NVNR's upcoming Publicity Speed Dating event (June 14-15) is a wonderful opportunity for bookstores to raise their visibility with publishers. The event was invented by NAIBA, which originally held Publicity Speed Dating events in person several times a year. Several dozen booksellers would come to pitch their stores to anywhere from 50 to 80 publicists. Each one enjoyed their "fifteen minutes of fame" and the undivided attention of publicists from all the major publishers as well as many of the small presses. Whenever it is held, Publicity Speed Dating is always a sell-out for NAIBA booksellers, who have come to regard the event as integral to their relationship building with publishers. Stores with active events programs, especially, consider PSD as key to their ability to book authors at their stores.

The New Voices New Rooms partnership gives SIBA booksellers an opportunity to participate in Publicity Speed Dating. The upcoming June event, which is virtual, is open to both SIBA and NAIBA bookstores, with available spots divded equally between the two regions.

Note, this is not a "rep picks" session: publicists will not be pitching upcoming titles to booksellers. Instead, each participating bookstore will have about 15 minutes to present the store to the attending publicists. In effect, one meeting to introduce yourself to upwards of fifty publicists and publisher reps.

It is time worth its weight in gold and an opportunity not to be missed.

Read more and register here