October 18 Opening Remarks October 18 Evening News October 19 News and Announcements October 19 Closing October 18 Opening Remarks Praven Madan’s introduction HELLOOOOO EVERYONE! WELCOME. Thank you all for joining us today for, what we hope, will be a pivotal gathering for bookstores and our communities. My name is Praveen Madan and for my… Continue reading Plenary Notes, Oct 18-19, 2021
Category: Publishers & Bookstores
Given that publishers tend to focus their tours for bigger, more well known authors in big cities and on the coasts, ignoring much of the flyover country where there’s a greater need for illumination and a wider point of view, how might they re-think their advertising and book launch campaigns to give smaller bookstores a “slice of the pie” and, thus, a real shot at impacting their communities?
Host: Tanya Mills, Book Bungalow Participants: Angie Grau, Bookseller Steph Opitz, Zibby Books Katrina Kruse, sales rep Missy, Katy Budget Books Lauren Gallagher, bookseller Jim Bean, Anthology John Leary, Hachette BrocheAroe Fabian, Sourcebooks/River Dog Book Co. Notes: Q (Tanya): Would publishers be interested in splitting up visits regionally for increased access to authors in rural… Continue reading Given that publishers tend to focus their tours for bigger, more well known authors in big cities and on the coasts, ignoring much of the flyover country where there’s a greater need for illumination and a wider point of view, how might they re-think their advertising and book launch campaigns to give smaller bookstores a “slice of the pie” and, thus, a real shot at impacting their communities?
What concrete steps can we take to pay staff a living wage in traditional brick and mortar bookstores?
Host: Kim at Third Place Books Participants: Kim Hooboer of Third Place Books, Sara Look of Charis Books and More, Amber Norris of Left Bank Books STL, Alex Green of Publisher’s Weekly, Scott Minor (Bookish in King of Prussia PA), Anna Thorne, Amber Norris (Left Bank Books), Roy (Rozzie Bound), Pat Mullins (Bliss Books), Chris… Continue reading What concrete steps can we take to pay staff a living wage in traditional brick and mortar bookstores?
Our channel has always struggled with how to prove and quantify our marketshare to publishers (financial AND cultural) when not all of our purchases are direct, and when not all of our sales are visible to them, and even then, when we are a small-ish slice of the pie. SO, how do we quantify and re-value our marketshare to better prioritize the indie channel in publishers’ eyes, investment, priorities and resources
Host: Rebecca Fitting, Greenlight / BrocheAroe Fabian, Sourcebooks/River Dog Book Co. Participants: Anne Dimock, Author/Fundraising Ruth Liebmann, PRH Jeff Deutsch, Seminary Coop Billie Bloebaum, 3rd Street Books Brittany Caine Camden Avery, Booksmith Daniel O’Brien Elise, San Fran Emil C., River’s End Emily Warfield, Bluestockings Hele C. Stories Like Me IBID Jamie Fiocco, Flyleaf Jasmin Brooks,… Continue reading Our channel has always struggled with how to prove and quantify our marketshare to publishers (financial AND cultural) when not all of our purchases are direct, and when not all of our sales are visible to them, and even then, when we are a small-ish slice of the pie. SO, how do we quantify and re-value our marketshare to better prioritize the indie channel in publishers’ eyes, investment, priorities and resources
How do we reimagine the relationship between Bookstores and Publishers?
Host: Len Vlahos Notes: Len: The relationship hasn’t changed in at least 35 years Ann Seaton: This affects the entire ecosystem- as an author how does Len see this from an author perspective Len: The relationship is more rational as an author with contracts, royalties, rates etc. As a bookseller he felt he couldn’t get… Continue reading How do we reimagine the relationship between Bookstores and Publishers?
How can bookstores leverage the market for independent/small-press books to be more inclusive in connecting readers and authors?
Host: Vanessa MacLaren-Wray Participants: Charlie Kruse, Dick (VisionWorks), Humaira Ghilzae, Christopher Miya (Heyday), Madi Mulluen (libro) Notes: Our group successfully posed a lot of good questions, though not so many answers. Mainly, we learned that there’s a will to connect small-press/indie-pub books with indie bookstores and a need for creativity and awareness of constraints on… Continue reading How can bookstores leverage the market for independent/small-press books to be more inclusive in connecting readers and authors?
How can we create a financial model that recognizes that booksellers’ primary work is cultural – and the funding can’t come from the retail activity exclusively – without losing sight of our primary work: bookselling? And how can we do it in collaboration with (not in opposition to) publishers and other literary community?
Host: Jeff Deutsch Notes: Philanthropy as a path towards non-book-sale funding JD ‘any step away from bookselling is a step in the wrong direction’ How to preserve bookselling as core practice Publishing partners, what would you want bookstores to do/provide? Josh Cook: “why can you be a successful bookstore and still struggle financially?” … where… Continue reading How can we create a financial model that recognizes that booksellers’ primary work is cultural – and the funding can’t come from the retail activity exclusively – without losing sight of our primary work: bookselling? And how can we do it in collaboration with (not in opposition to) publishers and other literary community?
Reimagining Bookstores 