Pick up your badge, your welcome bag, and a full schedule of Institute events. People scheduled for IndieCommerce Institute, the Paz Introduction to Bookselling School, and the Leadership Workshop will pick up their badges and welcome bag in the respective assigned rooms. All others will pick up their badges and welcome bag at the ABA Welcome Desk.
Pre-registration required. Space is limited.
Booksellers and International Guests (only) may participate in one of four tours to Minneapolis-area bookstores and publisher offices. Registration closes when the tours reach capacity.
Full-day tour– $35 pp
Half-day tour – $25 pp
SOLD OUT TOUR 1 (Full-day): Departs 9 am, Hyatt Regency
Capstone, Magers & Quinn Booksellers, Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers, Common Good Books, Red Balloon Bookshop, SubText Books, Addendum Books, Open Book/Milkweed, Hyatt Regency
SOLD OUT TOUR 2 (Full-day): Departs 9 am, Hyatt Regency
Coffee House Press, Moon Palace Books, Addendum Books, Daybreak Press Global Bookshop, Magers & Quinn Booksellers, Once Upon a Crime, Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers, Open Book/Milkweed, Hyatt Regency
SOLD OUT TOUR 3 (Half-day): Departs 11:45 am, Hyatt Regency
Graywolf Press, Daybreak Press Global Bookshop, Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers, Magers & Quinn Booksellers, Once Upon A Crime, Open Book/Milkweed
TOUR 4 (Half-day): Departs 11:45 am, Hyatt Regency
Consortium Book Sales & Distribtution, SubText Books, Common Good Books, Red Balloon Bookshop, Moon Palace Books, Open Book/Milkweed, Hyatt Regency
The order of stops may vary. Tours depart the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis from the Nicollet Promenade entrance on the Nicollet Mall. Tours will end at approximately 4:45 pm at the Hyatt Regency, with a stop beforehand at Open Book for scholarship recipients to disembark for the Meet and Greet.
Pre-registration required; $119 fee pp. Space is limited.
Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of the Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group will present a one-day seminar for anyone interested in opening a bookstore. Students will receive a crash course on the essentials of opening a new bookstore or buying an existing one. The workshop is open to ABA Provisional members and employees of Regular member stores. Limited to three booksellers per ABA member company. Lunch will be provided.
Register here for Paz Workshop
Pre-registration required; $125 fee pp. Space is limited.
The IndieCommerce Institute is a one-day, interactive learning experience for IndieCommerce stores only. This will be a classroom-style workshop that goes beyond basic training, providing actionable information useful for new and experienced stores. Attendees should have worked on their website for at least a year, but users new to the platform who are comfortable working on their website are also welcome. Attendance at the Winter Institute is not required. View IndieCommerce Institute curriculum.
Register here for 2017 IndieCommerce Institute
Pre-registration required; $125 pp. Space is limited.
This full-day workshop will introduce principles and competencies for developing leadership skills in yourself and others. The program will help participants better understand the challenges facing their businesses and identify ways to make progress on these tough issues. This workshop is presented by the Kansas Leadership Center team, which led a successful session on the same topic at Wi11, and facilitated the event’s first-time debrief. Attendance at the Winter Institute is not required; open to ABA member owners and managers only. Space is limited; first come-first served.
Register here for Leadership Workshop
The Independent Publishers Cooperative Coalition is being formed to serve the need for a forum in which the concerns, challenges, and common needs of small and mid-sized independent houses may be discussed and information shared. Chaired by Dan Simon, publisher of Seven Stories Press, and Tom Hallock, Associate Publisher of Beacon Press, this inaugural meeting will feature presentations by publishing consultant Janna Rademacher and National Book Foundation Executive Director Lisa Lucas. A light lunch will be served. The meeting is by invitation only to independent publishers and their staff; for more information contact Mark Nichols.
Winter Institute scholarship recipients and their sponsoring publishers will meet to say “hello and thank you” prior to the Opening Welcome Reception. The Meet and Greet is held in the Open Book Auditorium, on the upper level of Open Book, 1011 South Washington Avenue Minneapolis. Shuttle buses will run between the Hyatt Regency and Open Book every 15 to 20 minutes between 4:15 pm and 7:30 pm.
Minneapolis’s acclaimed Open Book will host ABA’s Winter Institute Welcome Reception, co-sponsored by Shelf Awareness. Home to The Loft Literary Center, Milkweed Editions, and Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Open Book helped revitalize its surrounding neighborhood and continues to ignite the imagination of all who visit. Enjoy cocktails, snacks, and the company of your colleagues from around the world. Open Book is located at 1011 South Washington Avenue, Minneapolis. Shuttle buses will run between the Hyatt Regency and Open Book every 15 to 20 minutes between 4:15 pm and 7:30 pm.
All Wi12 attendees are invited to participate in the Backlist Book Swap Party, sponsored by HarperCollins and Harlequin. Come with a copy of your favorite book to share with friends and colleagues; leave with someone else's. Books should be at least five years old and still in print. Suggestions for topics include regional titles, books with strong female characters, and books set in winter.
Please let ABA know what book you will be swapping by completing this form, and don't forget to bring a bookmark from your store -- with a way to contact you -- to include with your book, so you can find out who picked your swap.
To add to the fun, we are expanding the swapping to include store bookmarks. Leave one in your donated swap book, and bring 50 or so more to share with your colleagues. We will display them at the party; this is your opportunity to exchange, borrow, and steal good ideas. And be prepared to vamp: the Backlist Book Swap photo booth will be in the building!
If you are a young professional in the book business, this party is for you! Come meet your fellow industry professionals from across the country, make new friends and experience the Winter Institute together. This is a great opportunity for fun and engaging conversations about bookselling and our industry. Sponsored by Lit Hub and the National Book Foundation, with help from NEIBA, NAIBA, SIBA, GLIBA, MIBA, MPIBA, PNBA, NCIBA AND SCIBA.
Start the day with yoga with popular teacher Jessamyn Stanley! Jessamyn (Every Body Yoga, Workman, 2017) is a yoga teacher, body positive advocate, and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. She uses high energy vinyasa flow as a way to move past mental and emotional barriers. Her classes provide a body positive approach to yoga which celebrates students’ bodies and encourages them to ask “How do I feel?” rather than “How do I look?” when practicing yoga.
Pick up your badge, your welcome bag, and a full schedule of Institute events. Member Relationship Managers Nathan Halter and Catherine Cusick can answer any questions about ABA or Wi12.
Mentors meet their mentees prior to the opening breakfast at assigned tables.
Roxane Gay is the author of the novel An Untamed State, the essay collection Bad Feminist, and Ayiti, a multi-genre collection. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, A Public Space, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, West Branch, Virginia Quarterly Review, NOON, The New York Times Book Review, Bookforum, Time, the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, The Rumpus, Salon, and many others. She is also the co-editor of [PANK] magazine. Her newest title Difficult Women was published by Grove Press in January, 2017, and other upcoming books include How To Be Heard to be published in April, 2017 by Simon & Schuster/TED, and Hunger: A Memoir of My Body coming from Harper in June, 2017.
The Midwest Independent Booksellers Association is pleased to host the Hospitality Suite at this year’s Winter Institute. Stop by for a chance to decompress, grab a beverage, and refuel before heading back out to join your peers. Open to booksellers from all regions.
Attendees have the opportunity to donate books to any of three local charities: the Minneapolis Community Education – Adult Education North Campus Day Program, the Hennepin County Medical Center’s Children’s Literacy Program, and the Women’s Prison Book Project. Bring your book to the Hyatt Regency Exhibit Hall during the following days/times:
Registration encouraged; space is limited. Sign up here.
IndieCommerce and non-IndieCommerce stores are invited to schedule one-on-one appointments with program specialists Geetha Nathan, Scott Nafz, and Ryan Quinn. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome, and booksellers are invited to visit the IndieCommerce lounge waiting area.
Are you using Edelweiss to its fullest potential? This session for publishers will feature an Edelweiss rep who will highlight many of the tools available to publishers in Edelweiss+. A discussion on best practices will follow. (While this session is for Wi12 publisher attendees, there are two additional Edelweiss sessions for booksellers at Wi12.)
Booksellers will gather with colleagues to discuss issues inspired by the morning plenary. The discussions will be led by ABA Board members. Your individual group and room assignment will be printed on your Wi12 badge. Groups and rooms are as follows:
Group 1 - Greenway E/D
Group 2 - Greenway F/G
Group 3 - Greenway C/B
Group 4 - Greenway H/I
Group 5 - Greenway A
Group 6 - Greenway J
Group 7 - Great Lakes C
Group 8 - Great Lakes B
Group 9 - Great Lakes A2
Group 10 - Lake Superior A
Group 11 - Lake Superior B
The always popular Galley Room is filled with upcoming title ARC's from Wi12 sponsors. A limited supply of book bags will be on hand. The room will be closed during the morning plenary sessions.
While securing capital for a small business is never easy, there are new avenues available. In this session, panelists will review a range of options, from SBA loans to community lending, as well as offer insights and successful strategies for accessing needed business capital.
Bringing used books into your store can improve your margins and help your bottom line, but it also brings a new set of considerations to your already established business procedures. This 101 introductory session will help you navigate issues such as buying, sourcing, and tracking your used inventory.
With graphic novels rapidly expanding as a category and continuing to mature as an art form, stores may struggle to determine which books to carry and how to display them, as well as how to handle resistance from skeptical parents and educators. Panelists will discuss these issues and more, from essential title lists to successful handselling and the value of graphic novels in fostering reading.
Creating and nurturing relationships with publisher representatives is key to building a thriving business. Panelists in this session will provide an overview of how publisher representatives work with independent bookstores and steps booksellers can take to capitalize on and grow these relationships.
This session will lead booksellers through the basics of Google Analytics to evaluate key metrics on who is visiting your website, what pages they are reading, how far they go into the site, where they drop off before buying, what you can do to prevent that, which channels drive the most traffic, and how they work together. We will also walk through the basics of setting up conversion tracking and confirming Google Analytics is set up correctly.
Creating and committing to your brand reassures your customers, vendors, and others with whom your store does business. It also sets you apart and provides distinction for your store in the local community and among your bookselling and publishing colleagues. STYLEDRetail, a retail consulting firm, and an accomplished bookseller will review and discuss the finer points of creating and managing your store brand.
International guests are invited to grab a boxed lunch and join their colleagues from around the world for an informative discussion about the current state of the American book business with a panel of experts including John Mutter from Shelf Awareness, Ed Nowotka from Publishers Weekly, and Lisa Lucas from the National Book Foundation. Moderated by ABA's Oren Teicher. Questions will be welcome and encouraged!
Enjoy lunch with reps and learn about great upcoming titles from the Winter Institute’s publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned; table numbers are printed on bookseller badges.
ABACUS is a yearly members-only survey that gathers key information on financial operations and provides benchmarking goals and insight. If you have never participated in the ABACUS survey, you are missing out on a unique opportunity to improve your store’s finances. This session, led by booksellers whose stores have profited from ABACUS participation, will take the mystery out of gathering the information you need to submit your data, explain how to read your ABACUS report, and present actionable steps you can take to improve your business finances.
Every title on the bookstore shelf goes through a similar cycle: author; agent; editor; publisher investments including sales conference, budgeting, marketing, jacket design, and sales; bookstore buyer; and bookstore sales. This session will feature industry professionals discussing each aspect of the life cycle of the book and will give attendees a larger perspective on their part in the process.
Building upon findings in a recent Nielsen Book study that showed a significant rise in sales of active nonfiction for children and the potential for even greater growth, booksellers who have successfully increased their nonfiction business will discuss the keys to broadening their inventory and maintaining a diverse selection to complement the subjects driving this category.
Local search is an independent bookseller’s friend. We will review the importance of local search in Google desktop and mobile results, as well as voice-command. We’ll then go through the basics of setting up and optimizing a bookseller’s local search presence on Google My Business and related directories, and how to connect your Google My Business listing with your website. This session looks at the latest trends in local searches and mobile users, which is the largest group of people using mobile search.
Building on the “Amazon and Empty Storefronts” study presented at Winter Institute 11 and the Spring Forums, ABA will reveal updated data from Civic Economics. After reviewing the new data, ABA staff and a bookstore expert will discuss how booksellers can communicate the New Localism message to and work more effectively with other independent retailers, elected officials, community members, local first organizations, and the media.
Managing large-scale off-site events takes a lot of planning. With concerns ranging from securing a location and ticketing to working with the publisher, formulating marketing strategies, and event team logistics, pulling together a large-scale event can quickly overwhelm even the most seasoned event planner. Come spend an hour with colleagues from bookstores that regularly produce large-scale off-site events for insights and tips on how to manage a successful event of your own.
Indies Introduce is about what independent booksellers do best—discovering exciting debut authors and sharing the best of the best with readers across the country. You will hear from the bookseller panelists who curated the "diverse list of fabulous books that every American should read" (Pete Mulvihill, Green Apple Books). Many of the debut authors will be present to read a short passage from their debut titles and answer one question posed by a panelist.
To encourage further interaction between booksellers and publishers, booksellers will have the opportunity to meet with Wi12’s sponsoring publishers in small groups to discuss issues of common interest and mutual concern. Booksellers will be assigned to a specific table for this session; publishers will move from table to table. Your table assignment will be printed on your badge.
Focus groups will be held in the following rooms:
Wi12 lead sponsor Ingram hosts an open reception to close day one of the Institute. Join your colleagues for drinks and nibbles.
Enjoy drinks and desserts, including the annual sundae bar, at the Scholastic Meet & Treat Afterparty. Scholastic authors and illustrators will be on hand to sign books and say hello. Open to all Wi12 attendees.
Start the day with yoga with popular teacher Jessamyn Stanley! Jessamyn (Every Body Yoga, Workman, 2017) is a yoga teacher, body positive advocate, and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. She uses high energy vinyasa flow as a way to move past mental and emotional barriers. Her classes provide a body positive approach to yoga which celebrates students’ bodies and encourages them to ask “How do I feel?” rather than “How do I look?” when practicing yoga.
Lesley Stahl is one of America’s most recognized and experienced broadcast journalists. Her career has been marked by political scoops, surprising features and award-winning foreign reporting. She has been a 60 Minutes correspondent since 1991; the 2016-17 season marks her 26th on the broadcast. Prior to joining 60 Minutes, Stahl served as CBS News White House correspondent during the Carter, Reagan and part of the George H.W. Bush presidencies. She also hosted Face the Nation from 1983-91 and co-anchored American Tonight from 1989 to 1990. She is married to author and screenwriter Aaron Latham. They have one daughter and two granddaughters. Becoming Grandma: The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting was published by Blue Rider Press in April, 2016.
Ann Patchett is the author of The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, and State of Wonder. She was the editor of Best American Short Stories, 2006, and has written three books of nonfiction, Truth & Beauty, What Now?, and the essay collection This is the Story of a Happy Marriage. She has won numerous prizes, including the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction, and her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. Her newest book, Commonwealth, was published by Harper is September, 2016. In August 2016, she became the Co-Ambassador for the nonprofit Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc). Binc helps booksellers facing financial crises. Patchett is the co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, where she lives with her husband, Karl VanDevender, and their dog, Sparky.
The Midwest Independent Booksellers Association is pleased to host the Hospitality Suite at this year’s Winter Institute. Stop by for a chance to decompress, grab a beverage, and refuel before heading back out to join your peers. Open to booksellers from all regions.
Attendees have the opportunity to donate books to any of three local charities: the Minneapolis Community Education – Adult Education North Campus Day Program, the Hennepin County Medical Center’s Children’s Literacy Program, and the Women’s Prison Book Project. Bring your book to the Hyatt Regency Exhibit Hall during the following days/times:
The always popular Galley Room is filled with upcoming title ARC's from Wi12 sponsors. A limited supply of book bags will be on hand. The room will be closed during the morning plenary sessions.
Ship your galleys home instead of traveling with them. This service is offered through PartnerShip/Fedex. Please bring your FedEx account number.
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers. The list of Consultation Station participants and contact information is here.
Registration encouraged; space is limited. Sign up here.
IndieCommerce and non-IndieCommerce stores are invited to schedule one-on-one appointments with program specialists Geetha Nathan, Scott Nafz, and Ryan Quinn. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome, and booksellers are invited to visit the IndieCommerce lounge waiting area.
Creating, managing, and regularly using a system to manage financial obligations is key to survival for any business. Having good systems in place allows you to confidently meet financial obligations from payroll to event budgets and more. This session will highlight two different approaches to financial systems as well as tips for developing and managing your own financial technique.
For owners and managers. Pre-reg required.
What does your store culture say about your mission, your values, and your business ideals? Do employees know why you started your store, and more importantly, do they care? Your store culture is an extension of your values. Booksellers will be led through a series of exercises to help them better understand and foster store culture. Attending booksellers should be able to concisely explain their values in order to fully utilize the information in this session. Presented by STYLEDRetail, a strategic retail consultancy with more than 50 years of collective experience.
A book festival can be an ideal vehicle to promote reading and literacy in your community. Booksellers intimately involved in festivals around the country will explain how to get started with your own children’s or teen festival, including working in partnership with other local businesses and organizations, attracting authors and publicists, and garnering media attention.
Scaled for the smaller store, this session on budgeting for cash flow will give booksellers the tools they need to create a cash flow budget in order to access cash for various expenses, such as testing a new sideline or covering the cost of an event. Tips and best practices for working on finances for smaller stores will also be provided.
Congratulations, you are a manager! Now what? Being a manager is not easy, and, while your exceptional performance may have gotten you that promotion, your new position will require a whole new set of skills: delegating, motivating, negotiating, communicating, etc. A professional will offer tools and techniques to help first-time managers survive and thrive.
Did you know you can manage event grids with Edelweiss+? In this session, an Edelweiss rep, a publicist, and a bookseller will explain the functionality of the grids and the important selling points in a good event proposal.
The Town Hall is an opportunity for open discussion about industry and association issues. ABA Board President Betsy Burton (The King’s English, Salt Lake City, Utah) and Vice President Robert Sindelar (Third Place Books, Seattle, WA) will facilitate the meeting. The full ABA Board will respond to questions and comments from all booksellers; booksellers who would like to send questions in advance can send them to [email protected].
Enjoy lunch with reps and learn about great upcoming titles from the Winter Institute’s publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned; table numbers are printed on bookseller badges.
Developed for author guests at Winter Institute, this lunch panel features booksellers who have formulated best practices for working together to create events that benefit both stores and authors. This session will cover a number of issues, from author publicity to dealing with pre-event nerves.
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers. The list of Consultation Station participants and contact information is here.
Foyles, once an old-school English bookshop, has made major changes in the past year. Paul Currie, appointed CEO of Foyles in April of 2015, has provided innovative leadership, ranging from merging online and in-store operations and having staff use digital devices on the floor, to rethinking the company's operations and logistics. In this talk, Currie will discuss his ideas of the future of bookselling, some of the highlights of recent changes in Foyles, and the new emphasis on customer service.
Booksellers face special free speech problems in selling children’s books. Parents complain about books that are “inappropriate” for their children based on age or socio-economic background, and there is also growing sensitivity in some communities as to how they are presented in kids’ books. How should booksellers respond?
As we continue to see the effects of climate change throughout the world, booksellers are asking what they can do -- both to keep their customers and communities informed on this critical issue and to become involved in climate change grassroots activism. Booksellers on this panel will share examples of store activities - from title lists and in-store activities to advice on how to work with climate change activists, both in your community and nationwide.
Being an insightful reader and a book lover is just part of working in a bookstore. While it’s great to introduce someone to their next great read, a bookseller’s goal is to actually sell the book. How do you move from book insight to book sales? In this session, bookselling pros will provide strategies and tips for making the sale and attendees will have the opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills!
For owners and managers. Pre-reg required.
This ticketed session is open to ABA member store owners and managers only. One of the most important hires for any retail operation is a manager. Whether for the entire store, a section, or a key function, managers take pressure off owners, allowing them to focus on big-picture business decisions, secure in the knowledge that day-to-day operations will continue successfully. In this session, owners will learn strategies for communicating, delegating, training, and thriving through skillfully empowering managers. Facilitated by Lani Basa, owner and CEO of The Business Women’s Circle (BWC), a group providing a confidential and collaborative setting for businesswomen to foster growth and work on their businesses with the support of others.
Social media is here to stay, but no one platform is invincible. Algorithms can change overnight. For example, if Facebook disappeared tomorrow, your following would evaporate with it. Luckily, you are already investing in one online presence you do control: your website. This panel will review how to use social media to drive traffic to your website and e-newsletters --regardless of which social media platforms you prefer or how they can change -- and how to leverage your social followings to meet your store's marketing goals.
In November, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) published a comprehensive analysis on the negative impact of Amazon’s expansion and growing power. “Amazon’s Stranglehold: How the Company’s Tightening Grip is Stifling Competition, Eroding Jobs, and Threatening Communities,” provides in-depth details on how Amazon is monopolizing the economy, undermining job growth, and weakening communities — and what can be done to address the online retailer’s dominance. Chris Hayes, host of All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC, will interview Stacy Mitchell, the co-author of this report and the Co-Director of ILSR. Stacy will offer her unique insight and suggestions for public policy solutions and advocacy.
Thanks to the generosity of ABA’s publisher sponsors, many authors and illustrators will be on hand to chat with booksellers and to autograph new and forthcoming titles. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
Start the day with yoga with popular teacher Jessamyn Stanley! Jessamyn (Every Body Yoga, Workman, 2017) is a yoga teacher, body positive advocate, and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. She uses high energy vinyasa flow as a way to move past mental and emotional barriers. Her classes provide a body positive approach to yoga which celebrates students’ bodies and encourages them to ask “How do I feel?” rather than “How do I look?” when practicing yoga.
Kim Scott is the co-founder and CEO of Candor, Inc. She is the author of Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing your Humanity, to be published by St. Martin’s Press in March 2017. Kim has been an advisor at Dropbox, Kurbo, Qualtrics, Shyp, Twitter, and several other tech companies. She was a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and Doubleclick Online Sales and Operations at Google. Previously, Kim was the co-founder and CEO of Juice Software, a collaboration start-up, and led business development at Delta Three and Capital Thinking. Earlier in her career, Kim worked as a senior policy advisor at the FCC, managed a pediatric clinic in Kosovo, started a diamond cutting factory in Moscow, and was an analyst on the Soviet Companies Fund. She and her husband Andy Scott are parents of twins and live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ship your galleys home instead of traveling with them. This service is offered through PartnerShip/FedEx. Please bring your FedEx account number.
The Midwest Independent Booksellers Association is pleased to host the Hospitality Suite at this year’s Winter Institute. Stop by for a chance to decompress, grab a beverage, and refuel before heading back out to join your peers. Open to booksellers from all regions.
Attendees have the opportunity to donate books to any of three local charities: the Minneapolis Community Education – Adult Education North Campus Day Program, the Hennepin County Medical Center’s Children’s Literacy Program, and the Women’s Prison Book Project. Bring your book to the Hyatt Regency Exhibit Hall during the following days/times:
Pre-registration required; no fee. Space is limited. Two people per store max.
Open to Winter Institute registered booksellers, this 101-level seminar will cover the fundamentals of budgeting, understanding cash flow, business financing, bookkeeping, and financial statements. The workshop will include a segment focusing on strategies for achieving higher profits and improving cash flow. The program will conclude with an interactive group discussion, working through an example of how booksellers can use their store’s financial information to make sound business decisions. The seminar will concentrate on bookstore finances as opposed to bookstore accounting, and though it will be helpful for attendees to be familiar with basic bookstore finances, deep financial experience is not required. Lunch will be served.
Register here for the Principals of Bookstore Finance Seminar
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers. The list of Consultation Station participants and contact information is here.
The always popular Galley Room is filled with upcoming title ARC's from Wi12 sponsors. A limited supply of book bags will be on hand. The room will be closed during the morning plenary sessions.
Registration encouraged; space is limited. Sign up here.
IndieCommerce and non-IndieCommerce stores are invited to schedule one-on-one appointments with program specialists Geetha Nathan, Scott Nafz, and Ryan Quinn. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome, and booksellers are invited to visit the IndieCommerce lounge waiting area.
Working to provide readers and book buyers the widest possible range of authors’ voices and viewpoints is at the heart of what independent bookstore and small and university presses do every day. This session will look at ways retailers and publishers can work together more effectively and how they can capitalize and strengthen their long-term relationships.
Handselling a book through an effective blurb is an essential bookselling skill, whether it’s for the Indie Next List, for shelf-talkers, or for other opportunities in-store, online, or elsewhere. A panel of bookseller blurb-writing all-stars will discuss the key elements of effective blurbs and direct attendees in hands-on exercises for writing and reviewing blurbs.
An ongoing commitment to improving margins is a key to increasing bookstore profits. Focusing on freight costs, cost of goods sold, and even shrinkage can help any business improve the bottom line. Panelists in this session will help booksellers focus on successful strategies and best practices that will help guide booksellers into greater profitability.
Every year, literary awards highlight a variety of stellar titles, presenting unique opportunities for booksellers to focus the attention of buyers and readers, and spur sales. A panel composed of both booksellers and representatives from national organizations that present literary awards, will discuss ideas for introducing, expanding, and leveraging the cachet surrounding awards for increased sales as well as customer interaction.
Running a bookstore with your family can be very rewarding, but can present unique challenges. This session will cover some of those challenges and offer strategies and tools to help you and your family successfully navigate potential areas of conflict to ensure both a happy home and a prosperous store.
The new Edelweiss is here! This session will show you how to use Edelweiss+ to place orders, as well as provide best practices for customization, staff use, and more.
From its inception in 1999 as the "Book Sense 76," the monthly Indie Next List (INL) has epitomized the heart and soul of passionate bookselling: Discovery of the next great read and undiscovered gem. To continue the celebration of The Indie Next List, the #1 Pick Indie Next List authors in attendance at Wi12 will be featured in conversation.
Enjoy lunch while hearing about great upcoming titles from Winter Institute’s small and university press sponsors. Seating is unassigned for this lunch. NOTE NEW END TIME.
This year, booksellers have the opportunity to meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers are appearing at the Winter Institute for the first time in 2017. You will find the list of participants here.
NOTE NEW START TIME.
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers. The list of Consultation Station participants and contact information is here.
This roundtable for stores 1,000 square feet or under will provide an opportunity for owners and staff to discuss the specific needs of smaller stores, to brainstorm, and to share best practices.
With help from We Need Diverse Books, this roundtable forum will offer booksellers a venue to share information, ideas and success stories about forging connections within their communities, as well as opportunities to identify needs for future education and discuss ways in which ABC and WNDB can partner.
Backlist titles are the core of your inventory, but these titles may not always be front-of-mind when booksellers are faced with a customer who is looking for something to read. This session on tips and tactics for ensuring booksellers are armed with great backlist title ideas will also provide training procedures that put the focus on handselling backlist as well as frontlist titles.
Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country on the last Saturday in April. Every indie store is unique, and every party is different. But in addition to authors, live music, snacks, scavenger hunts, kids events, art tables, readings, barbecues, contests, and a lot of other fun stuff, there are exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day. This roundtable discussion is a chance for booksellers to share ideas and hear success stories from colleagues from across the country.
Have you found a tech tool that has saved you time, eliminated aggravations, or changed the way you approach a specific task? Are you interested in learning what other booksellers have discovered? This roundtable discussion will allow booksellers to share tech experiences and learn from each other.
Minneapolis is well-known for its thriving arts community. From museums to dynamic programs for readers and writers, as well as musicians and visual artists, Minneapolis has created a vibrant environment that the business community has both learned from and supported. This talk brings together the Minneapolis arts and business communities to discuss strategies for creating successful partnerships in any city or town across the country.
What did you learn at Wi12? Whom did you connect with? What session or topic gave you clarity and excited you about possibilities? This debrief is a chance to process your Wi12 experience and to plan for implementation in your store.
The Winter Institute closes with one more party and lots more book signings! Enjoy a final drink and conversation with your colleagues while meeting more than a dozen authors published by Wi12’s small and university press sponsors. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Enjoy!
American Booksellers Association is a national trade association that supports and advocates for the success of independent bookstores. We provide members with education, networking opportunities, advocacy, resources, and technology. In turn our members support local schools through book fairs, donations and author visits; promote literacy; provide inclusive community centers; connect readers and books; add character to neighborhoods; champion and center diverse and new voices; and contribute to the local economy. We feel honored to support them in their work.
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