The Southern Book Prize ballot launched on November 1, and has already received over 100 responses from readers and customers of 60+ bookstores in all 11 states in SIBA's territory.

As part of the ballot, readers are asked to name their local bookstore and say why they like to shop there. The responses, which in the past have ranged from "They have great staff" to "they carry every Star Wars book I'm looking for," are something SIBA staff always look forward to reading. SIBA also shares the nice things people say with the bookstores and on social media. Here are a few from the first week of voting:

"They are my favorite place to go in the city that I love. " --a customer of All Good Books in Columbia, SC

"I absolutely love the feeling when I step inside Square Books. It's like a warm hug from a friend you want to spend hours with. " -- a customer of Square Book in Oxford, MS

"Knowledge is power! Feed the people fuel the revolution!" --a customer of Blacksburg Books in Blacksburg, VA

"They do the best event programming!" --a customer of Charis Books & More in Decatur, GA

"THE best. It’s like stepping in between worlds. Great service too." --a customer of Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA

More info about the Southern Book Prize can be found at The Southern Bookseller Review

SIBA has a toolkit for booksellers, publishers, and authors with posters, flyers, shelf talkers, and other downloadable assets.