Important News About Book Sense

Dear Booksellers,

This May, we are instituting some exciting changes to the booksellers' recommendations component of the Book Sense program. These enhancements come after months of communication with booksellers and publishers, including discussions with ABA's Board of Directors and Booksellers Advisory Council, as well as with scores of booksellers at 11 recent booksellers forums. As we begin to celebrate the fifth Birthday of Book Sense, these changes are designed to strengthen the program, which continues to evolve and develop. The success of Book Sense's initiatives is a direct result of the input and suggestions of participating stores, feedback to which we will continue to listen and respond.

In the April White Box, you will receive the first "Book Sense Picks: Independent Bookseller Recommendations" flier (previously known as the Book Sense 76), which is for use in stores during the month of May. (Notably, this will now come to you in the White Box, and not in a separate mailing.) This is one facet of a monthly three-part program that includes:

• A printed flier of 20 titles featuring booksellers' quotes (a sample of the new format was included in the March White Box);
  
• Both a downloadable PDF flier of 20 additional titles (featuring booksellers' quotes and designed so that it can be distributed in the store) and an electronic file of those titles to accommodate the creation of shelf-talkers; and
  
• Online listings of more titles that have been nominated by independent booksellers with Book Sense.
  

The titles presented in the downloadable PDF will feature the heading "We Also Recommend….," and the titles noted in the online listings of bibliographic information will carry the heading "Booksellers Are Also Excited About."

This three-part program is a direct result of the feedback that we have received from hundreds of booksellers in the Book Sense program, and we believe that it achieves the important goals of sharpening the focus of the recommendations program and ensuring that it continues to highlight the unique and notable titles that characterized the Book Sense 76.

With these changes, there will be a minimum of 40 titles every month from which to choose titles for Book Sense displays -- the printed list of 20 titles and the additional 20 "We Also Recommend" titles in the downloadable PDF format, not to mention the "Booksellers Are Also Excited About" titles that will be listed on the Web. The May flier will soon be in production, and we think it is an especially strong list, with a wonderful range of titles, voices, and publishers.

These initiatives are all part of the growth and evolution of the Book Sense program, a direct result of five years' worth of active participation and hard work. In the coming months, as you employ the "Book Sense Picks: Independent Bookseller Recommendations" program in your store, please do share with us your thoughts, comments, and suggestions so that we can continue to work to make the program more effective.

Please e-mail [email protected], or call one of the following people from the Book Sense team at (800) 637-0037:

Mark Nichols, ext. 1241
Dan Cullen, ext. 1250
Jill Perlstein, ext. 1283