Main Street/Shop Local

Independent booksellers rang in 2014 with high spirits and stories of success, as special holiday sales and buy local efforts brought customers out to support local bookstores in communities nationwide.

To build on  the success of the inaugural Indies First at bookstores across the country, ABA is asking booksellers to fill out a brief survey about the day’s events to help with planning for future celebrations.

 Indies First was widely embraced in communities across the country this past Saturday, with customers turning out, sometimes in droves, to meet authors who had signed on to become booksellers for all or part of the day at their local independent bookstores.

According to the second installment of the 2013 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, consumer awareness of Small Business Saturday across the U.S. jumped to 71 percent from 67 percent during the same period a year ago.

ABA is sending bookstores a few follow-up requests to help keep the momentum of Indies First going.

The American Independent Business Alliance has released its holiday campaign graphics and event ideas, which booksellers can use alone or in conjunction with the many offerings in ABA’s Designs and Downloads, to promote shopping locally this season.

With Indies First just days away, the Indies First Facebook page has gone live, the final author and bookstore matchups have been made, and Indies First totes, which were spotted all over last week’s Miami Book Fair International, have been sent to participating stores.

In response to the news that Amazon has struck an exclusive deal with the USPS, ABA has published a fact sheet for members that provides important details pertaining to how the postal service differs from a traditional private enterprise.

Indies First tote bags make their debut; new author-bookstore matchups; deadlines for matching assistance and the Indies First map fast approaching; IndieBound buy buttons; bookstores get creative; tips for a successful Indies First; Indies First goes international

Bookstores can add to the season’s festivities with Winter Holiday designs for banners, posters, and bookmarks archived in the Bookseller DIY’s Designs & Downloads. 

The Indies First movement started in the U.S. by Sherman Alexie has spread to Venice, Italy, where it will also be celebrated on November 30.

To date, more than 700 authors will be handselling their favorite titles at over 400 bookstores as part of Indies First, the grassroots movement launched by author Sherman Alexie.

The full catalog of limited-edition, word-based items developed exclusively for NCIBA and SCIBA bookstores to sell on California Bookstore Day, May 3, 2014, is now available. Orders are due no later than December 1.

To help spread the Shop Local message this holiday season, Simon & Schuster has created a video featuring well-known authors promoting the pleasures, and importance, of shopping at independent bookstores.

ABA has created press release templates and sample social media posts and tweets that stores can use to create their own publicity outreach for Indies First and Small Business Saturday. An interactive map of participating Indies First stores and their visiting authors is now live.