Winter Institute 12 Seen Through the Eyes of a German Book Industry Professional

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Anja Sieg, international editor for the German industry publication Buchreport, shares some of her observations from last month’s Winter Institute in the following column, which appeared in the February 10 print edition of the U.K.’s The Bookseller.


ABA Shares Secrets of Indies’ Success

When the American Booksellers Association (ABA) ran its first Winter Institute in January 2005 in Long Beach, California, around 100 independent booksellers attended, a figure that was considered a success. Fast forward to 2017 and the 12th Winter Institute in Minneapolis drew a record crowd of 654 booksellers who talked shop, exchanged ideas, met authors, and learned about upcoming books from publishers large and small. More than half of the attendees were first-timers. Many shop owners made a point of sending young staff to Minneapolis in order to gain invaluable experience, a decision ABA CEO Oren Teicher wholeheartedly backed: “This is our future.”

Anja Sieg
Buchreport's Anja Sieg

The mood was one of optimism and self-confidence. Teicher reported that book sales through indie retailers were up five percent in 2016, to around $500 million, and revealed 87 new shops had opened, of which 32 were in secondary locations. But there was also an underlying feeling of unease following the inauguration of President Trump. “Trump is not good for business,” said bookseller Steve Bercu bluntly. Bercu is a former ABA president and his shop, BookPeople in Austin, Texas, is one of the best-known indies in the U.S. “It is going to be an interesting year,” the 73-year-old bookselling veteran added dryly.

Bercu’s observation that the mood in the country had deteriorated dramatically in recent weeks was shared by others who spoke about having to deal with worried customers following controversial decision-making in Washington since the inauguration. Typical for a Winter Institute was the hands-on style in which booksellers discussed how to position themselves in the new political climate, with most in favor of cultivating an increased effort to reach out to minority groups in the local community.

Not all customers, though, are ill at ease with the new government. Robert Sindelar, who co-owns three bookstores in Seattle (one is less than two miles from Amazon’s first bookshop, which opened in December 2015), was one of a few booksellers to report a different experience. The day after the election a customer came into Sindelar’s flagship store asking for a book about gun laws, specifically the possession of guns while traveling. “He was clearly testing us out and I followed store policy not to make a judgment call,” said the bookseller, who then politely referred the customer to a title that was available online only.

“Being non-judgmental should be high on any bookseller’s must-do list,” agrees Betsy Burton, owner of The King’s English in Salt Lake City and current ABA president. This message was repeated in a number of panels, namely one called “Bookselling 101: Basic Sales Techniques to Engage the Customer,” with all panelists agreeing that booksellers should never react negatively to a question, political or not.

Best practice examples and first-hand advice from booksellers for booksellers, followed by lively discussions, are at the heart of every Winter Institute. In Minneapolis, activities were focused on improving and streamlining operations. Among the key issues this year were updates on “buy local” initiatives and panels concentrating on store culture and branding.

Attending the Winter Institute is serious business and requires stamina. Each of the three days start at 7:45 a.m. with a Breakfast Keynote and more than 70 sessions were packed into the event. Each day closed with a reception to encourage networking in a more relaxed atmosphere. Needless to say, the ABA couldn’t afford to run an event of this size on its own. Led by main sponsor Ingram, the event was supported by 87 publishers and industry organizations — a record number.

The Winter Institute has developed into a trade event that is unique to the U.S., if not the world. Gardiners commercial director Bob Jackson, in attendance for the second time, called it “the single biggest collection of independent booksellers at the frontline” and said that to hear how U.S. booksellers addressed the challenge of selling books in today’s market was “an eye-opener.” Jackson was part of a group of visitors from the U.K., among them [Booksellers Association] president Rosamund de la Hey and her predecessor Patrick Neale.

Neale, the co-owner of the Jaffé & Neale Bookshop & Café and a frequent Institute delegate, said he always returns home “deeply impressed and inspired.” He spent a day at Minneapolis outlet Common Good Books, which is owned by author Garrison Keillor, to experience first-hand what makes U.S. indies so successful. Neale said, “Despite the political chaos, the Winter Institute was focused and inspiring. Booksellers shared their skills and concerns about the book trade in a challenging and supportive environment. I have come home with numerous tangible tasks to keep my business successful and close to the cutting edge.”

De la Hey added, “As well as talking politics, the U.K. booksellers group had an inspiring time, visiting U.S. bookshops in the area and listening to many fascinating seminars. As always, there was much to learn from the experience of U.S. booksellers, but the U.K. team held up their creative end, led by Paul Currie of Foyles, who impressed a room of around 500 with his talk on bookshops of the future.”


Reprinted with permission from The Bookseller.