association should have received an e-mail from a member of the ABA Board or Bookseller Advisory Committee, providing details about the unique specials that each publisher is offering for a limited time.

Visit the publisher promotions page to view the special terms available on titles ordered between October 20 and 31. More than a dozen publishers are declaring their support for independent booksellers and the Indies First campaign in their own way by arranging for specials on a wide array of frontlist and backlist titles.

Kenny Brechner of Devaney, Doak and Garrett Booksellers in Farmington, Maine, intends to take full advantage of the publisher offers. “As do old friends and a vintage port, better terms are always welcome and make a good thing that much better,” he said. “We are having more authors this year and, given the opportunity to both sell their books as well as the particular books they have chosen for handselling, taking advantage of this publisher promotion is an obvious means of making the Small Business Saturday Indies First event work for us.”

As booksellers coordinate events and prepare to host authors as guest booksellers on Small Business Saturday, be sure to find out which titles authors plan to hand-sell and check the publisher page for any special terms that might help when ordering books. Booksellers can also look for special offers on titles they may wish to stock up on for the busy fall selling season. Review the special terms to find favorite hand-sells, bestsellers, and classic reads.

“It looks like the publishers listened and made their 2014 offers simpler and more inclusive. Because last year’s were complicated, I didn’t pay attention at first, but I kept hearing how much better they are this year. So I checked, and it’s true,” said Carole Horne of Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “We’ll certainly be taking advantage of these offers for Small Business Saturday, and I hope indies all get the word. Don’t miss these deals!”

To keep the Indies First momentum going, booksellers are encouraged to post about the campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites, using the hashtag #IndiesFirst and linking to spokespeople Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer’s Twitter handles, @neilhimself and @amandapalmer.

Also, keep an eye out this month for the Indies First mailing containing Indies First book bags from Penguin Random House along with bookmarks, buttons, and a bag reorder form. More information about the bags and the reorder form are available now in the Indies First DIY and on the special terms page on BookWeb.

Visit the special terms page to learn more about the publisher promotions on offer, and find more information about the Indies First campaign and resources to help coordinate events on Small Business Saturday here.