2019 ABC Best Books for Young Readers Digital Catalog Available Now

A digital version of the full-color, 16-page consumer circular, which features nearly 200 frontlist and backlist titles for children and teens, all suggested by ABA member booksellers and supported by ABA publishing partners, is now available for IndieCommerce and IndieLite stores to add to their websites. Interested stores can e-mail [email protected] and the IndieCommerce team will integrate the catalog into their website.

This year’s catalog cover features art from Babymoon, written by Hayley Barrett and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal (Candlewick). The cover art was chosen by the ABC Children’s Group Advisory Council from publisher submissions. The catalog carries no fourth-quarter/holiday branding so booksellers can use it throughout the year.

The digital catalog is mobile-friendly and can be seamlessly integrated into IndieCommerce and IndieLite sites; no additional work is necessary on the store’s end — simply contact the IndieCommerce team at [email protected].

IndieCommerce and IndieLite stores that requested the 2018 catalog will now have the 2019 catalog on their sites. Stores will find a block with the cover image on their website, which will direct users to the catalog. Stores that do not want to use the cover image block can add a link directly to the catalog by appending “/catalog/abc” to their site URL.

Kenny Brechner of Devany, Doak and Garrett Booksellers in Farmington, Maine, told Bookselling This Week that the ABC digital catalog is a “stellar means of online reach.”

Said Brechner, “It is perfect for sending out as an e-mail newsletter, particularly as outreach to educator and librarian partners. It is also ideal for using social media posts as portals into its page on your website. Easy to use, attractively laid out, incredibly efficient and cost effective, the ABC digital catalog is something every IndieCommerce bookstore should avail themselves of.”

At Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana, Judith Lafitte said she appreciates the catalog’s ease of use. “The link is on our website where customers can readily access it,” she said, noting that her staff likes it because of the well-rounded selection of books it offers. “It’s a good tool for increasing books for holiday inventory, plus we like the design!”

Non-IndieCommerce and non-IndieLite stores can also e-mail ABC Children's Group Manager Gen de Botton to receive a folder containing all of the assets necessary to host the catalog. Booksellers can share that folder with their website host, who can integrate the catalog into the store’s site without purchasing options. To connect the catalog to an e-commerce platform, booksellers will need to work with a website developer to create code that will point the titles to their e-commerce site.

Booksellers can access the catalog collection on Edelweiss.