Slide Presentation

Pre-registration required; $59 fee per person; space is limited; attendance at Winter Institute is not required. Registration is closed. The IndieCommerce Institute is an interactive, classroom-style workshop for users of ABA’s e-commerce platforms. IndieCommerce Institute 2020 will feature two seminars: an IndieCommerce seminar for members using our IndieCommerce platform and an IndieLite seminar for members using our IndieLite platform. Each seminar will include step-by-step instructions for the topics covered. Each participant will be assigned their own test site to use and follow along with during the seminars. See the complete IndieCommerce Seminar schedule here. Panelists: Chanthee Keokhaw, ABA (White Plains, NY), Scott Nafz, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Geetha Nathan, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Ryan Quinn, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Matt Supko, Augment Digital (Huntsville, AL)

New Features
Don’t have the time to keep up with all the new features the IndieCommerce team is rolling out? Don’t worry, we got you covered. This session will include a live demonstration of all the recently added features and how your site can benefit from them.

Pre-registration required; $59 fee per person; space is limited; attendance at Winter Institute is not required. Registration is closed. The IndieCommerce Institute is an interactive, classroom-style workshop for users of ABA’s e-commerce platforms. IndieCommerce Institute 2020 will feature two seminars: an IndieCommerce seminar for members using our IndieCommerce platform and an IndieLite seminar for members using our IndieLite platform. Each seminar will include step-by-step instructions for the topics covered. Each participant will be assigned their own test site to use and follow along with during the seminars. See the complete IndieCommerce Seminar schedule here. Panelists: Chanthee Keokhaw, ABA (White Plains, NY), Scott Nafz, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Geetha Nathan, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Ryan Quinn, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Matt Supko, Augment Digital (Huntsville, AL)

Promoting and Selling Pre-Orders
Did you know your IndieCommerce website has great tools for handling pre-orders? In this session, we will cover everything from creating custom products for pre-order titles all the way to processing these pre-orders and generating custom reports. We will share best practices and marketing tips from other IndieCommerce stores.

Pre-registration required; $59 fee per person; space is limited; attendance at Winter Institute is not required. Registration is closed. The IndieCommerce Institute is an interactive, classroom-style workshop for users of ABA’s e-commerce platforms. IndieCommerce Institute 2020 will feature two seminars: an IndieCommerce seminar for members using our IndieCommerce platform and an IndieLite seminar for members using our IndieLite platform. Each seminar will include step-by-step instructions for the topics covered. Each participant will be assigned their own test site to use and follow along with during the seminars. See the complete IndieCommerce Seminar schedule here. Panelists: Chanthee Keokhaw, ABA (White Plains, NY), Scott Nafz, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Geetha Nathan, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Ryan Quinn, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Matt Supko, Augment Digital (Huntsville, AL)

Store Books, Signed Copies, Pre-Order Titles
Selling books unique to your store

Pre-registration required; $59 fee per person; space is limited; attendance at Winter Institute is not required. Registration is closed. The IndieCommerce Institute is an interactive, classroom-style workshop for users of ABA’s e-commerce platforms. IndieCommerce Institute 2020 will feature two seminars: an IndieCommerce seminar for members using our IndieCommerce platform and an IndieLite seminar for members using our IndieLite platform. Each seminar will include step-by-step instructions for the topics covered. Each participant will be assigned their own test site to use and follow along with during the seminars. See the complete IndieCommerce Seminar schedule here. Panelists: Chanthee Keokhaw, ABA (White Plains, NY), Scott Nafz, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Geetha Nathan, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Ryan Quinn, ABA (White Plains, NY) , Matt Supko, Augment Digital (Huntsville, AL)

Site Building — Understanding the Basic Building Blocks of an IndieCommerce Site
Do you find terms like “page,” “block,” “menu,” “content,” “views,” etc., confusing and making it hard for you to build your IndieCommerce site to your liking? You are not alone. In this session, we will explore the terms and technology behind your website, what these items are for, how they depend on each other, and how they all fit together to create an amazing and rich website.

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.)

Pre-registration required. Space is limited. Booksellers are encouraged to attend the seminar in its entirety. Registration is closed. An employee manual is the documentation for your store’s policies and procedures, as well as for employees’ legal rights and obligations. But it is more than that. This document provides a window into the unique workplace vision and culture that you have built — or that you want to build. The workshop will cover the following sections for your employee manual:

• Workplace culture, including store values and mission statement
• General employment information
• Code of conduct
• Benefits
• Disciplinary procedures and grounds for termination
• Employee manual disclaimer

Panelists: Stephanie Steinberg, Hachette Book Group (New York, NY), Rebecca Fitting, Greenlight Bookstore (Brooklyn, NY), Jenny Cohen, Waucoma Bookstore (Hood River, OR)

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)

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)