Your 2019 Pacific Northwest Book Awards were announced January 9. The following titles were selected from 400 nominated titles by a committee of PNBA member booksellers:
A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America Ken Armstrong (Seattle, WA) Crown Publishing Group / Penguin Random House
Washington Black Esi Edugyan (Victoria, BC) Alfred A. Knopf / Penguin Random House
Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees Thor Hanson (Friday Harbor, WA) Basic Books / Hachette Book Group
Blood Water Paint Joy McCullough (Seattle, WA) Dutton Books / Penguin Random House
Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist Eli Saslow (Portland, OR) Doubleday / Penguin Random House
Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten Laura Veirs (Portland, OR) Chronicle Books
Essays from the winners will be featured at NWBookLovers over the next several weeks.
Ken Armstrong's "Trusting in Teamwork" currently holds the spotlight.
Shelftalkers featuring comments from the Book Awards Committee and PNBA booksellers can be downloaded on the
2019 winners page of the PNBA website.
Send a photo of your display utilizing all six shelftalkers in conjunction with the winning titles and we'll send you a $50 thank you! Photos must be received by Feb. 1.
Gearing Up for IBD Time to Order Shirts, Bags, Exclusives!
Independent Bookstore Day is still 100 days away. But despite the inclination to take a post-holiday breather, there's planning to be done now.
IBD '19 tote bag orders are due by Feb. 1. This year's version, designed by the author and artist behind
Bibliiophile: An Illustrated Miscellany, Jane Mount, is extremely cool and extremely affordable. Chronicle Books' sponsorship of the bags means you can make a big grab for your store and your customers--85% discount!
Order here.
Of course, employees and customers are also going to want to wear the iconic book loving design. Multiple colors. Multiple styles. Multiple style points.
Order here.
Finally, drumroll, please... The catalog of bookstore exclusives has gone live! And it's easier than ever to see and select the goods. You now have two choices.
Binc Scholarship News New Award, Higher Ed. Updates
The Binc Foundation's annual scholarship program is now open for applications for 2019 awards. The 2019 scholarship program has been revised to support booksellers' dependents, spouses, and partners in pursuing their higher education goals.
Binc will award seven $3,500 scholarships to the dependents of booksellers and one $5,000 Karl Pohrt Tribute Scholarship to be granted to an independent bookseller who has overcome learning adversity or is a non-traditional student.
This revised scholarship program reflects a change in eligibility requirements from previous years, realigning the program with Binc's mission to strengthen the book industry and support career booksellers and their families.
Additionally, Binc is now accepting applications for a new scholarship sponsored in partnership with Sourcebooks and Denver Publishing Institute. The scholarship to attend the Denver Publishing Institute is designed for current booksellers interested in exploring a career in the publishing side of the industry. Applications for the 2019 scholarship, worth up to $7000, will be accepted through February 27th.
Children's Book Week 100th Anniversary
Schools, libraries, and bookstores are invited to
sign up during the month of January to be an official participant in this year's week of century celebrations, April 29 - May 5.
The Children's Book Council will provide an array of promotional and activity materials, including a special 100th Anniversary poster by Yuyi Morales!
* Seriously, this is the kind of stuff that happens all the time at A Good Book.
From mime to moose.
Informed and Empowered
ABA and PNBA Want All in the Loop
Both ABA and PNBA know that the better bookstore employees understand the business of selling books, the more invested they become in doing just that.
All booksellers are encouraged to join the thousands of their colleagues who already subscribe to the American Booksellers Association's free weekly e-newsletter, Bookselling This Week, to stay up-to-date with news about the indie bookselling world, discover helpful business tips and best practices, and learn more about ABA programming, governance, and goals. There is no limit to the number of staff that can sign up to receive BTW.
PNBA offers the monthly all-things-Association-relevant newsletter, Footnotes, to all booksellers and librarians. Employees of member stores and libraries are also eligible for regular publisher giveaways via Bookseller Blasts. All we need are email addresses to enhance the literary lives of your entire staff!
"Everyone and his uncle keeps expressing how happy they are to have a bookshop back in the neighborhood, and many of them are actually buying books to prove it."
--store manager James Crossley on the addition of Madison Books to Seattle's Madison Park neighborhood over the holidays
Member Notes
Gresham Has Books Around the Corner
OregonLive dropped in on the new store and visited with its librarian-turned-unexpected-bookstore-proprietor and new PNBA member, Stephanie Csaszar.
Three Stores and 20 Years... Nobody loves their home or job because of an algorithm--same goes for your bookstore. The Seattle Times examined Seattle's Third Place Books at 20 to figure out just what's in the "secret sauce" of success.
PNBA Loses One of "The Crew" Charles Juenemann, father of PNBA Executive Director Brian Juenemann and decade-plus veteran of the annual volunteer show crew, died Dec. 27 of a heart attack.
Read the appropriately colorful mini-eulogy, compiled and crafted by former PNBA Executive Assistant Jamie Passaro, the brains and heart behind Dear Person.
Would you like to serve on the PNBA Board of Directors or on one of our two standing Committees, Education or Book Awards? If so, this is a good time to let us know!
The Board of Directors recently discussed candidates who have emerged over the past year, but openings are numerous and proposing a member for service is no guarantee that individual will be able to serve. This year, the Association is in need of four new members for the Board, three for Awards, and three for Education.
Here is information on our currentBoard of Directorsand a statement about the responsibilities of those who serve on the Board.
Here are the details about the responsibilities of those who serve on the Book Awards Committee.
To be eligible, you must currently be employed at a PNBA member bookstore or library--that's it!
Board and Committee members will be reimbursed for expenses related to attending planning meetings and the fall show. PNBA is happy to reward those who dedicate their time to the Association.
Email your interest along with your member affiliation and a bit about your book industry history to PNBA Executive Director Brian Juenemann by March 1.
ABA and Authors in Portland Education and Fun Set for Spring Forum
Highlight April 1 on your calendar, and plan to be in Portland for the day.
ABA will start things off with a two-pronged presentation focused on a couple of items essential to indie success--planning pre-orders and participating in the annual ABACUS financial survey.
After a quick room re-set, PNBA, with support from Baker & Taylor, will host the spring version of Authors on the Map, a showcase of NW legends and newcomers mixing with booksellers in a festive atmosphere and signing their newest books.
April 1, 9:30 - 4:00, McMenamins Kennedy School, Portland. Stay tuned for details!
Village Books' 2019 Book Awards Display--Good for Business, Good for $50!
In Case You Missed It
*It takes half as long to write a book in the gray Northwest. So says 2019 PNBA Award Winner Eli Saslow in his acceptance essay, "Embracing the Rain."
* Throwing light on lost lives: "
The Resurrected" by 2019 PNBA Award Winner Esi Edugyan.
* Laura Veirs shares her appreciation for "what a deep art form the genre is" in her Book Award essay, "
A New Respect for the Picture Book."
* In her Award essay, Joy McCullough tells us she never fit in in California and how truly she is "
At Home in the PNW."
* "
Trusting in Teamwork." Ken Armstrong shares how he came to write to a PNBA Award Winner.
Member Notes
Four PNBA Reps on PW Shortlist
When the finalists were named for Publishers Weekly's 2019 Sales Rep of the Year award during Winter Institute, reps from the Pacific Northwest region held 80% of the shortlist spots! Fingers and toes crossed for Colleen Conway (PRH/Penguin Young Readers), Cindy Heidemann (PGW/Two Rivers), Kurtis Lowe (Book Travelers West), Patricia Nelson (University Press Sales Associates)
.
This year's award winners will be named in March and featured in the BookExpo preview edition of Publishers Weekly magazine in May. The awards will be presented at the Celebration of Bookselling at BookExpo.
Informed and Empowered
ABA and PNBA Want All in the Loop
Both ABA and PNBA know that the better bookstore employees understand the business of selling books, the more invested they become in doing just that.
All booksellers are encouraged to join the thousands of their colleagues who already subscribe to the American Booksellers Association's free weekly e-newsletter, Bookselling This Week, to stay up-to-date with news about the indie bookselling world, discover helpful business tips and best practices, and learn more about ABA programming, governance, and goals. There is no limit to the number of staff that can sign up to receive BTW.
PNBA offers the monthly all-things-Association-relevant newsletter, Footnotes, to all booksellers and librarians. Employees of member stores and libraries are also eligible for regular publisher giveaways via Bookseller Blasts. All we need are email addresses to enhance the literary lives of your entire staff!
Initiatives for Indie Success: Proactive Pre-orders + ABACUS
Monday, April 1, American Booksellers Association will host a Spring Forum in Portland in conjunction with the PNBA. All ABA and PNBA members are invited for all parts of the day's events.
Booksellers will join ABA staff from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., starting with educational programming focusing on two initiatives critical to the success of any independent bookstore: active pre-order campaigns and participation in the annual ABACUS financial survey.
This educational session will focus on best practices for increasing pre-orders, including the latest on accurate reporting and tracking, based on reports from the Pre-Order Booksellers Task Force and specific store experiences.
The session will also provide an overview of ABACUS data, including regionally-specific reports, an earlier ABACUS delivery schedule, and ways in which participating stores can successfully use their ABACUS reports to make sound financial decisions.
Scripted programming will be followed by an open forum facilitated by staff from ABA, who will also provide lunch! Please RSVP to PNBA's ABA Member Relations Manager, Daniel O'Brien.
Following the Forum, PNBA will host a signing and socializing reception featuring a diverse lineup of 15+ Northwest authors. Refreshment will be provided with the support of Baker & Taylor.
PNBA is sponsoring one member bookseller to attend Children's Institute, in Pittsburgh, June 26 - 28. And it could very well be you!
The winner will be determined by a committee consisting of members of your PNBA Board of Directors. Send an email sharing a bit about your store and your role there, your regional and national tradeshow attendance history, and your hopes and goals for for attending Children's Institute.
A spot at the conference is already reserved--we just have to plug in your name. The winner will need to reserve lodging and air travel but will be reimbursed for those and additional show expenses up to $1,200.
Good luck!
Indie Presses for Indie Stores Imprints Team up and Offer Special Deals
Catapult, Europa Editions, and Seven Stories Press have two Indie Playlist promotions currently in play for independent bookstores. Stores not only reap the benefits of special discounts on titles from the "Prize-Winning" and "Quick Reads" lists, but the presses are also backing a related display contest that should spur sales and could net cash!
A prize of $500 will be awarded to be split between the store and its lead display crafter who best build around the lists (displays must contain at least some of the curated titles but may incorporate additional titles as well) and project "inventiveness and selling effectiveness" in their designs.
Contest will be judged by marketing experts from Seven Stories Press and New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. Send a photo to NAIBA Executive Director Eileen Dengler. The April promotion runs from March 28th through April 29th. Additional promotions will be offered in June and October.
EXTRA: These deals and more are available on the weekly-updated Independent Publishers Specials list, sponsored by NAIBA and made available to their members by all nine independent regional trade associations. PNBA access is available on the
Bookseller Resources page of the PNBA website and through the button in this and every edition of
Footnotes.
Plan to visit bincfoundation.org between March 25 - April 6
to participate in Binc's 2019 Survey and
enter to win a $200 gift card!
Looking Ahead to IBD 2019 Countdown To-Do List
Today, March 15, is the last day to order the 2019 marketing-in-a-mailer pack!
Kit contains signs, balloons, book teasers, and shelftalkers. Send a receipt from your order, early or last-minute, and PNBA will reimburse your $25 cost.
Be sure to include images of and click-throughs to this year's special IBD items in newsletters and on websites.
List IBD events in event calendars. Send a press release for inclusion in local media event calendars (template available).
Order companion titles for IBD items--see catalog for available discounts.
Look for IBD bookmarks in the next ABA Red Box and put them on display.
Check the schedule to make sure your store is staffed-up April 27!
In Case You Missed It
* "Sharma Shields has generated a body of work attuned to the American psyche, with all our flaws and hopes." So says her interviewer, fellow author Shann Ray, in "A Better World."
*First comes love, then comes marriage, then sometimes comes owning a bookstore? Browse before Vows.
* "It's like
Quest for Fire meets
When Harry Met Sally."
ONLY A Good Book could tie together disparate titles with the theme of frozen snot.
Both ABA and PNBA know that the better bookstore employees understand the business of selling books, the more invested they become in doing just that.
All booksellers are encouraged to join the thousands of their colleagues who already subscribe to the American Booksellers Association's free weekly e-newsletter, Bookselling This Week, to stay up-to-date with news about the indie bookselling world, discover helpful business tips and best practices, and learn more about ABA programming, governance, and goals. There is no limit to the number of staff that can sign up to receive BTW.
PNBA offers the monthly all-things-Association-relevant newsletter, Footnotes, to all booksellers and librarians. Employees of member stores and libraries are also eligible for regular publisher giveaways via Bookseller Blasts. All we need are email addresses to enhance the literary lives of your entire staff!
5th Annual Indie Bookstore Day Oh, The Anticipation!
All IBD exclusive items have shipped from Ingram's TN warehouse and may be displayed as soon as they arrive--but please do honor the no holds and no pre-orders protocol.
Item images and shelftakers, signage, social media assets--it's all available for download on the IBD website!
All bags have shipped and there are no extras available for new or secondary orders.
Enter the IBD display contest. Send up to 3 photos of your special IBD window or in-store display and your store could win $300. Please us the subject "Window Display." Photos must be received by April 30.
Enjoy a tremendous Independent Bookstore Day!
Men In Blue: Dan Cullen, Robert Sindelar, and Oren Teicher
listen to bookseller comments at the April 1 Spring Forum
"As most of you have probably noticed, the goods are beginning to arrive! It's a slow
trickle now, but just wait and we'll all have roommates, spouses, animals, or ourselves
upset because of the book mountain ranges that'll be in our houses by October!"
--Book Awards Committee chair Alexa Butler (Beach
Books, Seaside, OR) in her introductory note to her
team
Binc Benefits Booksellers Let's Share in the Support
PNBA is doing its part to support Binc's April fundraising campaign, Share the Good. Binc is offering a celebratory ice cream social to the regional association that has the most new sustaining donors sign up in April. Those booksellers and bookstores who are already sustaining donors, can increase monthly donations to help their region win the contest as well.
Binc depends on sustaining donors to keep the bookseller's safety net strong. As a community, current sustaining donors help two booksellers through medical emergencies and natural disasters every month of the year. The aim of the Share the Good campaign is to increase that monthly assistance.
The need for assistance is growing, which means the support for the booksellers' safety net needs to grow too. Share the Good! Become a sustaining donor today, earn a scoop or two this fall.
Indie Presses for Indie Stores Imprints Team up and Offer Special Deals
Catapult, Europa Editions, and Seven Stories Press have two Indie Playlist promotions currently in play for independent bookstores. Stores not only reap the benefits of special discounts on titles from the "Prize-Winning" and "Quick Reads" lists, but the presses are also backing a related display contest that should spur sales and could net cash!
A prize of $500 will be awarded to be split between the store and its lead display crafter who best build around the lists (displays must contain at least some of the curated titles but may incorporate additional titles as well) and project "inventiveness and selling effectiveness" in their designs.
Contest will be judged by marketing experts from Seven Stories Press and New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. Send a photo to NAIBA Executive Director Eileen Dengler. The current promotion runs through April 29th. Additional promotions will be offered in June and October.
EXTRA: These deals and more are available on the weekly-updated Independent Publishers Specials list, sponsored by NAIBA and made available to their members by all nine independent regional trade associations. PNBA access is available on the
Bookseller Resources page of the PNBA website and through the button in this and every edition of
Footnotes.
In Case You Missed It
*Laurie B. Arnold sends a beloved character home for good in "Saying Goodbye to Madison McGee."
*PNBA legends, celebrity authors, vivid new voices, and origami! Here's a recap of the Authors on the Map party that followed ABA education at the Spring Forum, April 1.
* Mmm, mmm! Who has a taste for this
quintessentially Northwest limited edition IBD bookmark for PNBA stores?
Member Notes
Heidemann Recognized
This year's
PW Rep of the Year is our own Cindy Heidemann, of PGW/Two Rivers (IPS). In his nominating letter, Third Place Books' Robert Sindelar stated, "In an ever growing and challenging list to navigate, Cindy is a master at helping buyers focus on what is important for their stores."
Hear, hear.
Peregrine to Pittsburgh
The winner of this year's ABA and PNBA sponsored Children's Institute scholarship, advertised in last month's Footnotes, is Avery Peregrine of Third Place Books Seward Park, Seattle.
A PNBA Board committee judged applicants based on regional and national show attendance history, store responsibilities, and stated goals for Ci7.
Red Lion Room Reservations The PNBA room block for the Oct. 6, 7, 8 show in Portland is now open for booking.
Doyle Honor Delivered Executive Director Brian Juenemann presented the PNBA Independent Spirit Honor award to the family of Brian Doyle at "In His Own Words: A Tribute to Brian Doyle," hosted by Orion Magazine and The Sun magazine, in Portland, March 28. the event was arranged as part of 2019 AWP conference festivities. The special award was created by PNBA's 2018 Book Awards Committee in tribute to Doyle's body of work and commitment to independent bookstores. Doyle died in May of 2017.
Need to Add a Tag Printer?
Having recently switched POS systems, Elliott Bay Book Company has a couple of label printers for sale--two
Intermec EasyCoder PM4i Mid-Range Thermal Transfer Printers and rolls of labels. Contact
Holly Meyers for details if these might fit your needs.
"Thanks so much for the very kind comments made about me at the PNBA meeting this past week. Much, much appreciated. As I've been saying, I'm going to be around until the fall--and, do hope to be at the PNBA Trade show in October--so, I suspect everyone will get tired
of saying goodbye to me. Nevertheless, I am most grateful."
--ABA CEO Oren Teicher, in response to the heartfelt thank you delivered on behalf of PNBA by outgoing president Carol Price and incoming president Tina Ontiveros, in recognition of Teicher's three decades of dedication to our industry. Teicher announced his upcoming retirement last month.
Informed and Empowered
ABA and PNBA Want All in the Loop
Both ABA and PNBA know that the better bookstore employees understand the business of selling books, the more invested they become in doing just that.
All booksellers are encouraged to join the thousands of their colleagues who already subscribe to the American Booksellers Association's free weekly e-newsletter, Bookselling This Week, to stay up-to-date with news about the indie bookselling world, discover helpful business tips and best practices, and learn more about ABA programming, governance, and goals. There is no limit to the number of staff that can sign up to receive BTW.
PNBA offers the monthly all-things-Association-relevant newsletter, Footnotes, to all booksellers and librarians. Employees of member stores and libraries are also eligible for regular publisher giveaways via Bookseller Blasts. All we need are email addresses to enhance the literary lives of your entire staff!
Bye-Bye Baker & Taylor PNBA and Book Industry Respond
Regional independent bookselling associations were in damage control even before the news of Baker & Taylor's departure from the wholesale retail market went public, and wholesale distributors and publishers weren't far behind.
After consulting with booksellers and the directors of our west coast regional associates, NCIBA and SCIBA, PNBA prioritized efforts in two areas:
1) finding a workable wholesale option for those stores who had worked primarily or even exclusively with Baker & Taylor 2 ) mitigating the loss of rapid replenishment fulfillment for Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins, as facilitated by B & T from its Reno distribution center
A collection of resources focused on these areas can be found via the Bookseller Resources page on the PNBA website. Other companies continue to present special programs and terms in support of Indies and we will continue to explore the most appropriate and effective ways to share these with our members.
Thanks for staying tuned in.
Brian Juenemann,
Executive Director
Popelars to Join Tin House Carolina in His Mind, Portland in His Address
After 25 years with Chapel Hill indie Algonquin Books, Craig Popelars is headed west to become the publisher of Tin House Books as of June 1.
"I'm honored, excited, and inspired to join a publishing program that I greatly admire. Alongside my colleagues at Tin House, it's my aim to continue building a dynamic program with an adventurous publishing spirit that connects talented writers with engaged and devoted readers."
Sounds like the right guy for the right place.
NEVER!
NW Legend Teams with Binc
Stein Joins Patchett and Patterson
Garth Stein has been named Author Leadership Circle Campaign Chair for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. Stein's role is designed to help Binc become sustainable so the foundation can continue to fulfill its mission of providing a financial safety net for booksellers for many years to come.
Kathy Bartson, Binc's Director of Development, commented, "Garth is so well positioned in the industry and he understands how we each have a role to play in sustaining the organization that strengthens the book industry by protecting booksellers. He's a perfect fit for Author Leadership Circle Campaign Chair."
Spend more time with family
Read more books
Get back in shape
Long-term strategic planning for Third Place Books
Write a play (or two)
--Outgoing ABA President Robert Sindelar, Third Place Books, on his to-do list upon his return to indie civilian life
* Elliott Bay's Emma Nichols took the top spot in
PW's May 7 Children's Bookshelf newsletter
stumping for graphic novels--REAL BOOKS!
* Recently "retired" Third Place bookseller and former PNBA officer Emily Adams earned another
Seattle IBD stripe and lived to blog about it (after a cocktail).
store will be expanding it's ownership to the community as it transitions into a cooperative business model with the assistance of Northwest Cooperative Development Center. Orca Books Cooperative was officially incorporated on April 17, 2019 and launched a
membership drive at Co-opatopia.
Baby Bookseller
We know that Book Travelers rep Kurtis Lowe does it all, but does he babysit? He recently reported that Portland's A Children's Place bookseller Kyra Porton gave birth to a baby boy, Hugo, on April 14.
Manager, President, Writer PNBA President and Klindt's Booksellers manager Tina Ontiveros was recently featured in the April version of Beyond the Margins, the regular publication of Oregon Humanities. Read her essay "The Life We Pay For" from the edition titled "Push."
The Chronicles of Courtney Payne
Northwest region Chronicle Books sales rep and former PNBA Board rep Courtney Payne has been promoted to associate director of trade sales for the company. She reports that she is staying in the Seattle area and will continue to call on a few stores (yet to be determined) but will now also be managing all indie trade business as well as school and library (everything trade but B&N and Amazon).
Paper Boat Launches
After setting up remote shop and enjoying a stellar Independent Bookstore Day,
Paper Boat Booksellers announced that they've secured a permanent space in West Seattle.
"We are so happy to announce that we just signed a lease on a space for our bookstore! Paper Boat Booksellers is coming to life and we can't wait to open and be a part of the local business community in West Seattle. Our new location will be at 6040 California Ave SW near the Morgan Junction and we look forward to meeting our neighbors and getting to know so many of you once we open.
"
NW Bookseller with a NY Dream?
Workman publishing is looking for a bookseller for a role in its Trade Sales Dept. "The ideal candidate would draw on their experience working in an indie bookstore to coordinate retail marketing campaigns from Workman's imprints."
Both ABA and PNBA know that the better bookstore employees understand the business of selling books, the more invested they become in doing just that.
All booksellers are encouraged to join the thousands of their colleagues who already subscribe to the American Booksellers Association's free weekly e-newsletter, Bookselling This Week, to stay up-to-date with news about the indie bookselling world, discover helpful business tips and best practices, and learn more about ABA programming, governance, and goals. There is no limit to the number of staff that can sign up to receive BTW.
PNBA offers the monthly all-things-Association-relevant newsletter, Footnotes, to all booksellers and librarians. Employees of member stores and libraries are also eligible for regular publisher giveaways via Bookseller Blasts. All we need are email addresses to enhance the literary lives of your entire staff!
Bookazine After Baker & Taylor New Jersey Wholesaler Wants in the Mix
As earlier conveyed to our members in response to the closure of Baker & Taylor's retail support, PNBA has been working closely with the other west coast indie associations, NCIBA and SCIBA.
This letter was shared by NCIBA Director Calvin Crosby as he prepared to touch base with his base following BookExpo.
This year's BookExpo was filled with back to back meetings and conversations, many regarding the nearing absence of Baker & Taylor as a secondary distributor.
NCIBA's Ann Seaton, Nikolai Grant, of Books Inc., and I met with the folks at Bookazine. Separately, Brian Juenemann, PNBA, and Andrea Vuleta, SCIBA, had similar meetings with similar conversations.
Bookazine distributes throughout the world from its New Jersey hub and is very interested in expanding and in facilitating additional successes in the Indie Channel. Bookazine has expressed an interest in the B & T Reno warehouse among other properties that may be available and feasible. They are gauging the viability of growing in the west. Is there the business here to support a new venture?
The more Bookazine sees viability in our coast the more likely we are to see them expand this way. All three West Coast indie regional directors recommend that you reach out to Bookazine to set up an account.
Your PNBA E.D. did indeed meet with the Bookazine team and would like to add a couple notes. This family operation is the oldest and largest independent wholesale company in the U.S., and if they were located in our half of the country, you'd probably know them all by name. The personal care they convey reminds me of a certain regional wholesale partner we relied upon for so many years.
It might not yet make sense put Bookazine atop the ordering cascade, but it certainly is feasible to use Bookazine as a back-up, that secondary option that might save your bacon when you need it most. Your business could be a factor in this remote option becoming a regional mainstay.
Perfect Batch Electronic Invoicing Program Tests in U.S.
The buzz on Batch has been growing among the indie set for years, and what once seemed an operations pipe dream is actually in the early stages of becoming reality.
Batch was conceived and is owned by the Booksellers Association of the U.K. and Ireland, with whom the ABA has been working for several years. Testing of the software system that manages payments between vendors and retailers is now underway on our side of the pond.
ABA CEO Oren Teicher states, "As the data from the annual ABACUS survey of bookstore operations makes clear, a key to increasing store profits lies in lowering operational costs. The important gains that Batch can provide regarding invoicing and payment will be of enormous benefit to indie booksellers as well as to our publishing colleagues."
Library Data for Bookstores Panorama Picks Lists are Live
The newly launched Panorama Project is a publishing cross-industry research initiative that provides booksellers with localized, curated lists of books that are in highest demand at local libraries. Panorama Picks uses aggregated hold list data to identify titles beyond the obvious bestsellers.
Are you stocking all the books your community wants to get its hands on? If you are looking to boost your genre sales, these lists, updated quarterly, might give you buying intel that is otherwise hard to come by. Access to the information is free!
The project, which had been previewed during final development to PNBA and the other indie regionals, was officially launched with a presentation at BookExpo. Read about it from Bookselling This Week.
I was so busy clapping my hands off, I
missed my photo op--sorry!!!
--Tegan Tigani, after celebrating Cindy Heidemann's
PW Rep of the Year honor on the stage at BookExpo
Fresh off the BookExpo Choice Stage, Cindy Heidemann, with Ingram's
Shawn Morin and John Ingram. Photo by Leslie Jobson
In Case You Missed It
* BookPeople of Moscow is
saying goodbye to a good percentage of the staff. losing a chunk of the crew to graduation.
* "Two Donkeys Walk into a Bookstore... " And that store is
Maggie Mae's Kids' Bookshop, Gresham, OR.
* From
Underland to
Dadland, Stonewall to Moonstone--sooo many
Face Outs from indie booksellers throughout the NW!
Holiday Enhancement Catalog to Get Newsletter Boost
When the call for holiday catalog orders comes your way next month, be ready to share something other than your local newspaper information.
This year, PNBA introduces a series of email newsletters to reiterate the lineup of holiday catalog featured books, so be ready to share your list of store contacts.
The individually store-imprinted emails will feature all of the titles from your print catalog and will be sent to your store mailing list over several weeks in November and December. The newsletter content will link to your store site and social media pages, and the buy buttons can link directly to your e-commerce.
You retain full ownership of the list of your subscribers.
Our newsletter management partners at Shelf Awareness will secure your list in a dedicated application and automatically send each catalog volume for you, using advanced email newsletter practices.
Your list stays locked unless The Shelf is sending your store-branded holiday catalog to your customers. There's no hitch!
PNBA Member Notes:
Pendleton Looking to Round-up New Bookstore Owner
East Oregonian publisher Kathryn B. Brown recently contacted PNBA and shared:
For many years, we had two independent bookstores. One, Armchair Books, closed when the owners retired a few years ago. The other, Pendleton Book Co., has a great location on Main Street, but the current owner has recently placed a hand-written "Business for Sale" sign in the window and wants to retire.
Many of us in town would hate to see our only bookstore close. We'd love to see new owners make it into a thriving business. The Pendleton Development Commission has grant money and low/no interest loan money available to help businesses get going through the "Jump Start" program.
I imagine there are people out there in the world who would love to own an independent bookstore in a town like Pendleton (pop. 16,000). We have a thriving Arts Center, the Oregon East Symphony orchestra, a classical ballet studio, and a community college theater that puts on multiple plays each year. And a big rodeo, of course. Lots of tourists visit throughout the year.
Oregon Coast Store Turns Over a New (Cloud &) Leaf
Manzanitia, Oregon's Cloud & Leaf Bookstore will be helmed by author Deborah Reed as of July 1. Publishers Weekly made the announcement June 4.
Tigani to Double PNBA Impact on ABA Board As announced in the May 22 edition of Bookselling This Week:
At its May monthly meeting, the American Booksellers Association's Board of Directors moved to fill a vacancy on the Board that is the result of the recent election of Jamie Fiocco of Flyleaf Books as ABA's incoming president.
Upon consideration, the Board has unanimously approved the appointment of Tegan Tigani of Queen Anne Book Company, in Seattle, Washington, to fill the vacancy until the next ABA Board election, in spring 2020. At that time, Tigani will be eligible to be nominated to run for the unexpired period of what would have been Fiocco's term as a Board member. At that time, Tigani will be eligible to be nominated to run for a full three-year term as a Board member.
Tegan joins Jenny Cohen, Waucoma Bookstore, Hood River, OR, elected to the ABA Board this spring.
Both ABA and PNBA know that the better bookstore employees understand the business of selling books, the more invested they become in doing just that.
All booksellers are encouraged to join the thousands of their colleagues who already subscribe to the American Booksellers Association's free weekly e-newsletter, Bookselling This Week, to stay up-to-date with news about the indie bookselling world, discover helpful business tips and best practices, and learn more about ABA programming, governance, and goals. There is no limit to the number of staff who can sign up to receive BTW.
PNBA offers the monthly all-things-Association-relevant newsletter, Footnotes, to all booksellers and librarians. Employees of member stores and libraries are also eligible for regular publisher giveaways via Bookseller Blasts. All we need are email addresses to enhance the literary lives and bookselling aptitude of your entire staff!
Holiday Catalog Ordering Opens Plan Your Distribution and Email Support
Give Books: The Holiday Season's Best of the Independent Northwest! PNBA's holiday catalog campaign is designed to pay dividends in every kind of indie--urban or rural, large or small.
Tell us how many catalogs you need, where and when to send them, and let's put your store's stamp on them. Catalogs are free to all member stores! We'll send them to your distribution outlet with no shipping fees, and we'll even share the cost of disseminating Holiday Books guides to your customer base through your local publications.
This year, catalog titles will also be promoted across a series of digital newsletters to be sent to your store lists in November and early December. Newsletters will feature your store header and content will link to your store site and social media pages. Buy buttons can link directly to your e-commerce.
PNBA's newsletter management partners at Shelf Awareness will secure your list in a dedicated application and automatically send each catalog volume for you, using advanced email newsletter practices. Your list stays locked unless The Shelf is sending your store-branded holiday catalog to your customers. They won't use or share your list for any other purpose.
Behind the brainstorming collaboration of the Northern California and Southeastern indie regional offices, NCIBA is now hosting a portal for promoting unique items created by booksellers and made available for wholesale acquisition to indie bookstores.
NCIBA Director Calvin Crosby shares, "We are building the selling through the portal and listing items currently without charge, but at some point there will be a small fee to participate... we are happy to add more [items] if you have stores creating cool stuff."
Bookseller to Bookseller Training Buying Direct with Fiction Addiction
SIBA shared an invitation from one of its members to all indies interested in increasing the bottom line by increasing direct buying. Here's the message from Greenville, South Carolina's Fiction Addiction's Jill Hendrix:
I got drawn into a post on the Indie Booksellers Facebook group by a bookstore that is wanting to figure out how to start buying direct from publishers. I offered to do a free training on this topic and would like to invite anyone interested to participate. I'll do a 30-minute zoom training on 8/14 at 2pm EST. I'll be showing a Trello board that I'll create for y'all that you can copy. If you've never used Trello you can sign up for free (I'd appreciate if you would use my affiliate link at https://trello.com/jillfa/recommend).
If you're interested in attending the training just email me at with subject line "Direct buying training" and I'll add you to a list and send you all the zoom details and a reminder closer to the event.
In Case You Missed It
*Deep River elicits
deep responses in this triple Face Out feature.
* The perfect storm--Queen Anne Book Company, Washington State Libraries, Washington Secretary of State, and Garth Stein. These are the players that have powered the
Institutional Library Book Program that is serving institutionalized and hospitalized readers across the state.
* Booksellers grow up so fast. Meet
Bookpeople of Moscow's graduates, three kids who showed their merit working for the store and are now off to share it with the bigger world. Good luck to all three and to Bookpeople--it's going to be tough to replace them.
PNBA Member Notes:
Bestseller Bookseller
Rosanne Parry is a bookseller at Portland's Annie Bloom's books and a member of PNBA's Education Committee, who also happens to be a prolific author of books for young readers. That's a pretty impressive bookish profile, but it gets better. Parry has the current #2 bestseller on the Pacific Northwest Independent Bestseller List with A Wolf Called Wander, which also sits at #8 on the National Indie Bestseller List. Whoa!
PNBA on the ABA B.O.D. Northwest indies are beyond well represented in the current ABA Board of Directors lineup. Here are a couple of recent profiles of our representatives, Jenny Cohen and Tegan Tigani.
Zaidi Changes Hats Chronicle Books' new Associate Director of Trade Sales Courtney Payne has announced that former Elliott Bay Book Co. bookseller and PNBA President Jamil Zaidi is the new Pacific Northwest rep for Chronicle.
"Many of you already know him, many of you have been buying from him as a Chickman and Associates rep for the past 4 years. What some of you might not know is that he has been selling Chronicle Books in WY, MT, and ID for the last four years as a commission rep, so he knows Chronicle well and is already very comfortable with our books and gift product. I am thrilled that he will be taking over this territory and working with all of you going forward."
Portland's Green Bean Books recently hosted the store's 10th Anniversary Celebration with Napolean the therapy llama and the unveiling of permanent
outdoor diorama made by local artist and children's book creator, Maggie Rudy!
Grants Pass Indie Institution for Sale
After 30 years in business Robert and Karen Moore are putting Oregon Books and Games up for sale. And, "They're only interested in a potential new owner if they're passionate about books and wish to continue their legacy."
Gary Luke, publisher of Sasquatch Books, will retire August 1. Luke will be succeeded in managing Sasquatch's adult publishing program by Jennifer Worick, editorial director. Jenny Abrami, associate publisher, will oversee the Little Bigfoot children's imprint.
One dozen educational offerings, a brand new lunch event and an end of day cocktail hour--and that's just the first day, before we even start rolling out the authors!
A preliminary educational schedule and all event listings can be accessed from the PNBA Tradeshow page. Once you're sufficiently wowed, make use of those registration and hotel reservation links!
Early arrivals take note! If you're at the Red Lion Saturday night, the eve before the show, join Chronicle Books in JB's Lounge, 8:00, for Game Night. Demonstrations, live competition, and complimentary drinks--a great welcome to the show.
Tradeshow Travel Help Brad Smith Scholarship
If you live roughly four hours or more drive time from the location of this year's show, you're eligible for PNBA sponsorship of your trip.
The Brad Smith Memorial Scholarship was established last year to honor Brad's commitment to PNBA and his constant desire to keep booksellers outside of the I-5 corridor engaged in Association programming.
Smith, who died of cancer last spring, was the owner of Paulina Springs Books (Sisters, OR), a two time Board member, and a constant proponent of challenging questions and spirited discourse. To be in the running for the award, qualifying booksellers are asked to share something they challenge themselves to learn or better understand at this year's show.
Send a note to PNBA to E.D. Brian Juenemann by August 30. Applications will be reviewed by the PNBA Board and a scholarship credit of up to $800 will be awarded the first week of Sept. and announced in next month's Footnotes.
ABA at the Tradeshow The Big Stage and the Small Table
Last month, ABA announced that the Association would take over management of Independent Bookstore Day, which will be celebrated for the sixth time next April.
In October, ABA staff will present the Tradeshow Education Day program, "Independent Bookstore Day: Celebrate With Success." The session will feature a panel of booksellers whose stores have capitalized in the early years of the celebration.
Learn tips on buying and promoting special IBD merchandise, how to organize your own party, and strategies for using social media to increase sales and community participation.
In addition to its IBD presentation, ABA will also have members of its IndieCommerce Team on hand during exhibit hours to talk to both users and non-users of IndieCommerce and IndieLite, ABA's e-commerce platforms for independent bookstores. Sign up in advance for a one-on-one or drop by ABA's booth on the show floor.
Holiday Catalog Campaign From Newspapers to Newsletters
PNBA's holiday catalog campaign is designed to pay dividends in every kind of indie store--urban or rural, large or small. So what are you waiting for?
Tell us how many catalogs you need, where and when to send them, and let's put your store's stamp on them. Catalogs are free to all member stores. We'll send them to your distribution outlet with no shipping fees, and we'll even share the cost of disseminating Holiday Books guides to your customer base through your local publications!
This year, catalog titles will also be promoted across a series of digital newsletters to be sent to your store lists in November and early December. Newsletters will feature your store header and content will link to your store site and social media pages. Buy buttons can link directly to your e-commerce. All you need is a logo and a mailing list.
The list of this year's featured titles will be available in about two weeks, but that doesn't mean you can't do a little planning now. In a recent meeting with the braintrust at Yakima's Inklings Bookshop, we talked about all of the potential fun to be had with this year's theme, inspired by The Little Winter Book of Gnomes (Norton/Countryman).
Manager Emily Ring sent this follow-up to be shared with all stores looking forward to building displays and co-promoting sidelines:
"I've found cute gnome stuff from Kikkerland and Ganz, but Counter Couture is the company I get a lot of gnome stuff from. They are located in Denver, and they reflect our indie ideals well, so they'd be a great place to send PNBA folks looking for gnome stuff!"
If you have Ritz Sister rep, you might try that route. Otherwise, get your store set up with Counter Couture direct.
* Third Street Books (McMinnville, OR) bookseller and Bookstore Romance Day co-founder Billie Bloebaum is featured in the recent "Fierce Female" edition of
Shelf Unbound! Find out how
"outrageous euphemisms" of the 80s made her the reader she is today.
* Three is the magic number? Laura and Bruce DeLaney, the co-owners of Boise's Rediscovered Books and Once and Future Books are
opening a third bookstore, in nearby Caldwell. Find out what's going to be different when Laura, your PNBA Vice President says, "We're not taking a cookie cutter and taking our store that's in downtown Boise and landing it in downtown Caldwell."
* Booksellers grow up so fast. Meet
Bookpeople of Moscow's graduates, three kids who showed their merit working for the store and are now off to share it with the bigger world. Good luck to all three and to Bookpeople--it's going to be tough to replace them.
PNBA Member Notes:
Show Support from Mac/Binc
Markie Rustad, Liberty Bay Books, Bremerton, WA, is this year's PNBA recipient of the Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarship, promoted and supported by their partners at Binc. This is the third year that nine booksellers will attend their regional shows through this award aimed at diverse booksellers who are traditionally underrepresented within the industry.
Riverwalk's Stroll Up to 25 Years At its 25 Year Anniversary party last weekend, Riverwalk Books (Chelan, WA) made the store the spot but the star was definitely founder and owner Libby Manthey. Take a look at the festive photo display as well as tribute videos from friends and colleagues on the store's Facebook page.
Secret's Out, Scott Retires Susan Scott, manager at Seattle's Secret Garden Bookshop, has retired after more than 20 years at the store and even longer on the local bookselling scene. Read about her parting wish for a big sales day at Shelf Awareness. Read on, Susan!
New Owners for Imprint Books Shelf Awarenessreports that Anna Quinn and Peter Quinn, owners of the Writers' Workshoppe and Imprint Books in Port Townsend, WA, are selling the store to an ownership teams that includes an employee and writing instructor with the shop.
Crazy. That's exactly what Tom's colleagues on the Education Committee say about him.
Central Washington Adventures 7 Stores in 7 Days for Director and Family
Many thanks to the PNBA stores that welcomed myself and my family into your shops in late July and early August. This was all new territory for a van full of Oregonians and we had a great trip into parts unknown, from the Gorge to most of the way to the Canadian border!
North Bank Books (Stevenson), Jerrol's (Ellensburg), A Book for All Seasons (Leavenworth), Trail's End Bookstore (Winthrop), Riverwalk Books (Chelan), Basecamp Books and Bites (Roslyn), Pearl Street Books & Gifts (Ellensburg), Inklings Bookshop (Yakima).
Home Stretch Show Notes See You on the River, and Soon!
Three busy days await PNBA members at the Portland show and now you can manage your time just about down to the minute. The complete show program has been posted on the PNBA Tradeshow page.
Timely and relevant Education sessions; The Big Pitch reps' stage; The Unwind Hour; A refreshed feast, now known as The Signature Dish; Authors on the Map moving to the breakfast hour--the show is sure to feel both familiar as well as fresh!
Last minute registration will be facilitated all the way up to and through the show (but you don't want to wait that long). as of today, reservations are still being accepted at Red Lion on the River.
One small programming change--the Chronicle Books game night, announced last month for Saturday night before the show, has been cancelled due to reps being unable to be in two cities at one time.
BIG THANKS to Our 2019 Show Sponsors!
Ingram
Exhibits
The Nightcapper
Penguin Random House
Education Day
HarperCollins
Signature Dish
Chronicle Books
Show Floor Bags
Binc
Bookseller Scholarship
Publishers Weekly
Registration Desk
Arcadia Publishing
Pre-Registration
BuzzBooks Competition It's Cool to Play!
Preview these titles Monday on the Show floor, register your vote, and you'll be in the running for one of three $100 cash prizes to be delivered at the show.
Catastrophe by the Sea
Brenda Peterson West Margin Press
A cat is lost and lonely until he befriends a colony of tide pool animals. In partnership with the Seattle Aquarium, this book delivers a message of finding understanding and educates young readers about amazing wildlife found in tide pools.
Feel the Wild
Daniel Fox Rocky Mountain Books
An intimate and powerful story about Nature and our relationship with it, told through stunning photography and thought-provoking writing. It is a journey of growth told through the lenses of humility, vulnerability, and perspective.
Riding the Continent
Hamilton Mack Laing Ronsdale Press
An illustrious environmentalist records his experiences as a motorcycle-naturalist as he rides an early Harley-Davidson on a 1915 tour from New York to the San Francisco, exploring the beauty of North America's bird life along the way. Includes 40 photos.
A History of Pacific Northwest Cuisine: Mastodons to Molecular Gastronomy
Marc Hinton The History Press (A division of Arcadia Publishing)
With a dash of humor and a sprinkling of recipes, culinarian Marc Hinton chronicles the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. From potlatches to Prohibition, seafood to sustainability and Lewis and Clark to James Beard. This is part of The History Press's American Palate series, which focuses on local food, beer and wine, one American city and town at a time.
Perfect Practice: A Philosophy of Living an Authentic and Transparent Life
Mary S. Corning Circle Around Publishing
We can shift our perspective and change our world. Life can be exceptionally gratifying when we realize that our thoughts create our interactions and our interactions create our relationships. As a resource for life, this book unites what is seen as separate and heals what is wounded.
Just In Case You Want to Fly
Julie Fogliano; Christian Robinson, illus. Neal Porter Books/Holiday House
The creators of the award-winning When's My Birthday? team up again to create an inspirational book for anyone-parent or child-looking for support when facing a new challenge.
The Lady With Balls
Alice Combs Cypress House
During the 1970s, Alice Combs, undeterred by a former employer's snobbish pronouncement, "You're not corporate material," transformed herself from divorced mother on food stamps to successful entrepreneur. She is devoted to empowering women who intend to pursue careers in business.
Holiday Catalog Newsletters Talk with Shelf Awareness at the Show
This year, all Give Books catalog titles will also be promoted across a series of digital newsletters to be sent to your store lists in November and early December. Newsletters will feature your store header and content will link to your store site and social media pages. Buy buttons can link directly to your e-commerce. All you need is a logo and a mailing list.
The extra cost? Not a dime; it's free!
If you haven't already made your store's arrangements, Jenn Risko of Shelf Awareness will be at a table on the Tradeshow floor to answer your questions regarding this major catalog campaign upgrade.
Help Binc Feel the Love Tonight Henry Holt Turning Indie Orders into Donations
Macmillan/Henry Holt will donate $10 to Binc for every independent bookstore order of 20 or more copies of Me, the upcoming memoir from musical and cultural icon Elton John.
Me is a featured title in the PNBA Give Books holiday catalog, scheduled to drop Nov. 1. Can you take advantage of the gift-giving nature of your loyal customers and move 20 copies between now and the end of the year?
HarperCollins Quick Reorders Year-Round Program Announced
HarperCollins has announced plans to debut a year-round Quick Reorder Program in conjunction with Ingram Content Group. Beginning in late October, all independent bookstores in the designated states placing orders with HarperCollins before 12:00 pm PDT will have orders expedited and shipped no later than the next business day. In most cases orders will be delivered in two to three business days, provided books are in stock.
BRD to Launch Book Club One Day Celebration, All Year to Read
Following the success of the inaugural Bookstore Romance Day, August 17, organizers have announced a new quarterly BRD Book Club.
Each quarter, two or more books in different romance subgenres will be announced. Discussions will take place in August, November, February, and May, both online and in-person.
Program details, including the first group of featured titles and a dedicated Book Club email list sign-up can be found on the BRD site.
PNBA Member Notes:
Passage to Portland
Jessica Young, Fireside Books, Palmer, AK, is this year's recipient of PNBA's Brad Smith Memorial Scholarship sponsoring attendance at the fall show to a bookseller outside of the I-5 corridor. The selection committee, comprised of members of the PNBA Board, appreciated Jessica's desire to collect insight on tactics to turn interest into action: "It's one thing to get people to express interest in an author signing or new release, but I want to learn how to channel that enthusiasm into results--ticket sales, book sales, community participation."
Lucky Wi15 Winners ABA has announced 69 winners of scholarships to attend Winter Institute in Baltimore, including these PNBA booksellers: Stephanie Csaszar, Books Around the Corner, Gresham, OR Jenny Cole, Page 2 Books, Burien, WA Megan Waterman, The Book Nook, Canby, OR Jennifer Engkraf, Vault Books & Brew, Castle Rock, WA Lisa Reid, Lucy's Books, Astoria, OR
Authors on the Map, photo courtesy of Laura Stanfill
Capturing the Tradeshow
All Angles Show Success!
For those who may have missed it and others looking to recall a tremendous three days on the banks of the Columbia River, here's a recap of some 2019 PNBA Tradeshow highlights.
Publishers Weekly veteran reporter Judith Rosen, on site for the entire run of the show, covered things from the view of PW Daily and the PW Children's Bookshelf, including a head count that captured the 180 attendees watching The Big Pitch presentations on Education Day!
Speaking of the new blockbuster rep picks format, many participating pitchers shared their lists to be posted for bookseller and librarian reference on the PNBA show page.
Shelf Awareness' Emma Levy, covering her first PNBA event, also gathered observations from morning to night, including some potential finalist teasers for the 2020 Pacific Northwest Book Awards. The Committee presented some favorite 2019 titles and solicited 11th hour you-need-to-read-this-now recommendations from PNBA members at the end of show floor activities Monday afternoon. That presentation is linked in "NWBL Notes" below.
Forest Avenue Press Publisher Laura Stanfill, as she is known to do, captured photographic evidence that serves as amazing accompaniment to the show news reports. Stanfill's full show album is available on her Facebook page.
Holiday House's Just in Case You Want to Fly took home BuzzBooks honors in what may have been a weighted contest after Julie Fogliano and Christian Robinson's presentation at the Dinner at the Kids' Table the night before. Speaking of weighted contests--how about Rhyme Time!
Binc was the recipient of a PNBA donation that topped $6,000 thanks to the generosity of attendees who purchased Binc Badge stickers for their show tags, pledging $30 for bookseller scholarships and crisis relief while securing a full-access pass to signed books and samples at all show events. This year's donation also featured an extra-generous contribution from Sunriver Books & Music owner Deon Stonehouse, who won a $500 Binc show scholarship in the Exhibitor Exclamation Raffle and promptly donated her winnings back to the Foundation!
Fern Ridge Public Library District's Colin Rea ended a decade at the helm of the Michael Pritiken Rural Library Project with a donation to Columbia County, Oregon libraries. With celebrity donation sponsor Willy Vlautin, of Scappoose, running late from a reading at the St. Johns Library in NW Portland, Nicole Woodruff and Becky Bean, of the neighboring St. Helens Library, loaded up their own van with 34 boxes of donations and met Vlautin back at their home base to split the load.
Scappoose Public Library Director Jeff Weiss responded to his half of the bounty, saying, "It is an amazing amount of books. We are probably going to add 2/3rds of them to the collection and use some of the coloring books in children's programming. this has been amazing and we hope we can get books again in the future."
For their part, Woodruff and Bean were recognized, with acknowledgment to Rea and PNBA, by St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl at a city council meeting last week.
Fern Ridge Youth Services Coordinator Caitlin McMahan helped Rea facilitate this year's RLP and plans to take the helm for 2020. Look for candidate solicitations in early summer.
And one final recognition from this year's show: Congratulations to Jane Kirkpatrick, who made her 20th appearance at a PNBA Tradeshow with her spot at The Nightcapper in support of One More River to Cross (Give Books Guide Best of the NW). Kirkpatrick loves doing the show, but she's also committed to the Association, renewing her membership annually. Thanks for the dedication, Jane!
The grand expanse of the Tradeshow floor
Show floor selfie from Brad Smith Memorial Scholarship winner Jessica Young (left), with Fireside Books (Palmer, AK) colleague Ruth Hulbert
Give Books Campaign Notes Press Run Wraps, Catalogs in Transit
As you read this, trucks are headed your way with holiday catalogs on board! Despite a temporarily misbehaving "glue apparatus," PNBA's longtime press coordinator kept the run on schedule and looking fabulous. Samples made it to the office today--this catalog is a lively one with a great mix of titles.
Digital assets for websites and social media application are in the works as is a full digital version of the catalog. Posters will be mailed out in the next week, so start making (at least mental) space for displays! Your campaign should be in full swing right around the first of the month.
The first of five individually store-branded support newsletters will launch November 19 and run for five straight Tuesdays. If you have not coordinated to have these catalog splashes sent to your customer list, you can still make that happen by contacting our partners at Shelf Awareness.
Funny, the shelves in the Red Lion hallways were empty when we arrived
In Case You Missed It
* Your Book Awards Committee is in the midst of final deliberations for the 2020 Awards. Tegan Tigani reported countdown highlights from the
Committee as well as
PNBA members in the audience at the Book Awards Preview presentation at the Show.
* What an array of genres and styles, as always, in the most recent collection of
Face Outs from booksellers throughout the PNBA region!
PNBA Member Notes:
Ann of Eagle Harbor
Sad news from Bainbridge Island as longtime bookseller Ann Combs has died at 84. Combs officially retired from Eagle Harbor Book Co. less than a week prior to her death.
From store owner Jane Danielson: "No longer will we be regaled by her clever jokes, limericks, and show tunes for every occasion. She found the humor in every situation, and her lively stories were endlessly entertaining. Ann was an iconic and irreplaceable presence in the bookstore."
Combs was also the author of four books, including the memoir Once Upon a Two by Four, reissued by Endicott & Hugh in 2012 and a big seller at Eagle Harbor today.
Read additional obituary notes from Shelf Awareness. Ticket to Hamilton? Owners Shawn Wathen and Mara Luther have announced they are putting Hamilton, Montana's Chapter One Book Store up for sale. "Chapter One has been nestled in the heart of the Bitterroot Mountains in western Montana since 1974. We're each excited for our next chapter, maybe yours is at Chapter One!" Please email inquiries.
ABA Announces New CEO Allison Hill brings publishing, bookselling, and indie regional association experience to the post. Read more, including the promotion of Joy Dallenegra-Sanger to COO, in Bookselling This Week.
2020 Awards Shortlist What a Mix in the Final Twelve
The Pacific Northwest Book Awards 2020 Shortlist was announced Nov. 8. This year's dynamic lineup includes fiction and nonfiction, two previous winners, a veteran poet, a debut novel from another poet, a collection of short stories, a graphic novel and a picture book.
Pull the banner ad from this newsletter or the Shortlist page on the PNBA site to promote these titles to your customers as NW indie-endorsed holiday picks.
The Shortlist will soon be cut in half and six winning titles will be revealed January 8.
Give Books Assets Available Download In-Store and Online Materials
Need to rattle off a couple more copies of the campaign poster? Want to flag catalog titles on the shelves for easy identification? How about launching your Give Books promotion on the store's Facebook profile?
A variety of 2019 holiday catalog assets can be found on the PNBA website, including links to full digital catalogs, with or without IndieBound links.
And for something completely new--the first of five digital newsletters featuring books from this year's catalog will launch to the customer lists of participating stores Nov. 19. Four additional issues will follow, consecutive Tuesdays, through Dec. 17.
Here's how Seattle's Madison Books warmed up customers for the new holiday splash in the store's most recent newsletter:
You'll also find your inbox getting a little more full soon, thanks to some extra messages from us. The PNBA (that's the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association) has long published a holiday catalog at year's end, brimming over with reading recommendations from across the region. It's a great source of gift ideas because it's attuned to the tastes and sensibilities of local indie bookstore shoppers, so we're always pleased when it comes out. Even more so this year, as the PNBA has introduced a new digital component. We'll still have printed catalogs, but now we can also share the contents with our email subscribers. For about the next month, you'll see a bonus message each week featuring some of the titles we're enthusiastic about.
The Give Books newsletter publishing schedule can be found in the Calendar Highlights below.
"My staff is pretty excited to merchandise these with the holiday catalog display and window." --Jenny Cohen, Waucoma Bookstore
PRH Commits to Reno Publisher Adds Third Distribution Center
Penguin Random House has struck a deal to take over the management and operation of Baker & Taylor's vacated Reno, Nevada distribution center.
The facility will distribute PRH titles to bookstore customers and distribute titles for Penguin Random House Publisher Services clients.
* "Hello, Loverlies!" And so begins the inaugural NWBL installment of
The Bodice Riffer, a new column from Bookstore Romance Day founder Billie Bloebaum, of Third Street Books.
* "All Hail the Indies." A glowing review of the Tradeshow's Signature Dish, as author
Lauren Kessler recounts her night among her "favorite people."
* Review the most recent collection of
Face Outs from your fellow NW booksellers, sure to influence your holiday handsells.
PNBA Member Notes:
Wish No More, Wishing Tree for Real
Spokane's (highly) anticipated (mostly) children's bookstore,
Wishing Tree Books, is open for business. Owned by Janelle (former events and children's manager at Auntie's Books) and Ivan Smith and backed by Tegan (Queen Anne Book Co./ABA Board of Directors) and Jordan Tigani, Wishing Tree
cut the ribbon on it's beautiful purple porch Nov. 2.
Parry Lands Long Overdue Deal
After placing her latest middle grade novel,
A Wolf Called Wander, on the NYT Bestseller list for a third of a year and going to number one on the Pacific Northwest list (currently #5, six months after it's release), Rosanne Parry
has inked a three-book, six-figure deal with
Wander's publisher, Greenwillow Books.
Parry is a part-time bookseller at Portland's Annie Bloom's Books, a member of the PNBA Education Committee, and the author of a half-dozen acclaimed books for middle readers. Here are ten additional
things to know about her.
Congratulations, Rosanne!
Forty In Friday Harbor
Griffin Bay Bookstore threw a Nov. 9 full-house party to celebrate 40 years of bookselling on San Juan Island. One lucky customer earned a $40 gift certificate for finding the golden griffin hidden among the stacks, while five other attendees won the same prize via raffle.
As stated in the stores post-party recap, "At the end of the day the cake was gone, and party goers went home with stacks of books and gifts, getting a jump on holiday shopping.
"
Change Is In the Air
A letter from new ABA President Jamie Fiocco from the Oct. 30 editions of
Bookselling This Week.
SIBA Searching for New E.D.
Interested in a change of scenery? The Southern Independent Bookseller Alliance is
looking to hire a new Executive Director upon the retirement of Wanda Jewell, after 30 years at the helm.
To be eligible, you must currently be employed at a PNBA member bookstore or library--that's it!
Board and Committee members will be reimbursed for expenses related to attending planning meetings and the fall show. PNBA is happy to reward those who dedicate their time to the Association.
Email your interest along with your member affiliation and a bit about your book industry history to PNBA Executive DirectorBrian Juenemannby Jan 22. Your candidacy will be passed along to the Board for consideration at its annual retreat, in early February.
Give Books Stretch Run Stock Notes, Reporting Reminder
"Wow and Wow!
"You and your team outdid any previous records, by our calculations.
"We've already sold more, in volume and $$, than all of last year and that was our previous best. The gnome was brilliant (and we are anxiously awaiting a restock from Norton's next print run), and so many folks are coming in with the catalog still."
--Becky Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA
It's true, the gnomes have been great Give Books ambassadors. So good, we emptied the warehouses of the publisher and primary distributor. Word is, The Little Winter Book of Gnomes was back in stock at Norton last week, so your back-orders may have a chance!
IPG has remedied a coding error that showed Best of the NW fiction pick Perpetua's Kin as back-ordered despite adequate stock on hand.
The news isn't so good regarding The Rise of Wolf 8. This shortage can be traced to Yellowstone Park--literally. Greystone dipped into reserve stock, but those 125 copies only fulfilled the earliest back-orders in the queue. Reprint restock will not be available until January.
It's never too late to take advantage of the variety of 2019 holiday catalog assets can be found on the PNBA website, including links to IndieCommerce and full digital catalogs with or without IndieBound links.
The fifth and final Give Books digital newsletter featuring books from this year's catalog has been sent to your customers. We look forward to hearing how they've responded, so don't leave it out of your reports. Those are due, featuring top sellers and campaign reviews, Jan. 10.
* Kristine Kaufman profiles "history of the past, history now in the making, and history yet to come" in three books recommended for
The Front Table.
Northwest Winners!
Bryn Agnew, Fact & Fiction Downtown, Missoula, MT Amberly Baker, Watermark Book Co., Anacortes, WA Amber Bethel, Page 2 Books, Burien, WA Billie Bloebaum, Third Street Books, McMinnville, OR Hana Boxberger, Village Books, Bellingham, WA Derrick Brunner, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, ID Alexa Butler, Beach Books, Seaside, OR Mary Ann Cockle, Fireside Books, Palmer, AK James Crossley, Madison Books, Seattle, WA Rebecca Crosswhite, Rediscovered Books, Boise, ID Stephanie Rose Csaszar, Books Around the Corner, Gresham, OR Earl Dizon, Green Bean Books, Portland, OR Madison Duckworth, Liberty Bay Books, Poulsbo, WA Caitlin Felch, Book 'n' Brush, Chehalis, WA Clare Follmann, Orca Books, Olympia, WA Abilene Hagee, Trail's End Bookstore, Winthrop, WA Jessica Hahl, Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, MT Lara Hamilton, Book Larder, Seattle, WA Tiffany Harlan, Grass Roots Books & Music, Corvallis, OR Lane Jacobson, Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, OR Christine Johnson, Winter River Books, Bandon, OR Rene Kirkpatrick, University Book Store, Seattle, WA Cameron Lira, Cannon Beach Book Company, Cannon Beach, OR Niki Marion, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA Leah McNatt, Uppercase Bookshop, Snohomish, WA Becky Merilatt, Secret Garden Bookshop, Seattle, WA Karen Miller, King's Books, Tacoma, WA Holly Myers, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA Sharon Neumann, Annie Bloom's Books, Portland, OR Evelyn Nicholas, A Good Book, Sumner, WA Laura Norris, Griffin Bay Bookstore, Friday Harbor, WA Tina Ontiveros, Klindt's Booksellers, The Dalles, OR Kira Porton-Jones, A Children's Place, Portland, OR Diana Portwood, Bob's Beach Books, Lincoln City, OR Bob Portwood, Bob's Beach Books, Lincoln City, OR Candace Robinson, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA Madeline Shier, Powell's Books, Portland, OR Mary Kay Sneeringer, Edmonds Bookshop, Edmonds, WA Nathan Thomas, Microcosm Bookstory, Portland, OR Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, WA Marcia Vanderford, Vanderford's Books & Office, Sandpoint, ID Megan Waterman, The Book Nook, Canby, OR Alyse Wecker, Maggie Mae's Kids Bookshop, Gresham, OR
Mary Miller Doyle, Robin Cody, and Kim Stafford celebrating Brian Doyle's
One Long River of Song at Portland's Broadway Books on the book's release date. The book was a #1 PNBA Bestseller in its first week.
Photos courtesy of Shawn Donley
PNBA Member Notes:
BRD's Bloebaum Awarded
Third Street Books bookseller and Bookstore Romance Day founder Billie Bloebaum is one of two booksellers who will receive the American Booksellers Association's inaugural Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. Read all about it from Bookselling This Week.
The Islander Opens
Kodiak, Alaska received a just-in-time-for-the-holidays gift with the opening of The Islander Bookshop the week prior Thanksgiving. The store was gifted back with such strong sales that they were immediately able to boost stock by 750 titles!
More from Shelf Awareness.
Colorful Crew
Liberty Bay Books, a giant green crayon, and a few vikings
celebrating the annual Julefest. Nothing to see here.
The Washington Center for the Book is looking for booksellers to judge youth and adult categories for the 2020
Washington State Book Awards (for books published in 2019). If you'd like to be considered, please
review details and complete the online application by January 10, 2020.
PNBA Loses One of "The Crew"
Board and Committee Call
Doyle Honor Delivered
Many of us in town would hate to see our only bookstore close. We'd love to see new owners make it into a thriving business. The Pendleton Development Commission has grant money and low/no interest loan money available to help businesses get going through the "
At its 25 Year Anniversary party last weekend, Riverwalk Books (Chelan, WA) made the store the spot but the star was definitely founder and owner Libby Manthey. Take a look at the 
Parry Lands Long Overdue Deal
