It’s come to our attention that scammers are using the names of ABA and IndieCommerce, as well as the dates and location of Winter Institute (and in some cases, even bookseller names), in their latest scams.

These scams are offering to sell the attendee list for “ABA’s 2026 Annual IndieCommerce Institute.”

ABA does not and will not sell Institute attendee information. Please be on the lookout for this scam. 

It’s time again to complete the annual membership survey!

Booksellers, please check your email for the survey link. The survey email went out on February 5 with the subject line “Annual Membership Survey.”

Your survey responses help us advocate on your behalf throughout the year, informing our conversations with government officials, publishers, and even the press. 

Please complete the survey by Monday, March 2.

Indie Bookstore Day will be here before you know it!

If you have not already, sign up now to participate and appear on the Indie Bookstore Day map. (If you ordered Indie Bookstore Day exclusives, you do not need to sign up again.)

Here are a few other things you can do in February to prepare:

• Line up authors, illustrators, and other special guests for your store’s celebration.
• Start reading Indie Bookstore Day in your newsletters, online, and on your store’s socials!

Check out the Indie Bookstore Day Planning Guide on BookWeb for more details and Indie Bookstore Day ideas.

This Independent Bookstore Day, Libro.fm is bringing back their Golden Ticket program.

Participating bookstores will receive a Golden Ticket (good for 12 Libro.fm audiobook credits) to hide in their store for one lucky customer to find on Indie Bookstore Day.

Interested bookstores can sign up now!

If you’re not interested in a Golden Ticket, you can still direct customers to Libro.fm’s Indie Bookshop Appreciation Sale (April 20–26) leading up to Indie Bookstore Day.

March is Indie Press Month and the Independent Publishers Caucus (IPC) is inviting indie bookstores to celebrate by participating in the Indie Press Month 2026 Display Contest!

The store with the winning display will receive $500, while runners-up will receive $100.

Full contest rules are available on IPC’s sign-up form. The deadline to sign up is February 27!

Dungeon Books in Jersey City, NJ, is a fantasy and RPG bookstore and community space. Carrie Vu and Panat Taranat opened the shop in 2024, in hopes of showcasing more diverse fantasy and sci-fi titles and creating a space that welcomed both novice and seasoned RPG players. 

Vu and Taranat shared their inspiration for the store and how they’ve grown since opening!

Register now for Bookstore Finances, a live course offered by the Professional Booksellers School (PBS)!

The Bookstore Finances course will teach attendees about both the day-to-day and the long-term financial needs of a bookstore. The course will begin on April 6, 2026, and will feature 13 live classes (via Zoom) and is designed for bookstore owners and/or managers who handle store finances.

You can visit the PBS website to learn more about this and other courses.

Here is the Indie Comics and Graphic Works Bestseller List, including Manga, based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending February 15.