In this column, members can ask Candice anything, and they will provide an answer if they know! If you want to ask Candice something that may be in a future column, email candice@sibaweb.com.
This month’s question is: What exactly does the SIBA Board do?
As a previous Board member, I can answer this one! The Board are your representatives, and they guide the direction of the SIBA organization as a whole. They regularly review SIBA’s by-laws and governance policies and evaluate SIBA's performance. The Board also acts as advocates for SIBA's members.
Board terms are three years, and they do not get paid for service, but expenses incurred are generally covered by SIBA. Being on the Board requires attendance at board meetings plus a Carver training session, as SIBA functions under The Carver Method. Adequate preparation for all meetings is also required. The Board acts as representatives of SIBA at events and hears member questions and concerns as it relates to the organization as a whole.
The current Board has worked on updating SIBA's by-laws, expanding the definition of a "core bookstore member" to be more inclusive, and expanding the size of the Board to better respond to the changing industry. The Board has also responded to the book banning issues many of our members face.
As you can see, the Board works for you! It’s up to our members to volunteer for and nominate folks for the Board so we can ensure diversity among identities and states. If your state is not currently represented, think about nominating someone (even yourself!) during the next call for nominations.
And congratulations to our two new Board members, Krystle Dandridge of RVA Book Bar in Richmond, VA, and Bunnie Hilliard of Brave + Kind Bookshop in Decatur, GA!
Why should you attend? We'll let Charles Robinson from Eagle Eye Books in Decatur and Michael Reynolds with Europa Editions explain it!:
"We all have had plenty of experience interacting with the front-facing departments of publishing, sales mostly. But wouldn’t you like to travel behind the curtain to see a bit more about how these incredible works of art come into being? Well, here’s your chance! Indie publishers, just like us indie booksellers, are where you will find some of the most exciting ideas and people in the industry." --Charles Robinson, Eagle Eye Books, Decatur, GA
The affinity between independent bookstores and independent publishers is a byword in the book industry, yet I’m convinced that even closer ties between us can benefit booksellers, authors, and readers, can be good for business, and can further the cause of bibliodiversity and nourish the culture of reading in this country. In order to reap those benefits, however, we need new forums and new tools; we need to think outside of the corporate box. I’m glad that SIBA, which serves some of the most renowned and respected indie bookstores in the country as well as many exciting new stores, is the first regional association to fully recognize this need and I am genuinely thrilled to have been invited to join you for the Indie Press Social in Decatur, where, together, we can help make the indie-to-indie connection thrive.- Michael Reynolds Editor in Chief, Europa Editions
Representatives from Europa Editions, Other Press, Beacon Press, The New Press, Soho Press, Verso Books will present their mission and upcoming titles. After their talk we’ll enjoy dinner and drinks at a fine local restaurant nearby, courtesy of our visiting publishers. Space is limited to THREE booksellers per store. Register here.
One of the new events launched at this month's New Voices New Rooms conference was "Genre Buzz" - a somewhat unique approach to title discovery in that Genre Buzz was a series of bookseller-led discussions about their favorite genres -- what they loved about them, how they sold them, the books they were looking forward to and the books that got them hooked. It they hadn't been scheduled in the middle of the exhibit hall we might have called them "retreats," (and can we just say, sixteen different tables filled with booksellers eagerly talking about their favorite romance/horror/fantasy/thriller books is something to be seen).
NVNR created Edelweiss collections and printable flyers for each Genre Buzz topic, and while they can't equal the enthusiasm of a table full of genre-loving booksellers, they do all make for some great displays and book club reading lists.
I’m still dreaming about our New Voices New Rooms (NVNR) conference. Every night I relive different aspects of it. The behind the scenes moments: receiving a box of locally-made chocolate bars for our author gift bags; setting up the registration desk and office room across from the exhibit hall; printing out and folding tent cards for the receptions; figuring out the flow of authors in the moveable feast; working up the menu choices with the hotel, dealing with a few last minute shipping challenges; appreciating how NVNR’s social committee came up with a late in the game DIY Barbie photo booth. And then there were the public moments: watching Tony Keith tear up as he caught sight for the first time of the ARCs of his debut work; listening to our keynote speaker engage hundreds of booksellers in earnest conversations about leadership and bold goals; hearing authors and editors speak from the heart about their new works; being a fly on the wall as booksellers, publishers, and industry partners made conversation over peanut-covered M & Ms and popcorn during snack breaks; and saying goodbye to attendees leaving the conference, weighted down with books, smiles on their faces. NVNR 2023 was such a special, ephemeral community that I already miss, and am grateful to have been part of creating.
This week we began our debriefing on how it went, and how it could be better. We’ve heard from many attendees, but we need to hear from more of you. Your voice and perspective matters! For those who attended, we invite you to participate in this survey.
Did you receive the updated SIBA membership sheet, “Hey Y’All” button, and window decal at NVNR registration? If not, please let me know and we’ll send you what you need to get up to speed :)
The sun never sets on SIBA programming! We’re hosting our first Indie Press Social at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA next month. We still have a few open spaces and we’d love to see YOU! Six of our favorite indie presses–Europa Editions, Other Press, Beacon Press, The New Press, Soho Press, Verso Books–will present their mission and upcoming titles and then take us all out to dinner for the kind of publisher/bookseller schmooze we all love. More information and registration link here.
Keep well during these last lovely days of summer, and keep in touch!
Read This Next! September takes readers on adventure after adventure, from outer space to the wilderness of an American continent menaced by colonizers. From regency romance to the horror-tinged Victorian marriage market. Sink your teeth into these five books, because they will certainly sink their teeth into you!
Read This Next! highlights new books that are receiving exceptional, and exceptionally enthusiastic, buzz from Southern indie booksellers. Each of the selected books has several enthusiastic cheerleaders among Southern indie booksellers. SIBA always makes a point of putting the store excitement and buzz around these books in front of their publishers, raising store visibility with the industry.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Gut-wrenching yet gorgeous, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a necessary and impressive addition to both LGBTQ and horror lit.
– Charlie Williams from Square Books in Oxford, MS
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
I kept turning the pages wondering when she was going to be rescued, live happily ever after with her Native husband? This is not that story. What this is, is an amazing meditation on what it means to be alive, to want to stay alive, and the big question, why do we live at all.
– Jessica Osborne from E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, GA
The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts by Loren Grush
I have spent hours reading books and watching documentaries about all things NASA for years of my life, but I still learned so many new things reading this book.
– JKate Storhoff from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC
Rouge by Mona Awad
Reading this book felt a lot like moving through a dream. The surreal horror and red-soaked imagery stuck with me long after finishing.
– Hallee Israel from Pearl's Books in Fayetteville, AR
A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles
This review is just me screaming to anyone who will listen what an absolute joy it is to read KJ Charles. Hijinks, hilarity and heart-stopping charm.
– Katie Garaby from Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN
Current Read This Next! books and what SIBA booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review
SIBA’s Social media coordinator Robin Wood will be leaving us at the end of August. Her thoughtful perspectives on how SIBA and our consumer-facing platform, The Southern Bookseller Review (SBR), use social media to increase engagement and awareness, have been invaluable. Robin brought structure, style, beauty, and consistency to SIBA’s social media campaigns, as well as experience and wisdom when the team reviewed engagement reports and goals. She also brought a wonderful dry humor into our staff meetings, and entertained us with her bookselling experiences at Books & Books, Key West, where she works seasonally (with Judy Blume!). Robin can be reached at robinqwood@gmail.com
Taking over for Robin is SIBA’s Membership Coordinator, Candice Huber. Candice will also continue in their current role. They bring a lot of experience, creativity, and innovative ideas to this position and we look forward to seeing what’s next for SIBA and SBR!”
NVNR Keynote: When Booksellers Lead with Julia Fabris McBride
Julia Fabris McBride opened her keynote address to booksellers at the New Voices New Rooms conference with the question "So what do you what kind of culture do you want in your bookstore? What kind of culture do you want to live and work in?"
Answers from the audience came quickly:
"A culture that is sustainable for employees and the business and empathetic to its workers."
"That celebrates what we provide -- expertise, deep knowledge of books, warmth, empathy, innovation, creativity, and inclusivity"
"It's about being open with the people around you. I want to be where everybody is really being honest."
"When I think about culture, I think about connection. Not only to the community, but between management and employees, us and our authors, us and our publishers. To everyone"
McBride used the responses to discuss our concept of leadership as a verb, an activity, rather than as a position, or a statment of authority.
"We've actually seen the research that the kind of leadership we're talking about this morning. leadership that's an activity not a position actually leads to these kinds of cultures, where people feel more empowered, more able to do their jobs, and more able to make progress. "
Fabris's book, When Everyone Leads, explores the concept of Leadership as a Practice, and its benefits in facing tough challenges, such as reconciling being a space where all are welcome with being a space where everyone feels safe.
Leadership, she noted, is often seen as an individual act, but when you view it as a practice, it is something every individual in the store can exercise. This in turn makes the store more resilient, more adaptible in the face of challenges, more flexibility and able to turn situations into opportunities. And the staff not only feels more engaged and more empowered, but also more aware of their own responsibilities: when leadership is a practice, we are never "not in charge" and there is never a situation where we can say, "that's not my department."
NVNR: Take-Aways from the Childrens Booksellers Retreat
The first full day of NVNR was divided between bus tours to area book shops and the bookseller "retreats" -- three hour long moderated discussions among store owners, store managers, or children's booksellers.
The Childrens Retreat was lef by Heidi Ashton Yoon, the Events Manager for the Children and Teens Department at Politics and Prose, in Washington, DC and Sally Sue Lavigne, owner of the Storybook Shoppe in Bluffton, SC.
The discussion ranged across many topics, including Author Visits, Book Bans, Creative Diverse Collections, and Fostering Community Partnerships.
Community Partnerships
Focus on doing book fairs with smaller schools that don’t have the opportunity to work with Scholastic
Ask local high school theater departments to dress up and help with themed story times
Advertise store field trips to local schools
Facilitate Bookshop registry for organizations that need help in your community
Promote Indie Commerce wish lists
Reach out to summer camps about stocking up on books they need (plan 6 months out)
Do more scavenger hunts with local businesses (in same vein as Let’s Find Waldo events)
Help local PTA with fundraising by hosting a “Book Night Out” in the store. A percentage of book sales go back to the school for one or two nights.
Author Visits
For local self pub authors, have them pay the store $20 for 3 hours on weekend to promote book. They do their own event registration (can use a free online reservation tool) and publicity. The store provides the space.
Take the event management class!
Try adult book fairs with local authors around different holidays
Make the kids events hands on experiences
Make arrangements with authors so that they visit the store and local schools on same day (multiple school visits paired with store events)
Ask authors you have partnerships with for introductions to other authors
Creating a Diverse Collection
Be sure to face out books for cultural holidays and celebrations (Have them on hand/in stock)
Shine a light on the new diverse titles that come out—give them a chance to sell
Create a display called “Diversify Your Reads”. Highlight joy, not trauma. Change up regularly
“Pride In Your Shelf” book spine stickers
Be sure to tag books in your system so you can easily find special topics that people are looking for
Use diversebookfinder.org
Amplify all diversity
Hire a consultant, if need be
Book Challenges
Consider having a moment of silence during Banned Book Week
Educate your customers-talk to them about the books being banned. Use empathy and understanding.
Strongly feel that we need an actionable plan ( one concise document) from come ABA on monthly basis on what to do whether your specific store is facing challenges or not. We all need to support those stores that are struggling but how do we do it?
Hi SIBA Friends! It was so wonderful to meet so many of you at NVNR! This was my first time working a conference, and it was a blast. As part of my duties as your Membership Coordinator, I attended the SIBA Town Hall, and I wanted to pass along what we reported.
First of all, SIBA is in excellent financial shape! Since 2020, our assets have increased by 389% (and yes, that number is real!). We currently have 182 active members, and so far this year, we have welcomed 25 new members from nine states. That means that we’ve had 16% membership growth over 2022!
Board president Jamie Rogers-Southern reported that over the past year, the Board has been working hard to update our by-laws, including updating outdated language and SIBA’s official definition of a “core member” to be more inclusive of all store models. The Board is hoping to get the updated by-laws out to membership for a vote by the end of September. Rogers-Southern also stated that they are looking to expand the Board to 7 members.
Board elections are in progress, and it’s really important that each store votes on the proposed Board slate, as we do need a quorum for that to pass. So if you haven’t voted yet, please do! Two of our Board members, Jamie Fiocco and Jamie Rogers-Southern, are ending their terms at the end of 2023. As past president, Jamie Rogers-Southern will remain as a non-voting member of the Board to ensure a smooth transition.
We also heard from the membership, where a few stores shared stories of book banning efforts in their states. The emerging issue of AI was also discussed as a future concern. In response to expanding the Board, concerns were brought forth about the state diversity of the current Board, as two members have stores in Georgia and two have stores in the Carolinas. Board member Julia Davis addressed that concern, stating that it is up to the members to both volunteer and nominate folks for the Board. Members also stated that they would like a place to continue to connect with each other throughout the year. SIBA staff has definitely heard that, and we have already been working on ways to support that! Finally, members also wanted updated materials in our shared bookseller resources on Sibaweb.com, and that is also a project on our list.
Other current SIBA projects include researching mentorship programs and additional resources for communities that experience violence, book banning, and anti-LGBTQIA+ activities and formalizing the process of how stores report to SIBA that they are closing so we can offer more support and collect better data, as well as potentially continue our relationship with those stores in a different capacity.
It was wonderful to pass the mic around and get to hear from you all!
SIBA handed out a 2023 Town Hall Update brochure with a lot more information, which you can access here.
Bookstore Romance Day is a day designed to give independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction—its books, readers, and writers—and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community. If you’re a bookstore that sells Romance in any form, from Classics to YA to those books we all think of as “Romance” or anything in-between, and would like to participate in Bookstore Romance Day on August 19, 2023 sign up here!
Cheryl Lee of 44th and 3rd Booksellers in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the recipients of a 2023 Books Across Borders Scholarship, co-sponsored by SIBA and Independent Publishing Caucus (IPC).
Each year Books Across Borders awards fellowships to five indie booksellers to visit Frankfurter Buchmesse and the FIL Guadalajara international book fair. Books Across Borders aims to connect booksellers to the global literary conversation and through them to widen Americans’ perspectives of diverse and international literature. Lee's scholarship will allow her to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair in October.
"We were sooo surprised to win and are very much looking forward to attending the International Book Fair in Frankfurt!," said Lee, "I have never been to Germany so this will be especially exciting not only to attend the fair, but also it will be our thirtieth wedding anniversary. What a way to celebrate!"
Lee went on to say she is looking forward to networking with other booksellers from around the world and hopes to gain a better understanding of bookselling from an international perspective, as well as learning new practices that can be brought back to 44th and 3rd.
Everyone at SIBA is excited to meet up with booksellers in person next week at NVNR 2023. The first in-person show for SIBA since 2019 promises to be an amazing time as we come together to re-invent what it means to have an Annual Fall Conference.
The entire SIBA staff will be in Arlington next week for NVNR, so there will be no newsletter next week, and everyone may be slow to respond to emails, phone calls, and other queries. It is protocol for staff to keep their phones on vibrate at in-person events, and not to interrupt speakers or disrupt conversations by answering phones during presentations.
Reaching SIBA during the show:
For people attending NVNR, contact information for all NVNR staff is available in the attendee app. The registration and info desk is also staffed from 8 AM to 7 PM each day, and will always have a SIBA staff person on hand.
For anyone not attending NVNR, the fastest way to reach SIBA is to use the contact form on SIBA's website (there is a blue button right on the home page). The form sends an alert to our virtual office on Slack, which is always monitored. Email and phone messages will be answered, but expect responses to be delayed.
Don't forget! What to do if you aren't at the show:
Vote for your SIBA Board! The ballot remains open until August 24th. Every SIBA member store gets one vote.
Sign Up for Board Office Hours: Scheduled for August 17 at 1 pm, it will be an interesting session. You can hear feedback about the conference and issues raised at the SIBA Town Hall.
Sign Up for Indie Press Social: September 13th in Decatur, Georgia Booksellers will come together to meet with six independent presses about their mission and upcoming books. Space is limited to THREE booksellers per store. Register here
And follow SIBA on social media to see how things are going at our first in person annual conference in three years!
From the Membership Coordinator: Ask Candice Anything!
In this column, members can ask Candice anything, and they will provide an answer if they know! If you want to ask Candice something that may be in a future column, email candice@sibaweb.com.
This month’s question is:
In your opinion, are the regional conferences more helpful than the Winter Institute?
That is a tough question! I think it depends on your goals and what you hope to get out of a conference. I really like both the Winter Institute and the regional conference, as they offer different things.
Winter Institute is a larger conference and offers networking with other booksellers from across the country and much more broad education sessions. It's an opportunity to meet the folks at the ABA and the ABA board and get more involved in the industry on a national level, if that's something you're interested in.
Regional conferences are great if you're looking to meet/network with your publisher reps, talk with other booksellers in your region who have similar experiences, get education that's a bit more tailored, and isn't quite as overwhelming. I also think that getting involved with SIBA, even if you don't attend the conference, is a great opportunity and career stepping stone. SIBA is always looking for new board members and influencers, and we recommend booksellers to the ABA frequently for national committees. The regional conference is a great time to meet SIBA staff, get to know other members, and get more involved.
So it depends on what you're looking to do! SIBA also has other smaller events throughout the year, like March Madness, that you can attend for one-day type education and networking if you can't make it to the annual conference.
Hope to see you at a SIBA event soon! And of course, if you have any questions about your membership and benefits or if you just want to say hello, you can contact me any time at candice@sibaweb.com.
Join us on September 13th in Decatur, Georgia for SIBA’s inaugural Indie Press Social!
begin at Little Shop of Stories, where we’ll hear from six independent presses as they present their mission and upcoming titles. After the presentation we’ll enjoy dinner and drinks at a fine local restaurant nearby, courtesy of our visiting publishers.
Space is limited to THREE booksellers per store.
When: Wed, Sept 13, 4PM ET
Where: Little Shop of Stories, 133A East Court Square, Decatur, Georgia 30030 (404) 373-6300
Presenting Publishers: Europa Editions, Other Press, Beacon Press, The New Press, Soho Press, Verso Books.
Cost: $15/bookseller (includes dinner)
Hotel: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory (reservations) Reservation Deadline: August 23, 2023
Beacon Press Beacon Press® is an independent publisher of serious non-fiction. Our books often change the way readers think about fundamental issues; they promote such values as freedom of speech and thought; diversity, religious pluralism, and anti-racism;
and respect for diversity in all areas of life.
Europa Editions Based in New York, Europa Editions is an independent publisher of fiction, narrative non-fiction, and YA and middle-grade fiction. Featuring titles from all over the world, including beloved British, Irish, and American writers like Jane Gardam, Joseph O’Connor, and Alexander Maksik, the Europa list also boasts some of the most acclaimed and best-selling novels in translation ever published in the American market, Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Mike Kawakami’s Breasts & Eggs, Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, and Anne Berest’s The Postcard, to name a few.
The New Press The New Press is an independent, not-for-profit publisher of books to build social change, by authors and activists in criminal justice reform, progressive education, labor and environmental movements, marginalized histories and more. We are
proud to publish Michelle Alexander, James W. Loewen, Lisa Delpit, Ai-jen Poo, Arlie Russell Hochschild, Monique Couvson, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Paul Butler and many others.
Other Press Other Press embodies the best aspects of a truly independent publishing house: we cross borders to publish exceptional fiction and nonfiction from countries around the world and from right here at home. We are the proud publisher of books that
make readers see the world in new and exciting ways. Our diverse list of authors come from all over the world and our English-language translators are the best in the industry
Soho Press Soho Press is an independent book publisher based in Manhattan. Founded in 1986, Soho publishes 80-90 books a year across its Soho Press, Soho Crime and Soho Teen lists, and is known for introducing bold literary voices, award-winning international
crime fiction, and groundbreaking young adult fiction.
Verso Books Verso Books is the largest independent, radical publishing house in the English-speaking world, publishing one hundred books a year.
The SIBA Board of Directors has announced the slate for the 2023 Board Elections. There are two seats coming open on the board for 2024. This year's ballot includes two booksellers to replace current board members Jamie
Fiocco, Flyleaf Books, and Jamie Rogers Southern, Bookmarks, whose terms end December 31, 2023. Write-in candidates are also accepted. As past board president, Jamie Rogers Southern will serve on the board ex officio as a non-voting member.
The current slate: Krystle Dandridge, RVA Book Bar, Richmond, VA Bunnie Hilliard, Brave + Kind Bookshop, Decatur, GA
Voting is open now and will close on August 24. Each SIBA bookstore that is a current member has one vote. VOTE HERE
Krystle Dandridge is a Jersey native, who has called Richmond her home for the last decade. She is a licensed therapist by training and trade, but recently embarked on a new entrepreneurial endeavor by opening Richmond’s only Black-owned, woman-owned
bookstore during Black History Month 2022. As a therapist, Krystle often encourages self-care practices daily. Krystle has been an avid reader since elementary school, and often uses reading as a self-care practice. Reading has been the tool used
to overcome many of life’s challenges and trauma while growing up. It was during the shutdown in 2020, that Krystle saw the need both in the community and across the country for a space of solace and self-care. It was then that the idea of The Book
Bar was birthed.
Bunnie Hilliard
Bunnie Hilliard, Owner of Brave + Kind Bookshop, in Decatur (Atlanta) Georgia. Black-owned and woman run, established 2018. Bunnie is an HBCU Grad. MBA, Business. A member of American Bookseller Association; Advisory Council. Corporate banking background,
wife and mom of two (aged 14 and 11). Member of 2023/24 Intuit Small Business Council and Voted City of Decatur 2023, Most Welcoming Business. Brave + Kind Bookshops mission is aimed at prioritizing an intentional collection of diverse and inclusive
stories for children. And a few grown up books to help us all do better as human beings.
Your summer reading list heats up with Read This Next! August
Read This Next! highlights new books that are receiving exceptional, and exceptionally enthusiastic, buzz from Southern indie booksellers. Each of the selected books has several enthusiastic cheerleaders among Southern indie booksellers. SIBA always makes a point of putting the store excitement and buzz around these books in front of their publishers, raising store visibility with the industry.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett does it again! Tom Lake is so good it’s like eating a favorite dessert. Do you gobble it up quickly, or slowly savor it so that it lasts longer? I would give a million stars to this one.
– Monie Henderson from Square Books in Oxford, MS
The Many Lives of Mama Love : A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin
This is the most "un-put-downable" piece of non-fiction I've ever read. A brash and well-written account that -without being trivial- allows hope and redemption to spring from addiction, incarceration and shame.
– Aimee Keeble from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
It's hard to think of a more compassionate writer than McBride. This story is captivating, funny, exciting and absolutely wonderful.
– Christine Lavigna from Malaprop's in Asheville, NC
Shark Heart : A Love Story by Emily Habeck
In a debut as profound as it is strange, Emily Habek startles the reader awake with the questions we all have living in us: can I survive loss in my life? How do I remain open when I am suffering?
– Julia Paganelli Marin from Pearl's Books in Fayetteville, AR
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass
A middle-grade mystery that celebrates the power of a good book. A librarian, a cat, a few ghosts, and a handful of mice put in motion an unraveling of a collective puzzle that may make you gasp!
– Rachel Watkins from Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA
Current Read This Next! books and what SIBA booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review
It’s time for a membership update! My current projects include doing my best to get SIBA’s data updated in our system so we can better support you, and being the lead of the social committee for the New Voices, New Rooms conference. I’m really excited about the things we have planned for NVNR, which include some fun ways to help you make random connections at the conference and talk with publishers/vendors. We’re also planning a couple of informal dinners: one for novel model stores and one for folks new to the conference and/or who don’t have other plans. And we’re going to have a cutout of the holiday catalog that you can stick your face through and take pictures! I can’t wait to see everyone in person.
I’m also still working on getting to know all the stores in SIBA’s territory. I want to hear all about the cool things your store is doing, so please fill out the Bookstore Profile Questionnaire and tell us about your store, and we’ll use the information to feature you in the newsletter and on our social media! It will also help me get to know you better.
Finally, I want to welcome our newest members! These stores joined SIBA during the second quarter of 2023:
We have new stores in six different states! I’m so excited to welcome all of you! And of course, if you have any questions about your membership and benefits or if you just want to say hello, you can contact me any time at candice@sibaweb.com.
There is still time to register for SIBA's Annual Conference at New Voices New Rooms next month. Here is a handy pre-show checklist to follow so you can make the most of the show.
Save the Attendee App link to your phone home screen so it is easy to find and access.
Put together a file with your press kit, business cards, and basic financial information to have ready when talking to exhibitors and creating new accounts.
Update your online Store Directory Listing (aka "Bookstore Row"). It will be a great tool when talking to vendors.
Print out some return address shipping labels for your store and bring them along for shipping packages back home. FedEx will be on site for shipping.
Familiarize yourself with the show schedule, decide ahead of time which staff will attend what education sessions.
Familiarize yourself with the exhibitor directory and prioritize who you want to visit with.
If you are not attending one of the retreats on Tuesday, August 8, then sign up for one of the bus tours. (Click on "Bus Tours") Space is limited so get your seat early.
Restock your "conference survival kit" -- that small collection of things you like to have on hand to make a day on your feet easier: aspirin, energy bars, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, emergency chocolate...whatever you like to have with you.
Watch the NVNR Booksellers Orientation to get an idea of what to expect when your get to the conference:
Two Southern booksellers are the first recipients of the Sarah McCoy Grants for bookseller-writers. Kendra Gayle Lee, owner of Bookish Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, and Rachel Randolph, a bookseller with Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, will each receive a grant of $1500 to be used toward writing craft development.
"There's something so magical about people responding to the stories I tell," Kendra Gayle Lee said on being told of the award, "Receiving the Sarah McCoy grant felt like a huge vote of confidence from the Universe--and a much appreciated financial boost to support my writing." Lee admits to being "smitten" with Atlanta. "I believe Black Lives Matter. I care deeply about housing justice, education, reproductive justice and finding magic in this world."
Rachel Randolph is a frontline bookseller and a recent graduate of Lipscomb University with a degree in Creative Writing. She is, at heart, a fantasy writer but also a part-time poet who is working on her first fantasy novel. Her work explores the divinity of being human and the magic taken for granted in the modern world. "I am so thankful to Sarah McCoy and the folks at SIBA for the opportunity to apply for this grant," she says, "Elevating female and nonbinary voices is of the utmost importance, and I hope the stories I write will always do so. I know this grant will be a stepping stone that I look back on with immense gratitude."
The McCoy Grant for Bookseller-Writers was created by New York Times bestselling author Sarah McCoy (Mustique Island) in partnership with SIBA for any unpublished southern women or nonbinary booksellers who harbor ambitions to be published writers.
In speaking about its inaugural year, McCoy said of the grant, "It was such an honor to meet The McCoy Grant applicants through their submitted writing samples! All were of exceptional merit with great writing potential, which made the decision quite challenging. This is a good problem to have! And speaks to the talent in our book community. A budding author is one of literature’s most valuable commodities."
SIBA Executive Director Linda-Marie Barrett added that SIBA is appreciative of the many ways authors step up to support Southern independent booksellers. "Now we have this incredibly generous grant from author and friend Sarah McCoy. The McCoy Grant will make a real difference in the lives of unpublished southern bookseller women/nonbinary writers."
The video recordings of Wednesday's NVNR 2023 Orientation sessions for Exhibitors and Booksellers are now available to watch. Conference organizers share their vision for a re-imagined show and a radically re-invented space and program designed to encourage building real-world connections between booksellers, their colleagues, and their vendors.
And here are some fun tips for conference goers that came up in the chat discussion during the orientation:
Save the Attendee App link to your phone home screen so it is easy to find and access
Write your emergency contact info on the reverse of your badge. If you keep such information in your phone it may be inaccessible when needed.
Sit with people you don't know
Tip for tired feet: carry wet wipes and take your shoes off (somewhere private…we don’t needs to see your feets) and wipe them down and put your socks and shoes back on. You feel instantly refreshed!!
If you have business cards, bring them! Hand them out with abandon!
Use digital biz cards! They're really easy to use and share and update. Two companies mentioned were HiHello, Linq)
Publishers, view the Exhibitors Orientation here. Learn how to take advantage of the newly designed exhibit space and use it creatively to foster connections with bookstores.
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There are still a few spots open at the upcoming SIBA Indie Press Social on September 13th:
Read This Next! September takes readers on adventure after adventure, from outer space to the wilderness of an American continent menaced by colonizers. From regency romance to the horror-tinged Victorian marriage market. Sink your teeth into these five books, because they will certainly sink their teeth into you!
SIBA’s Social media coordinator Robin Wood will be leaving us at the end of August. Her thoughtful perspectives on how SIBA and our consumer-facing platform, The Southern Bookseller Review (SBR), use social media to increase engagement and awareness, have been invaluable. Robin brought structure, style, beauty, and consistency to SIBA’s social media campaigns, as well as experience and wisdom when the team reviewed engagement reports and goals. She also brought a wonderful dry humor into our staff meetings, and entertained us with her bookselling experiences at Books & Books, Key West, where she works seasonally (with Judy Blume!). Robin can be reached at 
McBride used the responses to discuss our concept of leadership as a verb, an activity, rather than as a position, or a statment of authority. 
Cheryl Lee of 44th and 3rd Booksellers in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the recipients of a 2023 Books Across Borders Scholarship, co-sponsored by SIBA and 
Everyone at SIBA is excited to meet up with booksellers in person next week at NVNR 2023. The first in-person show for SIBA since 2019 promises to be an amazing time as we come together to re-invent what it means to have an Annual Fall Conference.
Krystle Dandridge
Bunnie Hilliard
The McCoy Grant for Bookseller-Writers was created by New York Times bestselling author Sarah McCoy (Mustique Island) in partnership with SIBA for any unpublished southern women or nonbinary booksellers who harbor ambitions to be published writers.
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