September Indie Next List to Deliver to More Than 547,000 Customers [5]

On Thursday, September 5, the September Indie Next List e-newsletter, powered by Shelf Awareness, will be delivered to more than 547,000 customers at 145 ABA member stores.

Booksellers are invited to sign up now [6] to send the free monthly adult or quarterly Kids’ Indie Next List e-newsletters to their customers.

The store-branded e-newsletter for adults, delivered on the first Thursday of each month, features:

  • The month’s Indie Next List titles, with bookseller quotes
  • “Buy Now” buttons that lead to the purchase page for the title on the sending store’s website
  • An interview with the author of the month’s number-one title

An example of August’s Indie Next List e-newsletter can be seen here.  [7]

The quarterly Kids’ Indie Next List is divided into two e-newsletters that are sent about six weeks apart. Each newsletter includes:

  • Half of the titles featured on the Kids’ Indie Next list (based on publication dates)
  • Five of the top 10 titles
  • An author Q&A with the number-one pick for that list

The second volume of the Summer Kids’ Indie Next List e-newsletter was sent on Thursday, July 18, to more than 448,000 customers at 137 ABA member stores; see an example of the most recent Kids’ Indie Next List newsletter here. [8] The first volume of the fall newsletter will be sent on Thursday, September 12.

The American Booksellers Association and Shelf Awareness teamed up in 2016 to launch this free e-newsletter program for independent bookstores. To sign up, stores should complete this form [6] on BookWeb. A username and password are required to access the form; booksellers who need login information can e-mail [email protected] [9].

During the sign-up process, booksellers will be required to upload their store logo and a CSV file of their e-mail list (instructions are on the form). Stores will retain ownership of their mailing lists, and customers will not be added to any other lists. New sign-ups will get to see a sample of their e-newsletter about a week before it is sent to customers.

Questions about the Indie Next List e-newsletter program should be sent to ABA Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger. [10]