This month, reporting to the Book Sense Bestseller List has gotten a lot easier. Booksellers in the Book Sense program have begun reporting their store sales by uploading a file from their POS systems directly into the ABA system and by using an improved online Bestseller data entry form. [For an earlier BTW story about new reporting options, click here [4]].

Comments from booksellers have been enthusiastic. Sascha Alper, projects manager, Book Sense said, "We have gotten a great response to the new system so far -- we've had lots of positive feedback from stores, and it's made reporting easier and faster for several stores. We have also gotten some really helpful feedback from booksellers and are already working on improvements suggested by the stores for the new system."

Jane Stroh, owner of The Bookstore in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, has been reporting to the Bestseller list for a couple of years, and she finds that the new, streamlined manual entry form "is very much easier to do ... I love how much time it saves." Stroh told BTW she finds not having to select categories as she reports especially helpful.

After reporting, Eight Cousins Bookstore in Falmouth, Massachusetts, sent an e-mail message to ABA technical project staff exclaiming, "Wow! That was FAST! 11 seconds, 308 records."

ABA technical project staff told BTW that a quarter of the independent bookstore reporters used the upload and that there were very few problems.

In an e-mail that she sent to ABA after reporting, Linda Rolczynski of Lindon Bookstore in Enumclaw, Washington, wrote, "That was too easy! Thanks. No excuse for anyone to say they don't have time to report!"

For more information on new reporting methods, click here [5].