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Check Out These ABA Pre-Order Calendar Highlights [4]
- By Sydney Jarrard [5]
Booksellers can view a list of titles with good pre-order potential on the American Booksellers Association’s website by browsing the Pre-Order Calendar [6]. The calendar specifically features books with added value, such as signed copies and exclusive merchandise, to entice customers to order from their local indie.
The calendar, which is updated on a weekly basis, outlines selected books’ publication dates and details for ordering from publishers (booksellers should note order deadlines). When available, titles on the calendar will also link to a page with publishers’ downloadable digital marketing assets, occasionally including special ads created by ABA that highlight the offer for customers.
In addition to pre-order ads for specific books, ABA has created “Keep It Local” pre-order shelf-talkers, which booksellers can use for their websites and newsletters or print out and use in their stores.
New items available for pre-order are indicated by the date they were added in red. In addition, titles being featured as a pre-order ad in an upcoming Indie Next List flier will have the notation: *INL: Month*.
Some highlights from the Pre-order Calendar include:
- Dinosnores by Sandra Boynton [7] (Workman Publishing, 9781523508136, Board book, $6.95, Pub date September 3): Added Value: Door hangers (one per unit ordered) with original art by Sandra Boynton, 8.5 x 3.5”, printed on heavy cardstock, for customer giveaway; order deadline is August 9 via online form [8]; stores will also receive easel-back posters for display and digital assets to promote.
- Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty [9] (W.W. Norton & Company, 9780393652703, Hardcover, $25.95, Pub date September 3) Added Value: Signed 10-copy cartons available; after a minimum order of 10 copies, stores will receive one enamel pin per copy as a pre-order giveaway for customers; must order by August 12. Contact Meg Sherman [10] and Steve Colca [11] for details.
- The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (Harper, 9780062963673, Hardcover, $27.99, Pub date September 24) Added Value: 10-copy signed carton (carton ISBN: 9780062966551, $279.90); limited signed quantities are available while supplies last, publisher will do their best to fulfill demand; store promo should include “limited supply” notice to customers. *INL: August*
- Wayward Son (Simon Snow Series) by Rainbow Rowell [12] (Wednesday Books, 9781250146076, Hardcover, $19.99, Pub date September 24) Added Value: Pre-Order Kit (ISBN: 9781250750709) available for free while supplies last and includes poster, easel, shelf-talker, and 10 embroidered patches for customer giveaway; order through Edelweiss [13]. *INL: September*
- Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater [14] (Scholastic Press, 9781338188325, Hardcover, $19.99, Pub date November 5) Added Value: Special nine-copy floor display includes signed art for each copy (Display ISBN: 9781338305449); limited special displays available, order via Edelweiss [15] while supplies last.
Every bookstore has the ability to take pre-orders, either in-store or online, granted they have e-commerce capabilities. Here, booksellers can find a PowerPoint presentation [16] that details how to manage pre-orders.
Additionally, booksellers can flag pre-order titles on their IndieCommerce websites. If interested in using the pre-order badge feature on a specific title, booksellers can enable the setting on the book’s product page. A document with more information is available here [17].
Booksellers should also search Bookselling This Week’s “pre-order” tag [3] for more information about promoting pre-orders in their stores.