Introducing The Southern Bookseller Review: A Book for Every Reader

(December 10, 2020) The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance is excited to announce the launch of The Southern Bookseller Review, a website and weekly newsletter focused on reviews from Southern indie booksellers. The Southern Bookseller Review (SBR) introduces a new approach to SIBA’s commitment to outreach and advocacy for its bookstore members with their customers, potential customers, and the general reading public. Designed to showcase the wide range of southern readers’ literary tastes and interests, SBR is the evolution of several long-standing, consumer-facing SIBA programs: Authors Round the South, Okra Picks, and The Lady Banks Commonplace Book newsletter.

At the heart of SBR are book reviews by SIBA booksellers of the books they are most excited to hand-sell.  Reviews come from store websites, newsletters, social media, and submissions to Edelweiss Plus, the book industry platform for marketing and ordering new titles.

“Indie booksellers know that getting the right book at the right time into the hands of the right reader is life-changing,” says SIBA Executive Director Linda-Marie Barrett, “The Southern Bookseller Review is a unique and beautiful vehicle for making these connections happen. We are providing a thoughtfully curated selection of book reviews and more, from across our territory, that highlight the diverse literary tastes of our booksellers and their delight in bringing these books to readers everywhere.”

SBR is both a website and a weekly newsletter. The website contains a searchable database of reviews from indie booksellers and a directory of Southern indie bookstores with links to their reviews.  It is also the new home of the Southern indie bestseller list and The Southern Book Prize.  The newsletter features recently posted reviews and highlights books that are receiving an exceptional amount of bookseller buzz. It will also contain profiles of Southern indie bookstores and booksellers.

Indie booksellers put their reputations on the line when they recommend a book to their customers, who are not screen names and avatars, but their neighbors and friends.  Readers know that the recommendations they receive from their local bookshop are informed, sincere, and trustworthy. And because booksellers are the most avid of avid readers, their enthusiasm for the books they love is irresistible. Nancy Olson, the late beloved owner of Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC once told Angela Davis-Gardener “I just want to stuff books down their throats!”  SBR is built on bookseller excitement and the belief that independent booksellers are experts in the art of “You’ve got to read this!”

For more information about The Southern Bookseller Review visit thesouthernbooksellerreview.org or contact Linda-Marie Barrett at lindamarie@sibaweb.com