Expand Your Understanding Of IndieCommerce
The IndieCommerce Institute is an interactive, classroom-style workshop for users of ABA’s IndieCommerce platform. Attendees can register for either a morning or an afternoon seminar for $59 each, or for both morning and afternoon seminars for $118. Each seminar will include step-by-step instructions for the topics covered. Lunch is included for ABA members who sign up for both sessions.

Two New Features - Multiple Wish Lists and Custom Checkout Panes

The multiple wish list feature places an ‘Add to Wish List’ button alongside the ‘Add to Cart’ button on product pages, search results pages, and book lists etc.. This feature can be used in many different ways. Personal wish lists to keep track of books to read, wish lists to share with family and friends, gift registries, lists for donation book drives and book fairs are some ways this feature can be used.

Stores now also have the option to create two custom checkout panes within the IndieCommerce checkout flow. As an example, you could use one pane to solicit an email address for a newsletter subscription during checkout and use the second one to offer free gift wrapping with their purchase, with various wrapping paper options for different types of events where a gift would be given.

Questions? contact [email protected]

Ross Gay Praises Indies in Essay Penned for Small Business Saturday

Powt and professor Ross Gay has written an essay to encourage people to visit their independent bookstores on Small Business Saturday, which takes place this year on November 24.

In “The Laboratory: Delighting in Independent Bookstores,” Gay describes his appreciation for bookstores such as Three Lives & Co. in New York City and The Book Corner in Bloomington, Indiana, where he lives.

A PDF of Gay’s essay is available on BookWeb; booksellers are invited to download the essay and print it out to give away leading up to Small Business Saturday.

Gay lso recorded a video recitation of the essay, available on YouTube, which booksellers can share on social media or embed on their websites.

Join Us For Our Thursday Marketing Meet-up On Audio Books

On Thursday, November 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST, ABA will present a discussion on marketing audiobooks. With Forbes calling audiobooks one of the publishing industry’s 2018 trends earlier this year and a recent Publishers Weekly article highlighting the surging digital audio market in the U.S., there’s no better time to cover best practices from fellow booksellers.

Guest panelists include:

Suzanne Droppert, Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo and Bremerton, Washington
Matt Norcross, Mclean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey, Michigan
Mark Pearson, Libro.fm, a digital audiobook provider for independent bookstores

For past editions of IndieCommunication, visit this page.