The largest independent bookstore celebration is one week away! Members of the ABA team are headed to BookCon this weekend! We’ll be there to chat with readers, promote independent bookstores, and let them know that the bookish celebration continues next weekend at local indie bookstores across the country. Below, please see reminders about Spirit Week, promotions from Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, and last minute to-dos!
Last Minute Indie Bookstore Day Inspiration:Check out what stores have planned for this year! Overstock:Ingram has the remaining inventory available for stores to place orders before Indie Bookstore Day. Contact your Ingram Rep to place your order.
Here are the remaining items: Marketing and Promotions:Spirit Week Starting Monday, April 20, join fellow booksellers for Independent Bookstore Day Spirit Week! Feel free to share the digital assets, use the hashtag #BookstoreSpiritWeek, and take part in the daily themes leading up to Indie Bookstore Day on April 25. Here are the Spirit Week holidays: Send Us Your Display Photos - Leading up to Indie Bookstore Day, we’ll be sharing store photos across social media! Email your Indie Bookstore Day display photos to [email protected].
- Feel free to post unboxing videos and pictures of your displays using the hashtag #IndieBookstoreDay, so we can reshare on our social media platforms. However, exclusive items may not be ordered, pre-ordered, or added to a cart by customers until April 25.
- Stores can choose to sell this year’s Tote Bag before Saturday, April 25. The Indie Bookstore Day tote bags and the T-shirts are the only exclusives that can be sold ahead of time.
- Blackwing pencils are being sent separately from the vendor.
Partner Promotions Share Your Media Mentions Is your store being mentioned in local news outlets? Email the story to [email protected] to be added to the IndieBound Indie Bookstore Day Media Webpage. There’s still time to send an Indie Bookstore Day Press Release to your local media! Download the template, enter your specific bookstore’s information (we provided examples!), and you’re ready to send it off. Reminders:- Add exclusives to your IndieCommerce websites.
- Stores that ordered exclusives, be on the lookout for a Sell-Thru Survey email on April 27 with the subject line, “Submit your Indie Bookstore Day Sell-Thru Data!” This information will help us work with publishers as we determine next year’s exclusives.
Key Dates to Know:- April 20–24, 2026: Indie Bookstore Day Spirit Week
- Monday, April 20: Silly Sock Day
- Tuesday, April 21: Plaid Tuesday
- Wednesday, April 22: On Wednesdays We Wear Bookstore Shirts
- Thursday, April 23: Book Character Dress-Up Day + World Book Day!
- Friday, April 24: YOUR store’s Spirit Day
- April 25, 2026, the last Saturday in April: Independent Bookstore Day
- April 27: Sell-Thru Survey Opens
- May 1: Sell-Thru Survey Closes
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, Senior Marketing Manager at [email protected]. |
