Keep the Indies First Momentum Going

Add your activities to the registry

With the ordering deadline for Indies First publishers’ specials now passed, it’s time for stores to focus on the next phase of this year’s Indies First celebrations as well as the creation of long-term Upstream partnerships. The American Booksellers Association is encouraging all member stores to reach out now to authors who are interested in becoming guest booksellers on Small Business Saturday, November 29, and to favorite authors about becoming Upstream partners. (For those who missed it, Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, developed Upstream so authors and indies can support each other by partnering to keep signed books, a unique and valuable inventory item, in stock at stores.)

To keep the momentum humming, booksellers should add all their Indies First activities — Small Business Saturday and Upstream — to the activity registry on BookWeb.org, and the activities will appear on the national consumer map on IndieBound.org.

Even if a bookstore’s plans for Small Business Saturday are in flux, booksellers should register what they do have. An Indies First activity listing can be updated at any time; instructions will be provided in the activity listing’s confirmation e-mail.

Learn more about Indies First here, or send questions to [email protected]. And if you’re looking for an author who is willing to be a guest bookseller on Small Business Saturday, check out the Author Registry here.

More information about Small Business Saturday can be found on the dedicated American Express OPEN SBS page for small businesses, as well as in recent BTW articles.

The 2014 Small Business Saturday and Upstream successes will lay the groundwork for ongoing Indies First campaign achievements to come.