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This forty-five minute long session offers attendees three lightning talks from booksellers who have had game-changing aha! moments in the past year. Presentations will be short — 10 minutes or less — and will focus on concepts that have saved money, improved operations, created a new efficiency, or increased sales. From major shakeups to a better system for ordering store supplies, innovative ideas come in all sizes but can make a big impact. Presentations this hour include: How to Turn Social Media Activism Into Increased Sales (Danny Caine, The Raven Bookstore, Lawrence, KS); Black Books Matter (Ramunda Lark Young, MahoganyBooks, Washington, D.C.); and Ithica is Books (Lisa Swayze, Buffalo Street Books, Ithaca, NY). Panelists: Danny Caine, The Raven Bookstore (Lawrence, KS), Lisa Swayze, Buffalo Street Books (Ithaca, NY), Ramunda Lark Young, MahoganyBooks (Washington, D.C.)

This informal yet informative talk is designed to provide a relaxed atmosphere for inspiring and educational conversations. Two booksellers with experience with everything from fundraising to campaigning to serving will discuss and offer suggestions and encouragement for those who are curious about what it takes to serve in office. Panelists: Kate Schlademan, The Learned Owl (Hudson, OH), Becky Anderson, Anderson's Bookshops (Naperville, IL)

Pre-registration required. Space is limited. Booksellers are encouraged to attend the seminar in its entirety. Registration is closed. Attention frontline booksellers! ABA is offering this in-depth, interactive seminar to help you learn more about the industry and become better booksellers. The subjects for the afternoon include:

• Personal Finance: Because finances make your life work! Tina Hay, author of Napkin Finance (HarperCollins), will present “Napkins for the Frontline Bookseller.” Tina developed this visual way of understanding financial concepts and managing money while attending Harvard Business School. Her visual learning strategy uses sketches and infographics that helped her succeed in her studies and master even the most complex financial topics.
• When Hand-selling is Difficult : Maybe you’re not into kids’ books or history or cooking, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a competent and meaningful exchange on the topic and help guide a customer to the best choice.
• Career Management: Take some time to focus on your future. A panel composed of booksellers and publishers will share insights on their career trajectories and tips for creating a career plan for future success. You won’t want to miss this conversation.

Panelists: Tina Hay, author, Dey Street Books , Cynthia Compton, 4 Kids Books and Toys (Zionsville, IN), Michael Triebwasser, Politics and Prose Bookstore (Washington, D.C.)

Welcome to ABA’s live Marketing Meetup! Marketing is more than social media, newsletters, or placing ads. While all of these tasks are vital to marketing, it is important not to overlook search engine optimization, or SEO. In this session, you’ll learn what SEO is, why it matters, and some best practices for implementation. Panelists: Ryan Quinn, ABA (White Plains, NY), Eileen McGervey, One More Page Books (Arlington, VA), Cassie Clemans, Roundabout Books (Bend, OR) and  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialists Jordan Brannon, Coalition Technologies (Culver City, CA), and, Cassandra Cross, Coalition Technologies (Culver City, CA).

It has been more than a year since ABA and the Pre-Order Task Force began a dedicated push to help booksellers better capitalize on this important yet underutilized option for sales. Since then, many participating booksellers have witnessed increased sales both from targeted pre-order campaigns and overall sales of popular titles. In this session, publishers that have worked with ABA will review pre-order campaigns from their perspective and will provide additional data and best practices. And booksellers who have had success with pre-orders will share tips to further increase pre-orders and sales overall. Panelists: Joy Dallanegra-Sanger, ABA (White Plains, NY), Geetha Nathan, ABA (White Plains, NY), Dave Lucey, Page 158 Books (Wake Forest, NC), Robert Sindelar, Third Place Books (Seattle, WA); Karen Torres, Hachette Book Group (New York, NY); Meg Sherman, W. W. Norton & Company (New York, NY)

Some of the best fiction and nonfiction is born out of crisis, and the human struggle – for peace, for freedom, for safety – is the backbone of some of our most enduring works of literature. Join five writers for a discussion of how they approach writing about crisis, and how stories of crisis can inform and inspire readers. With Julia Alvarez, Erik Larson, James McBride, and David Simon, moderated by Emma Straub. Panelists: Erik Larson, author, Penguin Random House, Julia Alvarez, author, Algonquin, James McBride, author, Penguin Random House, David Simon, author, Akashic Books, Emma Straub, Books Are Magic (Brooklyn, NY)

Pre-registration required. Registration is closed. Join bestselling and award-winning authors Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds in conversation on the history of racist ideas in America and how to better navigate these complex realities. Reynolds and Kendi’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, March 2020) delivers a timely YA reimagining of Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped From the Beginning. Through his work, Kendi has explored how racist ideas were developed by some of the most brilliant minds in history to justify and rationalize the nation’s deeply entrenched discriminatory policies. But while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited. Jason Reynolds’s remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning also offers the tools needed to combat these ideas. With Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, Kendi and Reynolds have come together to deliver an energizing narrative that speaks to young people and shines a light on the many insidious forms of racism—and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

One of the most anticipated and talked about books of the 2020, American Dirt, touches on issues of immigration on the southern US border, the politics of our current world and ultimately a mothers fierce love for her son. Javier Ramirez, co-owner of Madison Street Books (Chicago, IL) and Jeannie Cummings, author, will engage in a conversation about the work and the impact it has already had in the industry and indie bookselling community. Panelists: Jeanine Cummins, author, Flatiron Books, Javier Ramirez, Madison Street Books (Chicago, IL),

Events draw foot traffic, residual sales, and often media coverage for our stores. What they don't always draw is profit. But even in today's economic climate of rising minimum wages and other costs, we can produce events that serve both our communities and our profitability. In this session, we'll look at how to execute successful events through planning, budget creation, profit-and-loss analyses, and other tools professional event planners use to help manage the workload and the bottom line. We'll also discuss one of the most important aspects of all—valuing your time and expertise and then charging accordingly, even for authorless events. This session will be presented by Cindy Dach, CEO of Changing Hands Bookstore and is part of the store's professional development series. Panelists: Cindy Dach, Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ)

Independent Bookstore Day (IBD) has grown from a handful of bookstores in California to a national celebration involving more than 575 stores and, in some cases, citywide celebrations. Participating bookstores see an increase in sales, increased foot traffic, and increased brand awareness. This session will offer attendees an overview of the program and tips from booksellers who have figured out how to make the most of IBD. Panelists will offer information on how to order and make the most of the IBD exclusive merchandise, how to organize and publicize your store’s party to bring people into your store, and how to use social media strategically to increase sales and community participation. Panelists: Samantha Schoech, Program Director of Independent Bookstore Day, Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA), Rebecca George, Volumes Bookcafe (Chicago, IL), Tom Nissley, Phinney Books (Seattle, WA), Christie Olson Day, Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle's Children's Books (Mendocino, CA)

The panel brings together respected booksellers, Shirikiana Gerima, Ramunda Lark Young, and Hannah Oliver Depp, to examine the intersections of race, literature, and entrepreneurship. The panelists will explore the importance of their contributions to the bookselling eco-system, activism, and what is required to create diverse, equitable environments. Panelists: Glory Edim, Well-Read Black Girl, Founder (New York, NY), Shirikiana Gerima, Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe (Washington, D.C.), Ramunda Lark Young, MahoganyBooks (Washington, D.C.) , Hannah Oliver Depp, Loyalty Bookstore (Washington, D.C.)

One minute of planning can save you 10 minutes in execution. But when you are one of the only booksellers on staff, finding that one minute can be tough. Panelists will provide useful tools for fighting distraction and tracking time so you can create those efficiencies that lead to improved productivity. Panelists: Dan Cullen, ABA (White Plains, NY), Bel McNeil, Bel & Bunna's Books (Lafayette, CA), Angela Maria Spring, Duende District Bookstore (Washington, D.C.), Kathy Burnette, The Brain Lair (South Bend, IN)

Board games are a hot trend and a growing business that capitalize on popular TV and streaming shows and pop-culture moments. And they all have something in common: face-to-face social interaction, which is a key component of successful independent bookstores. Come hear from booksellers who have integrated board games and play nights into their sales and events. An independent board game seller joins the panel to discuss the aspects of her business and how booksellers can bring games — and customers — into the bookstore. After the session, come to the Winter Institute Board Game Playroom to sample games with colleagues or game reps, review discounts, and place orders. If you are looking for new non-book inventory, this may be an opportunity for you. Panelists: John Stacy, Executive Director, GAMA (Columbus, OH), Todd Dickinson, Aaron's Books (Lititz, PA), David Prescott, Blackwells (London, UK), Milton Griepp, ICv2 The Business of Geek Culture (Madison, WI)

Edelweiss360 allows booksellers to efficiently craft and send store-branded, personalized emails to customers based on individual purchase behavior and staff knowledge of customers. In addition to driving foot-traffic to the store, this new service will expand a store’s online ordering and pre-ordering capabilities to better compete with large online retailers. Currently, a dozen stores are beta testing this new functionality. Learn how the beta stores have been using it successfully and how this may be a game-changer for independent bookstores. Panelists: Chris Morrow, Northshire Bookstore (Manchester Center, VT), John Rubin, Above the Treeline (Ann Arbor, MI)

Batch for Books is a new electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service, based on the version used in the U.K., helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. CEO Fraser Tanner will moderate a panel of UK users and US booksellers who have been part of the US Batch for Books beta test. Panelists include: Nic Bottomley, Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights (Bath, UK); David Prescott, Blackwell’s (Oxford, UK); Antonia Squire, The Bookshop (Bridport, UK); Fraser Tanner, Managing Director, Batch LTD (London, UK); Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company (Seattle, WA); Ron Tucker, Politics & Prose Bookstore (Washington, DC)