Macmillan/Henry Holt and Company has announced it will be donating $10 to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation [8] (Binc) for every independent bookstore order of 20 copies or more of Elton John’s upcoming memoir, Me [9], coming out Tuesday, October 15.

Macmillan and its Henry Holt imprint has pledged to donate up to $5,000; independent bookstores must place all orders before Friday, November 15, to be eligible for this program.

“We are honored to be working with Macmillan/Henry Holt on this innovative fundraising effort,” said Binc Executive Director Pam French. “By contributing to Binc, Macmillan/Henry Holt is giving booksellers the opportunity to strengthen the safety net for themselves and their colleagues while doing the daily work of ordering books for their bookshops.” 

Added French, “We couldn’t do this work without our publishing partners like Macmillan and are grateful for their continued support and creativity. Publishers supporting booksellers make this whole industry stronger.”

With the commitment of sustaining partners like Macmillan, the foundation has been able to assist 44 booksellers and their families as of mid-year 2019, distributing $103,039 in emergency assistance that has gone toward eliminating medical debt, providing booksellers with a safe place to live, allowing booksellers to obtain needed medical care, and more.

Macmillan previously partnered with Binc on the Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarship [10], which launched in 2017 to provide professional development to booksellers traditionally underrepresented within the industry; each year, the scholarship offers a maximum of $500 for a bookseller to attend their regional trade show.

“We are proud to support our bookselling community and Binc,” said Maggie Richards, vice president of Macmillan’s Henry Holt and Company. “This program creates an opportunity to do so that we hope will be meaningful to the independent booksellers.”