As we barrel into March (and perhaps, like me, you’re desperately looking for signs of daffodils), I hope you’re feeling the boost of Winter Institute: the big and small gatherings of folks you haven’t seen in a year, the smiling faces, the unexpected release of tears, the reminder of our beloved, supportive bookselling community.  I pulled out my bullet journal and took lots of notes, finding inspiration everywhere. In her conversation with Janet Geddis, owner of Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA, Brene Brown said, “We are a meaning-making species.” This comment prompted thoughts about the narratives we create to describe our work, our stores, and ourselves. Are they serving us? Are they moving us forward? Futurist Brian David Johnson, in his conversation with ABA CEO Allison Hill, urged us to consider the future we want for ourselves, our community, and our industry. What role can we play in creating that future? What are the obstacles and opportunities?

Several sessions nudged reflection on how we’re holding up during a time of continuous social and economic disruption. Are we taking care of ourselves and our staff? Are we finding time to vision, to listen deeply to each other, to support our mental health? Do we have the support we need, and if not, do we know where to turn? If you find you don’t have the support you need, please look to our resources on sibaweb.com, including these resources provided by the ABA. And reach out to us-we’re there for you and want to help.

I especially loved the poetry interludes that provided windows into experiences quite different from mine, glimpses of beauty and pain, an appreciation, always, of the life-changing magic of words, especially when spoken with such precise care by a poet. These interludes made the virtual experience more intimate, when witnessed with other poetry lovers similarly moved by striking images and powerful delivery. 

If you'd like to pass on your thoughts on Winter Institute-what worked for you, what challenged you, what you’d like to see SIBA providing virtually-we’re all ears! 

Speaking of: we have two NVNR events coming up fast. First is Publicity Speed Dating Tuesday, March 9 through Friday, March 12. Over the course of three and a half days, 72 bookstores will get their fifteen minutes in the spotlight to pitch their stores to publicists and make their case why they would be a good fit for future author tours, other event programming, and special pre-order campaigns. The event will only take 12-15 minutes of your time, but an updated press kit is required. Many NAIBA booksellers, who have been doing publicity speed dating for years, tell us this is their most important event of the year. 15 minutes of your time can result in big positive changes in your store’s relationships with publishers. Have questions? Please email me!

Next up is our March Madness: Social Media Bootcamp & Author Programming, March 23-25. Registration is now open for this 3-day “bootcamp” for booksellers who want to elevate their social media game. These intensive training classes will cover creating storylines, branding, visual techniques, posting strategies, and best practices for major social media platforms. Designed for both beginners and advanced social media users, it will use recent and upcoming book releases as part of the training and for you to create actual posts of your own. Booksellers will learn how to make creative posts for books, research for assets, and share them across social networks, including TikTok. The educational program runs daily from 9:30AM-12:30PM, followed by 1PM author luncheons, and 3-4PM Social Media Deep Dive breakout sessions.

Please also save the date of Monday, April 5 at 7PM for "A Conversation Between Friends About Race and Joy"with Ben Philippe, author of Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend , the kick-off to SIBA’s 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge. He'll be in conversation with Luis Correa, Operations Manager at Avid Bookshop and a member of the American Bookseller Association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. Register here. More to come on this special programming, stay tuned!

In the meantime, stay in touch so you stay on top of SIBA programming and member benefits that will serve your business, and your dreams. Creating the future you want to be in begins today, and we are here to help you on your journey.

Yours in books and community,

Linda-Marie