Indies First
A national campaign of activities and events in support of independent bookstores, is held every year in conjunction with Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Since the program’s launch in 2013, notable figures have served as spokesperson for Indies First, encouraging readers and shoppers to visit their independent bookstores on Small Business Saturday. Spokespeople have included Trevor Noah, Amanda Gorman, Dan Rather, Roxane Gay, N.K. Jemisin, Jason Reynolds, Celeste Ng, and Cheryl Strayed.
Get the Indies First Planning Guide
To hear from fellow booksellers about their plans and lessons learned from Indies First, check out the replay of the ShopTalk: Holiday Shopping Starts Here, Preparing for Indies First.
Hanif Abdurraqib will serve as the 2026 Indie Bookstore Ambassador! See our official announcement and learn more.
In the weeks leading up to the event each year, publishers big and small coordinate special offers on their titles to support independent booksellers.
In addition to taking advantage of these special offers, booksellers are encouraged to participate in Indies First by:
- Watching the ShopTalk: Holiday Shopping Starts Here, Preparing for Indies First replay
- Asking local authors to promote their stores by posting a message or video on social media
- Promoting events and the celebration of Indies First via websites, newsletters, and social media platforms (using the hashtag #IndiesFirst)
- Encouraging customers to shop local, buy gift cards, and put indies first during the holiday shopping season
Available to download in the Fall — for logged in ABA member booksellers only — is a spreadsheet of promotional terms publishers are offering in honor of Indies First and Small Business Saturday, and to help with restocking during the holiday season.