Indies First Promotion to Award $10,000 in Prizes

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Indies First logoThe American Booksellers Association is partnering with Penguin Random House for a special giveaway in celebration of Indies First on Small Business Saturday, this year November 25.

Between November 15 and November 26, Twitter and Instagram users who tag a U.S. independent bookstore and use the hashtag #shopindiesfirstsweepstakes will be entered to win $1,000 worth of books from Penguin Random House.

To tag an independent bookstore, posters can include the independent bookstore’s Twitter or Instagram handle; write out the store’s name, city, and state; or use a store location tag in the post.

A random drawing will be held in mid-December to select five grand prize winners, who will each receive $1,000 worth of books. In addition, the independent bookstores named in the winning posts will each receive $1,000 worth of books to be donated to a local nonprofit. All prizes are courtesy of Penguin Random House. See the complete sweepstakes rules here.

Booksellers can find social media images to promote the #shopindiesfirstsweepstakes in the Indies First DIY on BookWeb.

Indies First on Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting the local businesses that help create jobs, boost the economy, and preserve neighborhoods. On November 25, in celebration of Indies First, independent bookstores will sponsor a wide range of events, including hosting local authors, illustrators, and celebrities as honorary booksellers, to help hand-sell their favorite titles, sign books, give readings, and more.

Details about Indies First are available on BookWeb, including a video from Indies First spokesperson Jason Reynolds, the history of the event, and more.

Booksellers are encouraged to visit BookWeb often to review the growing list of specials available from publishers and university presses in celebration of Indies First. Most recently, the list has been updated to include a promotion from Macmillan, which is offering a special on backlist titles as well as a post-holiday restocking special.

All special offers and associated promotional codes are available in the ABA Book Buyer’s Handbook and in an Excel spreadsheet on the Indies First homepage on BookWeb (a username and password are required to access the lists; e-mail [email protected] for login details).