Publishers to Offer Array of Specials for Indies First

Booksellers who are beginning to make plans for Indies First on Small Business Saturday can now view the numerous specials that publishers and university presses are offering on a wide array of frontlist and backlist titles in support of the fifth annual celebration of independent bookstores, to be held this year on November 25.

As of today, nearly 50 special publisher offers are available to booksellers during various dates between September 15 and December 31. Details will be announced in Bookselling This Week as more publishers sign on to offer specials, but booksellers can review the list at any time to see the new offers available.

As each special offer becomes available, booksellers can use the promotional codes listed on a dedicated page 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 either document; e-mail [email protected] for login information). Both pages will be continually updated as publisher offers come in.

This year, more than 30 university presses are offering specials on titles in celebration of Indies First as well as University Press Week 2017, which takes place November 6–11. To help stores with ordering these books, several booksellers whose stores sell numerous university press titles have collaborated to create a list of more than 100 titles they think would sell well in any type of indie bookstore. The list is available as an Excel spreadsheet on the Indies First page on BookWeb.

Author Jason Reynolds, this year’s Indies First spokesperson, shared a video earlier this month to urge fellow authors to visit their local bookstores on November 25 in honor of Indies First/Small Business Saturday. Authors and illustrators who would like to participate in Indies First are encouraged to reach out to their favorite local indie bookstores, or they can indicate their willingness to participate by signing up on the Indies First Author & Illustrator Registry.

Booksellers are also encouraged to invite their favorite local authors, illustrators, or celebrities to come to their stores on November 25, and then add the event details to the Store Indies First Activity Registry so that they can be publicized on the Indies First map on IndieBound.org, which will go live in September. Stores should plan to promote scheduled events on their websites and in newsletters and social media postings (using the hashtag #IndiesFirst).

Stores that will be hosting authors on Small Business Saturday can review the numerous special publisher offers to see if they include titles that their guest booksellers will be hand-selling during their visits.

ABA’s November Red Box mailing will include Indies First bookmarks, book bags, and other new goodies to help booksellers promote the event. Booksellers should also watch upcoming issues of Bookselling This Week for details about an additional way to promote Indies First to customers.

Learn more about Indies First on BookWeb, or send inquiries about Indies First to [email protected]. Booksellers and customers can follow news about Indies First on IndieBound’s Facebook and Twitter pages and via the hashtag #IndiesFirst.