SIBA celebrates a significant milestone this year: 2025 marks the organization's 50th anniversary. The SIBA of today has come a long way from its beginning in 1975, when a group of southern booksellers and publisher reps came together to form an organization to advocate for Southern booksellers and bookselling. 50 years later, SIBA's membership has grown, the organization has expanded its programming and advocacy efforts, increased its board and staff, and created a shared network of industry partnerships to bring its member bookstores solid, cost-effective benefits for their stores such as the Regional Association Marketing Program (RAMP) which creates gift catalogs, and New Voices New Room (NVNR) which has transformed the old "fall trade show" into one of the premier bookselling conferences in the country.

SIBA sees a bright future for Southern bookselling. SIBA Bookstore membership has been growing at the phenomenal rate of 20% per year since the end of the pandemic. There are more bookstores, more new bookstores, more different kinds of bookstores, and more interest in opening a bookstore. 

As SIBA turns 50, it is looking not to the past but to the future, and taking steps to be the organization its bookstore members will need in a growing and constantly evolving industry. 

The Steps in SIBA's "A Bright Future" Plan

1. Rebranding (July and August)
   
   SIBA is working on updating its current logo to better reflect the kind of organization it is becoming: forward-looking, diverse, optimistic, and energetic in its advocacy for Southern booksellers. 
   
   
2. Member Database Enhancement (August - October)
   
   With the adoption in 2024 of an expanded definition of "Core Bookstore Member" in its Bylaws, SIBA is now in the enviable position of having membership levels at an all-time high, and a membership filled with a wide range of creative and innovative business models. SIBA is in the process of refining its member database to better serve all its member bookstores, including those that operate beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar model.
   
   
3. Website Redesign / Upgrade (October - December)
   
   SIBA is redesigning and reorganizing its website to make it easier for members to use, easier for booksellers to participate in the SIBA community, and to better reflect the goals and priorities of our member stores.

Progress Report: See updates here.

It may be the height of a bright and sunny summer, but the Read This Next! Kids list for July and August celebrates the dark. From ghosts and ravens to the moonlit garden of everyone's favorite gardener, Millie Fleur, the books on the July/August list invite us to enjoy the warm and weird summer nights as much as we do the brilliant blue skies of summer days.

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

Read is why Southen indie booksellers love these books:

I Wanna Be Your Girl Vol. 1 by Umi Takase
Hime is so wonderful. She doesn't know how to feel about her friend, whom she has been in love with, now that her friend Akria transitioned. What she does know is that she will stay by her side and help her no matter what.
– Sarah Dimaria, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise by Riel Nason, Byron and Eggenschwiler
I love how Little Ghost Quilt is different, and so are his ghost friends, and that is OKAY, more than normal. This story isn't about changing to be more similar, but finding ways they can all experience the magic of the holidays.
– Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
Lovely illustrations and wonderful tale of a girl's trials living in a haunted house with a ghost who never follows her rules.
– Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

A Treachery of Swans by A. B. Poranek
An enchanting, action-packed retelling of Swan Lake! I was completely enthralled in this vividly told, magic-infused fantasy filled with a cast of unique, engaging characters, each navigating a labyrinth of power struggles, evil sorcery and court intrigue. I soaked up every page!
– Anderson McKean, Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama

Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin
What might happen if we turn off our lanterns and join Millie Fleur in the dark of her moon garden? Millie Fleur Saves the Night is a gorgeously written and illustrated tale of embracing the wonders of the dark, from the moon to the stars, from raccoons to bats.
– Mikey LaFave, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater, Stephanie Williams, Sas Milledge (Illus.)
Every page was full of magic and atmosphere. As a fan of the series, there were so many foreshadowing clues. I absolutely cannot wait to see the rest of the series adapted. Whether a long-time fan or a newbie to Maggie Stiefvater, any lover of magic and dark whimsy will devour this!
– Rachel Randolph, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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

SOUTHERN INDIE BESTSELLER LIST
For the week ending 6/22/2025

Edelweiss Collections:
(sort by "Catalog Order" to see each list according to rating)

Hardcover Fiction | Hardcover Nonfiction | Trade Paperback Fiction | Trade Paperback Nonfiction | Mass Market | Children's Illustrated | Children's Interest | Children's Series

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz for my book club. A window into another world, one of immigrants who work 12 hour days for little money, who hide their illnesses because they can’t afford healthcare or losing a day’s wage, who devote much of their income and living space to helping others with less opportunities. Moving, funny at times, and eye-opening, a perfect read for this moment.
Listening: To thunder rumbling in the distance and then a big rain.
Watching: Young Sheldon. I adore Sheldon’s earnest quirkiness and the different ways his family responds to his neurodiversity. It’s a big-hearted show that always delivers laughs and some poignant moments, too. .

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Packing up to move is preventing me from really sinking into any of the doorstop novels I like to spend my summers with. But on the flip side, it's wonderful the treasures one finds on one's own bookshelves. Last week is was a collections of feminist fantastical stories from Chilean and Argentinian writers, this week it is Sylvia Townsend Warner's The Music at Long Verney, and Human Voices by Penelope Fitzgerald.
Listening: I am packing boxes of books to the storytelling of Simon Prebble reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. At over 32 hours, it will get me through a lot of bookshelves!
Watching: Not much. There is my usual morning 15 minutes of the news, which I turn on and brace myself, then turn off and go outside for a walk. In the evenings I just pick a movie that makes me happy. Last night, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: I took my time reading Michael Koresky's new book, Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness, and I am so glad I did. It's equal parts a behind-the-camera account of several iconic films and a reinterpretation of decades of film history.
Listening: I finished listening to the audiobook of Jeff Hiller's thoughtful, honest, and hilarious memoir Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success, and it was even better than I hoped it would be. He's a deep, warm, and funny soul and it made me sad all over again that Somebody, Somewhere and his character Joel aren't returning for a fourth season.
Watching: I went to a local theater production this past weekend, which featured an actor who played the love interest of Meryl Streep's daughter (who shares the same first name with MY daughter) on TV. It was a small theater and he yelled a lot and I was practically within spitting distance, so I ran the numbers and I think that makes me 2.785 degrees of separation from Meryl Streep! The point being, obviously, is that Gilded Age has returned for its third season and I'm watching it.

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: Zomromcom by Olivia Dade, to get excited for Bookstore Romance Day in August. It's spicy and fun!
Listening: One of my neighbors is doing some kind of loud work on their home today and I do not care for it.
Watching:The Ultimatum: Queer Love! I am going to have a hard time waiting between episode drops.

Genre Buzz is an event unique to NVNR, a book conversation among booksellers about recently released and forthcoming books in their favorite genres.

This year, NVNR is hosting a Genre Buzz Lunch on Monday, August 4th -- a full hour to sit with fellow fans and talk about what is new in the wonderful, sometimes weird, world of genre books. There will be tables for Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Cooking, Religion/Spirituality, In Translation, Childrens, and Young Adult. Printed lists of suggested titles will be available at each table, and can also be downloaded in the event app. Links to Edelweiss collections will also be available in the app and via QR code.

The Genre Buzz Lunch is a keystone in NVNR's commitment to title discovery. Driven by NVNR's bookseller attendees, genre buzz discussions are a great way to find new titles to enhance a section in the store, try a new display, or find new books to recommend to in-store genre based book clubs. Genre books are among the fastest growing areas of the book market, and genre readers are voracious and fanatically devoted to their favorite authors. A robust selection of genre titles can significantly improve inventory turn and overall sales.

Share your love for genre books!

NVNR is seeking moderators to encourage discussions at the Genre Buzz Lunch. If you are attending NVNR and are an enthusiastic reader / evangelist of a particular genre, email Eileen Dengler if you are interested in being a Genre Buzz Lunch moderator.

The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance is pleased to announce that the Sarah McCoy Grant will be awarded to Cortney Casey, Bookseller and Leadership Team at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida, and Beth Brown Ables, Marketing Manager at M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina. Each will receive a grant of $1500 to be used toward writing craft development.

 

A native of Michigan, Cortney Casey is an award-winning journalist, author, small business owner and bookseller living in Miami with her husband and her rescue Chihuahua. She's currently a member of the leadership team and the merchandising manager at Books & Books, a beloved independent bookstore in Coral Gables, Florida. She's represented by Kim Witherspoon of InkWell Management and is preparing to go out on submission to publishers soon with her upmarket family drama/mystery, Still Life with Dandelions.

"I firmly believe in pursuing constant improvement, says Casey, "and I credit online courses taught by P.S. Literary agent Cecilia Lyra for helping me fine-tune my writing over the past few years. I spent the last 20+ years as a newspaper reporter and then a freelance magazine writer, but needed to shore up my rusty fiction skills." Casey plans to use her grant to continue studying with writers like Lyra, and to attend the DFWCon writers' conference in Hurst, Texas, this fall.

When Beth Brown Ables received the news she would receive the McCoy Grant, she was overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thank you for reading my words and saying yes for seeing something in this project and giving me encouragement at just the right time," she said. "As a writer, it's easy to assume nobody sees this solitary work we're doing, and to not only be seen but also encouraged to keep going is nothing short of a literary blessing."

Ables is the marketing manager for M. Judson, Booksellers, and a contributor for several publications including Vessel and Garden and Gun., She is also the author of the cookbook zine series, A Place Here.   She’s an avid home cook, enjoys finding significance in the mundane, and is horrible at doing laundry. She lives in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband and two children.

Ables plans to use her McCoy Grant to spend some concentrated time revising the first draft of her lyric memoir, Ordinary Time. "A financial gift like this," she says, "means I can submit portions of my work for publication (which often include fees), seek out workshops for feedback and direction, and perhaps set aside time for a dedicated writer's retreat. Margin to create, to set aside time like this, while not worrying about the financial portion is freeing."

The McCoy Grant for Bookseller-Writers was created by New York Times bestselling author Sarah McCoy, (Mustique Island) in partnership with the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) for any unpublished southern women or nonbinary booksellers who harbor ambitions to be published writers.

McCoy created the grant as a way to give back to the community of book people that supported her work as a writer. Calling it "a love letter" to writers who struggle to create while managing financial and time straits, she says "I can’t wait to see how the 2025 recipients use the grant to further their writing aspirations. Congrats to Cortney and Beth!”

SIBA Executive Director Linda-Marie Barrett notes that SIBA is appreciative of the many ways authors step up to support Southern independent booksellers, "This incredibly generous grant from author and friend Sarah McCoy will make a real difference in the lives of unpublished southern bookseller women/nonbinary writers."

Both grant recipients will be honored during SIBA's upcoming meeting at their annual conference at New Voices New Rooms in August.

For more information about the McCoy Grant, visit SIBA at sibaweb.com.

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: Hot Desk by Laura Dickerman. Although marketed as a rom-com, this novel is much deeper and often very poignant. Set in two time periods, one storyline involves two editors competing for the rights to an unpublished manuscript by a literary lion who recently passed. The other storyline takes place forty years earlier, when the lion’s charisma attracted young writers to work for him as interns, and his fame shielded him from accountability for his actions.
Listening: The cicadas have moved into the next stage of their existence and are no longer humming (one neighbor compared their sound to a car alarm that never stops), so it’s very quiet, except for the occasional songbird. Love it.
Watching: Just finished the final episode of Younger, a delightful series that didn’t involve people dying in small English villages or bleak Scottish islands. Will return to Young Sheldon.

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Still with Katherine Mansfield's In a German Pension, because I'm on a Mansfield binge. And still waiting on my order of Zhang Yueran's Cocoon. In the meantime, I've been packing up books and in the process discovered -- as one does -- a long forgotten anthology called Secret Weavers: Stories of the Fantastic by Women of Argentina and Chile. I love me some feminist fantastic fiction! As thebook's editor Marjorie Agosin puts it, "These tales were told by mothers and by grandmothers and their beauty resided in their poetic imaginations, where women, under the disguise of the fantastic, dared to enter worlds filled with subversion."
Listening: Still enjoying the audio of Peter Marshall's Storm's Edge: Life, Death and Magic in the Islands of Orkney.
Watching: I finished off the last season of Dark Winds and am now stuck waiting on a new season, whenever that happens.

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: I finished Taylor Jenkins Reid's Atmosphere a few days ago and it's obviously the book of the summer. Currently in progress (I need to get a grip): My Katherine Mansfield Project by Kirsty Gunn, for book club; Sick and Dirty: Hollywood's Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness by Micheal Koresky; Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art by Mary Gabriel.
Listening: If you watched the show Somebody, Somewhere you loved it (sorry, those are the rules), and if you loved the show you double triple loved Jeff Hiller as Joel. I have a long solo car trip coming up and the audiobook of his new memoir, Actress of Certain Age, will let Jeff/Joel be my travel buddy.
Watching: Sick and Dirty prompted a rewatch of Tea and Sympathy (1956), directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Deborah Kerr and John Kerr (no relation). It's harrowing in ways I don't think were possible in 1956, but also in ways that haven't changed a bit since 1956.

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: I brought back sooooo many books from Children's Institute that I can't wait to get into but I'm having a little decision paralysis.
Listening: The most recent episode of Handsome really got me in the feels. One of the hosts is going through a lot this year and she was talking about it, and all the support she's getting from all over.
Watching: Still stuck on Lego Masters AU. I can't get enough!

110 SIBA bookstores have signed up to participate in the 2025 Winter Catalog program, representing over 40% of SIBA's membership, and the largest rate of participation since SIBA began the program.

22 stores are first-time participants, also a record number and indicative of SIBA's growing membership numbers.

Book listings are ongoing. The full winter catalog will feature up to 100 titles. Bookstores looking to plan their 4th quarter orders can view the growing list of titles in the catalog on at:
https://rampbooks.com/2025-winter-catalog-edelweiss-collections.

Things to do / Things not to miss

1. Sign up for the NVNR Orientation

A must if you are attending NVNR 2025 in Atlanta. The orientation will cover key information about the program, the Atlanta location, and what booksellers can expect from the conference. There will also be a chance for booksellers to ask questions of the event organizers.

Bookseller Orientation: 7/16 at 11:00 AM ET
Exhibitor Orientation: 7/16 at 3:00 PM ET

2. Book your hotel room for NVNR 2025

The deadline to reserve your room at the conference rate is July 17. Already registration for the conference has surpassed 2024, and NVNR has had to increase its room block to accommodate the higher demand. So the earlier you book your rooms the better.

NVNR Hotel Reservation Link
Contact Linda-Marie at lindamarie@sibaweb.com if there are any issues

3. Go over your store emergency preparedness plan

As we come into hurricane and forest fire season, bookstores should revisit their plan for emergencies and crisis situations. Taking steps now can mean weathering a crisis more safely, and recovering more quickly.

• Cavalier House Books Emergency Prep Check List
• SIBA's Crisis Relief and Resources Hub
• SIBA's Store Emergency Contact Form

4. Send SIBA a Spark

"SIBA Spark" focuses on uplifting and inspiring news from members of the SIBA community fighting the good fight! SIBA will share bookstore projects and initiatives with the industry and readers. Tell us what your store is doing.

Current Newsletter: Read These Next! June Books

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Kimberly Todd, Square Books in Oxford,
•  Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
• Kayla Saxon, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina
• Laura Taylor, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida
• Leah Fallon, Birch Tree Bookstore in Leesburg, Virginia
• Bianca Eckhoff, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Stem, North Carolina
• Barb Rascon, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
• Jodi Laidlaw, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Sarai Rivera, Spellbound Bookstore in Sanford, Florida
• Kelli Dynia, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida
• Meghan Haile, The Lynx in Gainesville, Florida
• Sam Miller, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky
• Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia
• Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
• Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

Book Buzz Feature: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
I like my stories to be immersive. I am a visual person when writing and reading. So to me, it’s all part of the characterization: the way that they wear clothes, what the clothes look like, what they look like. I also want it to be a lived-in world. So let’s talk about getting dirty. Let’s talk about taking baths. Let’s think about chapped lips. When I watch particularly fantasy content, I almost look for these things because it is a layer of grittiness that I like, a texture in a story, that I feel is real. The Knight and the Moth was really fun, like gossamer versus armor. You can look into themes of these things too and apply them to the story, or you can decide to read them very literally.

― Rachel Gillig, Interview, Harper’s Bazaar

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
A beautiful book that made my heart ache in the best ways. Another masterpiece from Applegate that teaches us a little about ourselves while weaving a tree and the community where it lives.
― by Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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