"What did I love about NVNR? Being able to talk directly to other bookstore operators, publisher reps, and vendor reps without a computer between us. Meeting people who I might be able to work with later."
--NVNR 2023 Attendee

Bookstores make many strategic decisions in the early part of the year, from planning their budget to setting  goals to grow their business. One of those decisions is which conferences or events they need to attend to help realize the goals they have set. Regional conferences like New Voices New Rooms are important to independent bookstores, who look to them to:

• meet both regional and national authors
• meet their sales and publisher reps
• connect with their fellow booksellers
• attend education geared toward regional issues

And as they are smaller and within their own region, regional conferences are less expensive than national events and have more flexible options for registration and travel.

Registration for NVNR opens April 2. 
Click here to be added to the NVNR early notification list and be eligible for earlybird discount prices.

What to expect at March Madness: Week 2

The second week of March Madness brings booksellers to the Gulf Coast for events at Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, LA and The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL.

Register here

All March Madness events run from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM local time and include an author luncheon. The general format for all events is:

• 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Education Session presented by hosting store
• 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Author Luncheon
• 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Bookseller Idea Share

Some stores may have special presentations planned, depending on the location and topic. Updated information will be included below and on the event page.

March 12:

In an interview several years ago Rayna Nielsen, one of the co-owners of Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, LA, described one of those nightmare moments all booksellers have faced at some point: a zoom event with Chuck Palahniuk had to be cancelled right at the start because the author couldn't log on. "The attendees were already in the Zoom waiting and they were amazing, they spent over an hour swapping stories and sharing their memorabilia with each other. It was a really special thing to be a part of," said Nielsen.

Blue Cypress Books has created a vibrant social media community through an authentic, personality-forward content approach. Over the last 3 years, this strategy has increased their follower count by over 70% and consistently resulted in both online engagement and in-store sales. In the same time period they have expanded their event space with a move to a new location and added a robust selection of engaging events to their calendar. They will hold a workshop-style overview of their approach, tips and tricks, and tools to help your social media and events work build community among your customers.

March 13:

Owner Angela Trigg says that The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL is "haunted by the ghosts of great literature." The store specializes in genre-focused bookselling tailored for Gen Z and Millennial readers, (see what Angela has been reading) offering a unique experience through hyper-categorized genres, engaging staff, and dynamic events. At their March Madness event, they will explore their innovative approach to bookselling, highlighting why they thrive alongside giants like Amazon by focusing on experience over transactions, as illustrated in the owner's 'widget vs. experience-seeking shopper' theory.

For booksellers who go above and beyond in their local community!
(and let's be honest, we all know a bookseller like that.)

Nominations are now open for the Katie Trocheck Abel Award. Created to honor the daughter of New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews, the award celebrates booksellers dedicated to the kind of community outreach and spirit that Katie herself was known for. It honors the often unheralded acts of kindness that take place all the time in our bookselling world. 

SIBA will award $500 to a SIBA bookseller who has gone above and beyond in their local community. Booksellers can nominate other booksellers or self-nominate. Nominations are also accepted from the wider book industry.

Application deadline is May 1, with the winner announced June 1.

Nomination Form

The winner will be chosen by Mary Kay Andrews and her co-hosts from Friends & Fiction: Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry.

Katie Trocheck Abel had a huge heart for community outreach, lending countless hours of support to organizations such as No Kid Hungry, Atlanta's Free99Fridge, and Atlanta's Helping Mamas, which has named a car seat donation program in her honor. Katie was also a fierce supporter of her mom, and of the many booksellers who supported her.

Strategic Closures: Giving Your Business a Break
A recap of the New Voices New Rooms Owners' Retreat discussion on January 25, 2024

Recently, almost 50 store owners attended the first quarterly virtual owners retreats for NAIBA and SIBA bookstores. Moderating the session were Adam Waterreus, owner, Lost City Books, Washington, DC and Janet Geddis, owner, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA.

Adam started the meeting off by sharing his strategic closing, which is ten days in August. The weekend before closing, they do a storewide “summer sale” of inventory, which is extra special as they usually don’t offer discounts. On the Monday after the sale, the entire team does an activity together, like rafting, and then they have 7 days of paid vacation. This time off is in addition to their regular PTO time. They reopen the Friday of Labor Day weekend. Three days before that, the staff is in the store restocking and doing projects.

Lost City Books promotes the store closing to customers in at least two ways: they inform them that closing offers their staff a much-needed vacation, which customers embrace, and they share their book reads for their summer vacations, and, if willing, where and how they’ll be spending their time off. The summer sale has become a big revenue producer, and Adam reported that his overall August sales have remained the same compared to the years he did not close for a week. He also sets aside funds throughout the year to cover the extra vacation pay. Waterreus recommends creating a business and financial plan that only has the store in operation for 50 weeks a year if others want to do something like this.

Janet closes her store various times in the year for special reasons, like the year she took her entire staff to the SIBA fall show, so they would understand their role in the bookselling ecosystem. She also closed the store for a week during the pandemic to give her team a break from the stress. She will close the store when they have big projects to do that would be impossible to tackle if the store was open to customers. She closes the store on election day and for staff development events. If the weather is bad, their policy is that the management team members are the only ones who will come in, and if they can’t, the store is closed. This had others saying they needed to create a policy similar to that, such as school closings mean the store is closed.

Both Adam and Janet reported that their web sales increase when their store is closed. Adam’s store does not process orders during their annual summer closing and let their customers know there will be a delay until they reopen. Avid Bookshop’s site remains open for business during the day(s) of closure, but – in most cases – Janet’s staff won’t process orders until regular store hours resume. This discussion brought up another issue to consider: how will you process special orders when the store is closed? One owner reported her stores close for a week as well as specific days, and they offer a discount for online orders and make sure the customers know that it will take longer to get their orders or send them to Bookshop.org for speedier delivery. Other stores use Bookshop to fulfill orders when they close.

Janet shared her philosophy that our culture is too focused on immediate gratification at the expense of the people. She hates the message that implies “what’s your worth if you aren’t working?” If you are treating your staff kindly, you should share that purpose with your customers, and they’ll appreciate it. Janet also mentioned taking a sabbatical, which caught the attention of many of the owners present.

If thinking of closing, consider historic sales data and community impact. Two stores mentioned closing on their universities’ home football games. One owner closes for two weeks' vacation as people do in corporate jobs, and continues that practice with her store. Another said it took years to figure out that if schools are closed, her store should be closed, and if the news recommends people not travel, she keeps her store closed. Others said if they had to close for an emergency, they just posted on the door, their website, and answer system and found no complaints from customers.

Other owners hesitated on closing because of the perception that they are not doing well or going out of business, based on other stores closing in their area. This concern might be overcome by good communication with customers. Janet shared one of the temporary store closure to-dos checklists on Basecamp. Here is one Avid’s staff rely on, their “Places to update when changing hours or closing/opening to browsing list”:

• Facebook
• Website: Contact Us page
• Website: Change checkout messaging
• Website: Change FAQ/Help page
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Google listing
• Security system
• Answering system
• After Hours message
• Answering system Outgoing greeting
• POS: settings for special order email
• Website: change pick up workflow emails
• Website: change pic up order template
• Change store open sign (electronic / paper)
• Website: change store hours
• Website: change holiday hours
• Website: announcement banner
• Notify UPS / FedEx drivers

The leaders in the session showed that it was possible to close your store for strategic purposes. It benefits the staff and owner, and has many good operational uses. Just plan ahead and communicate with your team and your customers.

NVNR Owners Retreats are open to all store owners who are current members of either the NAIBA or SIBA regional association.

Current Newsletter: Read Black

Book Buzz Feature: The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
The stories in The Storm We Made definitely have their foundations in some of the stories that my grandmother and family have told me. But some stories are also drawn and dramatized from history, while other parts are built from the imagination, as novels do. As the eldest grandchild on my father’s side, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, and over the years, I would glean fascinating and often horrible anecdotes from my grandmother, delivered in a matter-of-fact way….When I finally started writing this book, during the earliest days of 2020 (the part of the pandemic when things were at their worst), no libraries and archives were open. Instead, I relied on my memory, and the stories I had heard before from my family, that I had internalized but never really put to paper. In doing so, I realized I knew more than I thought I did.  ― Vanessa Chan, Interview, Bookweb

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy : Racism, Injustice, and How You Can Be a Changemaker by Emmanuel Acho

NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS

Linda-Marie:
Reading: A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi, and very much enjoying the Basque setting, and The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle, for a PBS Leadership Course.
Listening: to various music soundscapes on my Calm app,
Watching: Beyond Paradise, set on the beautiful Devon coast in England and reliably cozy viewing.

Candice:
Reading: Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. Honestly all I needed to hear was "queer witches," and I was in.
Listening: Everyone On This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson Watching: Almost finished Reservation Dogs, and it's truly one of the best shows I've ever watched. If you like heartwarming shows like Ted Lasso, this one is a must!

Nicki:
Reading: I'm looking for my next great novel, I'm just not sure where it will come from (but assume The Golden Notebook until I say otherwise).
Listening: Root Fractures by Diana Khoi Nguyen (both the audiobook and the podcast episode from Between the Covers)
Watching: The Man Who Stopped the Desert which is a documentary about Yacouba Sawadogo, an agronomist who died in December. He was my kind of hero: "I don’t want to eat today and leave future generations with nothing to eat."

SP:
Reading: Kate Atkinson’ story collection Normal Rules Don’t Apply.
Listening: The sound of stinkbugs buzzing against the window after the recent warm spell woke them up from their winter nap.
Watching: True Detective: Night Country. Bring on the theories!

Andi:
Reading: I just finished Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld and I'm mad I waited so long to read it! Listening: A late 90's/early 00's playlist a friend sent me that is taking me back to my twenties Watching: Loudermilk on Netflix - a perfect Gen X grumpy dark comedy

NVNR "LEAP DAY" PUBLICITY SPEED DATING
February 29: Show off your store to publishers and publicists

SARAH MCCOY GRANT FOR BOOKSELLER WRITERS
Deadline to apply is March 21.

INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY PLANNING GUIDE
ICYMI, the ABA has launched an Indie Bookstore Day Planning Guide

More at the #bulletin-board channel at the SIBA Discord Community!

Happy New Year, SIBA friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a rejuvenating new year. We were excited to launch Discord “fireside chats,” where we get together as a group on Discord and chat about a specific topic. These will take place on the last Wednesday of the month at 7PM ET/6PM CT.

Our first chat on January 31st featured Cheryl Lee from 44th & 3rd Bookseller who gave a fascinating account of her experience at the 2023 Frankfurt International Book Fair. In February, we’ll do a debrief from Winter Institute to share what we learn with those who aren’t able to attend. I hope you’ll join us for this new networking series to keep us connected throughout the year! If you need an invite to our Discord server, please send me an email.

I’m also looking for stores to feature in our newsletter and on social media. This is a great opportunity to gain visibility for your store in the industry! If you’re interested in a feature, please fill out the Bookseller Profile Questionnaire and I’ll write up a feature based on the information you provide.

In case you missed it, we have a beautiful Membership Benefits Brochure that lays out all of the amazing benefits and programs SIBA offers! Give it a browse to make sure you aren’t missing anything. And of course, if you have any questions about your benefits, please let me know. 

It’s also time to review your SIBA profile and make sure it’s up to date. Just log into Sibaweb.com, click “Manage Profile,” then “Edit Bio” and review your information. You can also create sub-accounts for your booksellers in the “Sub-Accounts” section! If you need help, as always, please reach out.

Finally, the SIBA Census has launched! Don’t forget to fill it out so we can be well informed on our membership and how best to serve you.

As always, if you have any questions or if you just want to say hello, you can contact me any time at candice@sibaweb.com.

Order Deadline is March 15

NAIBA, GLIBA, and SIBA are once again partnering to produce Summer and Holiday Catalogs for member bookstores in 2024. Just in time for Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer, this 8‑page square catalog is THE summer resource for readers. Don’t miss this high-energy compendium of summer titles!

The cover of the 2024 Summer Catalog features artwork from My Book and Me by the beloved Linda Sue Park and illustrator and two-time Caldecott medal winner, Chris Raschka. My Book and Me is a joyful tribute to the books we hold dear and consider as friends.

These professionally produced print and digital catalogs are an economical, easy way to connect books with readers during two key seasons.     Summer Catalog orders are open now through March 15.  

Bookstore Marketing Kit | Edelweiss Collection

The Summer Catalog is smaller than its Holiday counterpart and includes many of the season’s best titles. IMember stores are eligible for 1 FREE box of 500 catalogs; extra boxes may be ordered at cost. As with the Holiday Catalog, the Summer Catalog includes an ecommerce version customized for member stores at no additional charge, along with other resources that make it easy to order and promote the catalog titles.

The Catalog program remains one of SIBA's most popular and utilized bookstore benefits, and the Summer Catalog. Don't miss this easy way to boost your summer sales.

Place Your Order

The past, the present, the eerie future...the February 2024 Adult Read This Next! list shows the compelling stories come in many different guises.

Read what booksellers have to say here:

RTNext! Bookseller Resources:
Edelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Front (image)

What SIBA Booksellers have to say:

Bride by Ali Hazelwood
The “couldn’t put down”-ness with this book was unreal. A new vampire, werewolf romance that had me enthralled from page one.
– Mekhala Villegas-Rogers from Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan (Trans.)
A tender and wise exploration of the interior lives of a Korean bookshop staff and their customers. Each person's story unfolds quietly. As each one's past comes to meet their present, the community they form opens the way for change and hope. Lovely, in turns melancholy and gently humorous. A must read for all booklovers.
– Jan Blodgett from Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
As meandering as There, There was propulsive, Wandering Stars takes a while to get going...That is not to say the first part is not interesting or well written—it’s both. It almost feels like two different books. The final hundred or so pages kept me engaged through to the end. Well-written and thought= provoking.
– Caleb Bedford from Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
In a world where one may travel 20 years into the future or 20 years into the past just to take a look at what happened/will happen, which would you choose? This is the world where The Other Valley exists.
– Kelly Justice from Fountain Books in Richmond, Virginia

Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley
Always insightful and frequently funny, this memoir was a joy to read even as the subject matter stung.
– Michelle Cavalier from Cavalier House in Books Denham Springs, Louisiana

And don't forget about the January/February Read This Next! Kids List:

RTNext! Kids Bookseller Resources:
Edelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Front (image)

Current Read This Next! books and what SIBA booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review