Abrams Grows “The Art of Selling Books”

In response to enthusiastic bookseller support, Abrams has increased the number of assortments in its Fall 2012 The Art of Selling Books promotion to 25.

“The Art of Selling Books has been a wonderful success in its first season at Abrams. We are thrilled with our independent bookstores’ response to the program, and we are happy to double down in its offering for the fall 2012 season,” said Abrams President and CEO Michael Jacobs.  “Our fall list assortments offer a carefully curated, diverse selection of titles, with an emphasis on gift books — frontlist and backlist. Based on feedback from our customers, and to further enhance the appeal of the program, we have expanded the number of assortments by 20 percent and have added a foldout spread featuring this season’s offerings in our fall 2012 adult and children’s catalogs. As an independent publisher, Abrams is committed to helping the bookstores that help us to stock, sell, and market our books.”

 “The fact that Abrams has taken a successful publishing initiative and expanded and enhanced it is great news for booksellers and a stellar example of how to achieve the common goal of booksellers and publishers — to sell a greater number of frontlist and backlist titles,” said ABA CEO Oren Teicher.

The Art of Selling Books includes 90-days dating, free freight, plus an extra discount. In addition, select children’s assortments automatically ship with marketing materials, including posters, shelf-talkers, and more.

Fall adult assortments, which number 13, range from collections for creative types and cooks (the professional, the home cook, the baker) to those for fans of the other-worldly (Trekkers, Star Wars fanatics, extraterrestrials, mystics) and more.

Among the 12 kids’ assortments are collections for the artist, the nerd herd, the flower powery, the underdog, the idiosyncratic, the silly, the inspired, and the motivated.

The complete list of  adult and children’s title assortments and terms are featured online at abramsbooks.com/artofselling books. Assortments are also featured on the inside back covers of Fall 2012 catalogs. Abrams is encouraging booksellers to stop by its booth (#4270) at BookExpo America to pick up a brochure and learn more about the program.

Of The Art of Selling Books Spring 2012 program, which is available for a few more weeks, Christine Onorati of WORD in Brooklyn, New York, said, “It’s so easy for quality backlist to get forgotten in the wake of new products. Having an easy way to order a well-rounded selection, with quantities that won’t scare small stores like us away, while also offering amazing terms, makes this promotion completely worthwhile.” 

Jen Casady of Pudd’nhead Books in Webster Groves, Missouri, said, “Not only is it saving me time … by including backlist titles along with the newest releases, but it also comes with extra marketing materials and extra discounts.  I love when a publisher makes my life easier!”