If you haven’t done so already, your store can still be included on the IndieBound Indie Bookstore Day searchable map without any purchases if you sign up by March 31, 2025*. You must be a logged-in ABA member** to access the form. If you do not know your login credentials please email us at [email protected]. *If you have already ordered exclusives or signed up already, you do not need to complete this form again. **Independent Bookstore Day is open to those who are members of ABA, as well as their regional booksellers association. Check out the Independent Bookstore Day BookWeb page for additional details as well as the planning guide for an additional resource.
What's New: New Partnership Announcement! We are thrilled to partner with Authors Against Book Bans for Indie Bookstore Day this year! As book challenges rise across the country, it is vital to keep our momentum going all year long in the fight for free expression. The coalition will provide downloadable assets for participating stores, including a Banned Books Bingo PDF. The Bingo will feature broader themes for each square, so stores can curate a selection of banned books themselves in a dedicated display or section of the store. Bookseller Lightning Talks: Independent Bookstore Day Edition ABA’s Bookseller Lightning Talks series features booksellers presenting 5–10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they’ve made in their stores. Lightning Talks take place on the second Thursday of every month. Our February 13 talks will feature: - Celebrating Independent Bookstore Day with Courtney Wallace (Indie Bookstore Day Program Director)
- Celebrating Independent Bookstore Day as a Culinary Bookstore with Kim Behzadi (Read It & Eat Culinary Bookshop)
- Celebrating Independent Bookstore Day with Unique Events with Susan Tunis (Bookshop West Portal)
Ingram’s Discounts on Previous Exclusives Ingram has extended their Indie Bookstore Day promotion for leftover exclusives from previous years. See below for the promo code and discount details: Promo Code: IB4
Additional discount: 75%
Additional discount can be applied to the following EANs: EAN 2300843914419 — "The Future Is Indie" Exclusive Mug
List Price: $15.99
Cost after 75% discount: $4.00
Currently 27 units available to order (1 unit = 1 mug) EAN 2300843914440 — “Eat Sleep Read Local” Exclusive Magnet
List Price: $3.99
Cost after 75% discount: $1.00
Currently 31 units available to order (1 unit = 1 magnet)
February To-Do’s:- Line up authors, illustrators, and other guests (local artists, community organizations, etc.).
- Put the finishing touches on your event plans. Check out the ideas shared from last year’s events from participating bookstores!
- Keep your staff informed and on board.
- Create and finalize your marketing plan.
- Start teasing Indie Bookstore Day in newsletters, online, and/or on social media.
- Keep an eye out for your Ingram Order on ipage.
- Look for an invoice from Blackwing Pencils.
- Stores who have ordered from Blackwing will be hearing from them either in late February or early March. Each store will receive a phone call and email from a member of the sales team. They will be confirming the order and shipping address along with notifying stores on what to expect (i.e., invoice, shipping, timeline). Blackwing orders must be paid prior to shipping.
- If stores were interested in ordering Blackwing pencils but weren’t able to during the ordering process in the fall, contact [email protected] to be added to a waitlist for any extra sets available.
- Work with Bonfire on a free custom design.
- ABA members can claim a free custom design (a one-time offer in your store’s history) from Bonfire, a free online platform where you can design, sell, fundraise with, and order custom products to build your bookseller brand. Email Taylor Soignoli at [email protected] to get started with your design and have your shirts ready to order before Independent Bookstore Day! Stores can choose to incorporate the Indie Bookstore Day logos if they wish.
- If wanting the general design, purchase the Indie Bookstore Day 2025 shirt directly from our Bonfire page.
Key Dates to Know:- NEW! March 19, 2:00 pm ET: IndieCommerce 1.0 Webinar
- NEW! March 20, 2:00 pm ET: IndieCommerce 2.0 Webinar
- March 31: Indie Bookstore Day 2025 Participation Form closes. (Stores that didn't order exclusive items can sign up to participate until this date.)
- April 4: Indie Bookstore Day Searchable Map goes live on IndieBound
- Early- to mid-April: All exclusives ship to bookstores
- April 21–25: Indie Bookstore Day Spirit Week
- April 26, the last Saturday in April: Independent Bookstore Day
Stay tuned for future updates via our newsletters. Missed an issue of the Indie Bookstore Day Newsletter? Catch up on them all on BookWeb. Questions? Contact Courtney Wallace, Independent Bookstore Day Program Director at [email protected]. |
