May Indie Next List e-Newsletter to Deliver to 468,000+ Customers

On Thursday, May 3, the May Indie Next List e-newsletter, powered by Shelf Awareness, will be delivered to hundreds of thousands of customers at more than 120 ABA member stores.

The American Booksellers Association and Shelf Awareness teamed up in 2016 to launch this free e-newsletter program for independent bookstores. Booksellers can sign up now to send the monthly adult or quarterly Kids’ Indie Next List e-newsletters to their customers.

The store-branded e-newsletter for adults, delivered on the first Thursday of each month, features all of the month’s Indie Next List titles, with bookseller quotes and “buy now” buttons that lead directly to the purchase page for the title on the sending store’s website, as well as an interview with the author of the month’s number-one title.

The April newsletter was sent to 468,685 customers at 122 participating stores. An example of April’s Indie Next List e-newsletter can be seen here.

Each quarterly Kids’ Indie Next List is divided into two e-newsletters that are sent about six weeks apart. Titles featured on each of the season’s two kids’ lists are based on publication dates. The top 10 titles are divided into a top five on each list, and each e-newsletter features an author Q&A with the number-one pick for that list; additional titles are organized, as usual, by age group.

The second Spring Kids’ Indie Next List e-newsletter, which featured an interview with Dread Nation author Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray), was sent on March 22 to 380,600 customers at 115 ABA member stores. See the second Spring Kids’ Indie Next List e-newsletter here.

To sign up for the free adult or children’s Indie Next List e-newsletter program, stores should complete this form on BookWeb. A username and password are required to access the form; booksellers who need login information can e-mail [email protected].

During the sign-up process, booksellers will be required to upload their store logo and a CSV file of their e-mail list (instructions are on the form). Stores will retain ownership of their mailing lists, and customers will not be added to any other lists.

New sign-ups will get to see a sample of their e-newsletter about a week before it is sent to customers.

Questions about the Indie Next List e-newsletter program should be sent to ABA Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger.