The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) are coming together again for their fall virtual conference, New Voices, New Rooms (NVNR) September 27-October 1. NVNR will offer our beloved community of booksellers, publishers, authors, and other industry partners a week of opportunities for education, networking, innovation, and fun. Our official theme for NVNR 2021 is “Opening Doors.”
New Voices, New Rooms returns with a fresh format that includes two days of education and bookseller-to-bookseller networking and idea-sharing, plus three days of new title discovery, author panels, and the hugely popular Rep Pick of the List and Editor Buzz panels. Every day will feature interludes of poetry readings, creative play, wellness tips, and more.
We’ll be working with our publisher and vendor partners to enhance their studio (fka “booth”) offerings to promote bookseller and sales rep one-on-one meet and greets, creation of new accounts, and bookseller support of upcoming promotions. Our NVNR conference site will also feature a bookseller-friendly galley room called “Readers of the Lost ARC,” easy Zoom access to all programming, and a dedicated Slack channel to message peers, set up appointments, and stay in contact after the conference.
Also New to NVNR 2021: The VIndies! NVNR and their “academy” of judges drawn from the greats of our bookselling community will award prizes to videos created in 2020 by independent bookstores in the SIBA & NAIBA territories. The award ceremony, which will include viewings of the finalist videos, will take place during the conference. Look for a separate call for submissions for the VIndies in the coming weeks.
Recordings and resources are now available to SIBA bookstore members from last month's
NVNR Social Media Retreat.
The resources include recordings of the morning events, downloads for content planning, and guides for both Canva and TikTok, as well as links to the many, many (many many many!) resources mentioned during the program.
Because of the proprietary nature of the materials, this link will only be active until the end of June.
Booksellers who attended the retreat will receive an email with the information to access all the materials.
Booksellers who were unable to attend may request access from SIBA. You must be a member of SIBA to access these resources.
It is important to remember that by accessing the Social Media Retreat resources, booksellers commit to sharing posts for books from NVNR’s sponsoring publishers. Publisher-supplied graphics, social media handles, and other useful resources for creating
posts can be found on the resource page. Please remember to tag #SIBA and #NAIBA when you post. Your participation will go a long way towards ensuring publisher support for future programs.
NVNR Presents: March Madness Author Series
Daily from 1:00-2:00 pm, 3/23-3/25
The lunchtime author series is a break in the day for booksellers attending the Social Media Retreat, but the event is open to everyone -- you don't need to be registered for the Social Media Retreat to attend. Each day will feature a different panel of authors, moderated by a SIBA or NAIBA bookseller.
REGISTER HERE
Your registration allows you into all three lunchtime events
3/23 Tuesday at 1PM EST: PRH Kids present Debut Authors with Big Buzz
Listen to New Voices with lots of internal publisher buzz and support. PLUS, attendees enter a raffle for multiple winners to receive finished copies of featured books. Informal “meet the authors chat” after panel discussion.
With moderator Kirsten Hess, Let's Play Bookstore, Emmaus, PA and authors Namina Forna, The Gilded Ones; Chrystal Giles, Take Back the Block;
Isaac Fitzsimons, The Passing Playbook; and
Olivia Abtahi, Perfectly Parvin
3/24 Wednesday at 1PM EST: Sourcebooks 2021 Spring Author Luncheon: Madness, Music and a Mystery! Special bonus: tiered opportunities for pre-order campaigns, etc, for each book, and more promotional opportunities. Informal “meet the authors chat” after panel discussion. With moderator Christine Bollow, Programs & Marketing Manager at Loyalty Bookstores, Petworth, DC and Silver Spring, MD, and authors
Caseen Gains, Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way;
Kate Moore, The Woman They Could Not Silence;
Leah Weiss, All the Little Hopes; and
Xio Axelrod, The Girl with Stars In Her Eyes
3/25 Thursday at 1PM EST: Making Light: Scholastic Books that Shine
Some books glow like the light of birthday candles while others electrify like neon. Join a panel of five Scholastic authors/illustrators whose upcoming books spread light and hope from picture books to YA novels. No batteries required! Informal “meet the authors chat” after panel discussion. Complimentary galleys and WISHES poster for the first 50 attendees fill out the request form during the event.With moderator Jamie Rogers Southern, Interim Executive Director of Bookmarks in Winston-Salem NC, and authors:
Justin A. Reynolds, Miles Morales: Shock Waves (Original Spider-Man Graphic Novel); Ralph Lazar, Total Mayhem #1: Monday -- Into the Caves of Thieves & Total Mayhem #2: Tuesday -- The Curse of the Blue Spots;
Debbie Rigaud, Simone Breaks All the Rules, Mượn Thị Văn, WISHES; and
Gracey Zhang, Lala's Words(A Story of Planting Kindness)
REGISTER HERE
Your registration allows you into all three lunchtime events
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Thursday, February 25, 2021
New on SIBA TV
February's virtual events are now available to view on SIBA TV.
Reader Meet Writer: Ariel Lawhon
Lawhon's novel Code Name Helene is a fictionalized account of Nancy Wake, a real WWII spy and possible superhero.
Reader Meet Writer: Jerry Mitchell
Listen to Mitchell discuss his ground-breaking investigative work in bringing unsolved crimes from the Civil Rights era back into the public eye, and ultimately to prosecution and justice served.
Reader Meet Writer: Ed Tarkington
The author of The Fortunate Ones, a SIBA Bookseller favorite, talks about the inspiration for his novel and his exploration into the themes of friendship, privilege, money, and the facade of what we consider civilized behavior.
And also now available: NVNR Presents Love & Pajamas
If you didn't get a chance to attend this fun event with five romance writers now you can see what you missed. It does get a little steamy in places, so we've rated the video for 18 and over.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
A Bootcamp for Booksellers March 23-25, 2021 Cost: $25/person
Registration is now open for the NVNR Social Media Retreat, a 3-day "bootcamp" for booksellers who want to elevate their social media game. These intensive training classes will cover creating storylines, branding, visual techniques, posting strategies,
and best practices for major social media platforms. Designed for both beginners and advanced social media users, it will use recent and upcoming book releases as part of the training and for you to create actual posts of your own. Booksellers will
learn how to make creative posts for books, research for assets, and share them across social networks, including TikTok.
The educational program runs daily from 9:30AM-12:30PM, followed by 1PM author luncheons, and 3-4PM Social Media Deep
Dive breakout sessions.
Cost is $25/per person and you or your store must be a member of your regional bookselling association to attend.
Are you signed up for the NVNR Publicity Speed Dating event in March? If not, we still have a few spaces left! For those attending, Bren McClain of McClain Communications
wants to help you put your best self forward during your fifteen minute pitch to publishers.
From Bren: I’ll tell you right off the bat, here’s the key: YOU. You are your biggest asset in this pitch. YOUR energy, YOUR passion, YOUR enthusiasm, YOUR belief in what you’re saying. Yes, words matter, and we’re going to talk about that, talk
about all the cool details you can equip yourselves with – knowing what your store is good at, for example. But words carry no power if they’re not backed by passion, by belief. And how do you show passion? It begins with knowing what you
believe, and, from there, letting your physicality express it with your eyes, your voice, etc. I invite you to join me, and let’s talk about how you can set yourself up to be an even stronger communicator and have fun doing it.
Bren's Bio: Many of us know Bren McClain as the author of the debut novel, One Good Mama Bone. But there’s a second hat she wears – she’s a communications coach with her own business, McClain Communications. Bren’s been helping
speakers across the country for thirty years make the most of their opportunities – be it a speech, talking to reporters, serving on a panel or doing a town hall. Her clients run the gamut of industries and include AT&T, Equifax, Cincinnati
Reds, Turner Broadcasting, Marriott, Kentucky Department of Education and even publishing. Back in the day, she helped many Algonquin authors make the most of their TV appearances. Larry Brown, for example, on The Today Show. Before
Bren became a coach, she worked in television news at various stations in Southeast.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Friday, February 5, 2021
Updated: Thursday, February 4, 2021
New Voices New Rooms is happy to present the annual Publicity Speed Dating Virtual 2021 event. This event will be held Tuesday, March 9 through Friday, March 12. Over the course of three and a half days, 72 bookstores will get
their fifteen minutes in the spotlight to pitch their stores to publicists and make their case why they would be a good fit for future author tours and event programming.
There will be morning (9:30am-12:30pm) and afternoon (1:30pm-4:30pm) time blocks for speed dating each day. Friday morning will be dedicated to children’s books. Bookstores will have one 15-minute appointment time to introduce themselves and the features
of their store’s event programs to a Zoom room of publicists.
The 72 available slots are being divided among the two regions; 36 for NAIBA and 36 for SIBA. Six bookstores from each region can opt for the children’s slot on Friday morning. Children’s-only bookstores will get priority in that assignment.
Booksellers: Cost for bookstores is $25 per slot. Booksellers sign up for either a morning or afternoon slot on whatever day they choose. NVNR will assign the specific time for each presentation and let stores know when they will be presenting.
Because space is very limited, stores are only allowed one presentation. Stores with active children’s programs can also sign up for a spot on Friday the 12th, dedicated to children’s books. Please note: Children’s-only stores will be given priority.
After registration, bookstores will need to upload their press kit to NVNR, which will be shared with all the publishers. NVNR staff will share store press kits live on-screen during each speed dating appointment. See the Store Press Kit presentation from
Maribeth Pelly of Booktowne.
(Registration is handled by SIBA. Non SIBA members should use the “guest registration” option.)
Publishers: Publicists are encouraged to sign up for as many blocks that fit into their schedule that week. We encourage and hope multiple publicists from all publishers will attend blocks of speed dating that week.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Put on your comfiest pajamas, brew up a cup of cocoa or something stronger, and listen to five romance authors read romantic passages from their new books. SIBA and NAIBA booksellers are gathering “meeting style” so we can see each other for the first
time since the NVNR fall conference! Meet old and new friends in the chat, enjoy company, and be soothed and inspired by an hour of love and romance (and laughs).
We're doing this event "meeting style" so everyone can see each other and compare their jammies. There will also be a raffle for a $100 gift card.
This event is only open to members of regional bookseller associations. Register here
Synithia Williams has loved romance novels since reading her first one at the age of 13. It was only natural that she would one day write her own romance. When she isn’t writing, Synithia works on water quality issues in the Midlands
of South Carolina while taking care of her supportive husband and two sons. You can learn more about Synithia by visiting her website, www.synithiawilliams.com.
USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone's love of romance was first stirred by Johanna Lindsey and Nora Roberts years ago. Well not that many. She is only eighteen...ish. Published since 2009, she spends her days writing sizzling
romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. She is wife to Superman--or his non-Kryptonian equivalent--and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern US.
Mona Shroff is obsessed with everything romantic, so she writes romantic stories by night, even though she's an optometrist by day. If she's not writing, she's making chocolate truffles, riding her bike, or reading, and is just as likely
to be drinking wine or gin & tonic with friends and family. She's blessed with an amazing daughter and loving son who have both gone to college. Mona lives in Maryland with her romance-loving husband.
Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author who writes heartwarming romance and women's fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. Proud of her heritage, she loves sharing her culture with her readers. A graduate of Columbia University, Preslaysa
is a professional actress, a planner nerd, an avid bookworm, and a homeschool mom who wears mismatched socks.
Cat Sebastian lives in a swampy part of the South with her husband, three kids, and two dogs. Before her kids were born, she practiced law and taught high school and college writing. When she isn’t reading or writing, she’s doing crossword
puzzles, bird watching, and wondering where she put her coffee cup.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
New Voices New Rooms, New Season! NAIBA & SIBA comes together again to offer a series of spring events for booksellers.
January:
1/27 at 10 AM EST: Press Kit Webinar with Marybeth Pelly, Event Planner at BookTowne Free to NAIBA/SIBA members, the webinar is an important preparatory step for the Publicity Speed Dating event in March. (register here)
1/27 at 7 PM EST: Love & Pajamas: Romance before Bedtime with HarperCollins Authors will read a romantic passage from their books. Moderated by Laura Taylor, Bookstore and Programming Manager at Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Fl. (
register here)
Coming Soon:
March 9-12: Publicity Speed Dating Pitch your bookstore to up to 25 publisher representatives. This popular annual NAIBA event will now open to booksellers from SIBA as well.
March 23-25: Bookseller Social Media Retreat Take a deep dive into your social media strategies. This retreat is designed for both beginners and more advanced social media users, and will cover design and posting best practices for
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, with plenty of time for booksellers to trade information on what works best for their stores.
SIBA and NAIBA, under their New Voices New Rooms (NVNR) partnership, are collaborating this year on Publicity Speed Dating, which will take place virtually March 9-12. Save the Date! More details and registration links will be available in February.
This is a new opportunity for SIBA booksellers, and will be open to the first 40 SIBA member stores that sign up, so please stay tuned. You will want to be part of it!
In preparation for this event, we’re offering a Press Kit Preparation webinar with Maribeth Pelly,
Event Planner at Booktowne in Manasquan, NJ on Wednesday, January 27 at 10AM EST. The webinar is free and recommended for stores who have not created
or recently reviewed their press kits. SIBA stores that participated in previous press kit programming with Maribeth Pelly raved about the results.
*NOTE: stores who wish to attend publicity speed dating in March must upload a press kit to complete that registration. This webinar will help you update and analyze your current document before speed dating registration opens in February.
A bookstore that doesn't do events? That doesn't bother with Twitter? Annie Jones from The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia, and Adah Fitzgerald of Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina host "Branding and Messaging for Your Store" -- a session on the do's and don'ts of creating your store brand and staying in touch with your store mission. Now, more than ever, your stores brand and message is viewed through a narrow lens. Listen to how branding works, and how best to present yourself to your community.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
The session on Edelweiss's new targeted email marketing program was attended by a cadre of supporters and advocates, who credit Edelweiss 360 with generating significant sales for their stores at a time when in-person and sometimes online shopping has
proved difficult for customers.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Pandemic or not, virtual events are now a common way to reach customers and an important tool to stay engaged with your community. Kelly Justice of Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA has road-tested most of the online event platforms and offers a guide
to the strengths and weaknesses of Crowdcast, Zoom, and Hopin for stores seeking to build up their virtual event programming.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
How do we get customers to buy books on our website? How do we make it easier to find things? How do we know what is most important on the site?
If there is one thing the pandemic underscored for bookstores, it was the importance of having a good webiste. Almost overnight store websites became the primary point of contact and source of sales for stores forced to operate behind closed
doors. Site updates were no longer an afterthought, but high priority. Gwyn Ridenhauer of Matchbook Marketing talks to booksellers about their store websites, and booksellers chime in on suggestions for some common issues.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
With concerns about supply chains in the 4th quarter and the emphasis on shopping early for the holiday season, pre-order campaigns have become an important tool for bookstores. They can smooth out some of the uncertainity of the upcoming sales period,
and help with cash flow in an unpredictable market.
Susanna Hermans of Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY and Amber Brown of Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC held a lively, slide-show-free session on best practices for Pre-Order campaigns at last month's New Voices New Rooms. The session is now available to
view:
As often happens with online events, the event chat becomes a resource in itself, as attendees offer up their own opinions and links to useful websites and tool. Here are some of the highlights from this event:
Don't spend money that isn't yours
Set aside all your pre-order sales revenue in a separate account until the book is released and the book shipped/delivered to customers. This helps pay invoices later when they come due, and is a surety in case the book is delayed or cancelled, and the
customer needs to be refunded. Don't forget to include shipping charges in the amount you set aside.
And speaking of shipping...
Check your published shipping rates now. USPS increased their rates for the holiday season on October 18, so make sure your rates reflect what the cost will be when the book ships. Include the cost of labor and supplies in your price. Recycle publisher
boxes and other shipping materials as much as possible.
Offers of signed copies, book plates, and swag from publishers will encourage pre-order sales. You can find swag offers from publishers on Edelweiss or via your sales reps. You can also arrange for limited numbers of signed books directly from authors
in your area.
Great tips:
Create an Edelweiss Collection of all the books you are doing pre-order campaigns for, and share it with your staff so they are well-informed.
Check Edelweiss for any social media graphics publishers may have created to support pre-order campaigns.
Don't forget to market your pre-order campaign in-store. At The Haunted Bookshop, they create flyers with the cover and a barcode for the book and display them in their section in the store. Customers can bring the flyer to the counter to pre-order
it.
Use the tools you have at hand: Edelweiss 360, Eventbrite, Canva, to support your pre-order campaigns.
Remember that shipping will be slower than normal this holiday season and do what you can to mitigate . Jill Hendrix at Fiction Addiction updates the descriptions of her campaigns about two weeks before Christmas to say "Will not arrive for Christmas."
Kelly Justice from Fountain Bookstore gets written permission to ship early from the publisher.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Predicting and planning for the future is always a stressful experience, and never more so than this year. Stores need tools to help them weather uncertain and volatile times -- both practical things like emergency business plan work sheets, and more
inspirational tools that help them to face challenges and find the opportunities wthin them.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
A number of the educational sessions at last month's New Voices New Rooms dealt with the art of hosting and running a successful event, virtual or otherwise. Those sessions are now available to view:
One of the most- requested videos from the New Voices New Rooms program, Kathy Ellen Davis's Social Media and Content Marketing for Bookstores offers 170 resources for booksellers looking to expand their impact and revitalize their social media presence.
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The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) are coming together again for their fall virtual conference, New Voices, New Rooms (NVNR) September 27-October 1. NVNR will offer our beloved community of booksellers, publishers, authors, and other industry partners a week of opportunities for education, networking, innovation, and fun. Our official theme for NVNR 2021 is “Opening Doors.”
Recordings and resources are now available to SIBA bookstore members from last month's
NVNR Social Media Retreat. 
Wednesday, March 3 at 3PM EST!
