Independent spirit.
All ABA members receive the one-time Literary Liberation box from ABA with posters, decals, buttons, bookmarks, and lots of other rallying materials to setup IndieBound in your store. (And you can always email us for more decals than you can handle!) ABA will periodically send new material to help spread the message. Make good use of the Lib Box materials, but don’t stop there.

Being indie is all about individuality. With that in mind, IndieBound collateral is designed to be adaptable to your store. Each item, from lists to posters to shopping bags, speaks to the creativity, individuality, and uniqueness of indie booksellers, and can be customized and produced by your store, the way you want it. That’s where Bookseller DIY begins.

Freewill.
You have the freedom to make IndieBound look and feel the way it should to best suit your store. Check out our IndieBound Freewill Catalog for ideas for creating your own unique IB materials. Customize them with your logo and your identity. Use any of the designs ideas inspired by the Freewill Catalog to create posters, displays, bumper stickers, and whatever works for you and your community.

And when you’ve got some ideas you’re itching to try, visit the IndieBound Online Identity Manager for downloads and templates to help you start creating. Here you can get logos, tag lines, color palettes and fonts—then check the DIY section for templates to make posters, buttons, bookmarks, shirts, bookplates, and a lot more. Some of the PDF templates are editable, so they’re ready to go. Other templates and images are best served being edited with graphics software. Check the DIY Overview for more info.

Ready to produce some stuff? You can use your own vendors or source one from the Booksellers Resource Directory. Or why not do it yourself? (Check out a simple screen printing tutorial on the ABA wiki.) You can always call or email the IndieBound Outreach Liaison (paige@bookweb.org) for help with production and design, and to share your ideas.

Community.
Independent retailers are bound together by their very nature. Use your customized IB materials to represent your community, and network with other indie retailers in your area. Work with your local print shops and silk screeners and create your own unique gear to hand out. Remember, these stores are also facing tough competition from both retail chains and online discount print services. Take the opportunity to talk to them about IndieBound—it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

You can also use customization to promote your local independent business alliance. All IndieBound materials are designed to be adapted and change to best fit your needs. Edit the Here’s What You Just Did poster to include your store’s name, logo and the logo of your IBA, and add your logo or your IBA’s logo to the We’re IndieBound decal. Presenting IndieBound and your IBA together amplifies the message. And the more decals shoppers see on the doors and windows of their favorite indies, the stronger the impact.

IndieBound materials will spread the word about the movement, and customized displays will bring the message home. Millions of consumers are recognizing the unique and critical role indie retailers play in their communities, and IndieBound taps directly into that energy and excitement.

Spreading the message is so important to IndieBound’s mission. The IndieBound Public Relations Primer is full of ideas and information on tailoring the message to promote your store. There are customizable press release templates, DIY tips and event suggestions that will give you even more opportunities to use the DIY stuff you’ve created and show off your indie spirit.

While you’re sharing all your ideas and creativity, don’t forget your fellow indie booksellers. Visit the IndieBound Bookseller Exchange to share photos, videos, designs, anything creative and original that speaks to the IndieBound spirit. Share your DIY prowess with the ABA IndieBound Forum, and if you’ve had a particular success at a creative endeavor, write up a tutorial for the ABA Wiki.