Multiple education sessions at New Voices New Rooms focused on building relationships with community partners for programming and events including:

Community Book Festivals
panelists Julia Davis, The Book Worm Bookstore; and Patrick Kern, Little District Books

For bookstores interested in starting a book festival in their town!

Davis and Kern discussed how a community book festival can add another revenue stream and deepen relationships with community partners, publishers, and authors. They emphasized the importance of early planning, a well-structured festival website, and involving community partners in every part of the planning process:

• Start planning at least 11 months in advance, and begin outreach for authors, speakers, and sponsors.
• Create a social media kit for authors, sponsors, and stakeholders.
• Identify influencers in your community and involve them in marketing and outreach.
• Do your research! Look at other niche festivals to gauge the pricing ranges for tickets, vendor fees, and venues.

Community Book Festivals Handout

Book Fair Tips
moderator and panelist Kit Little, Professional Booksellers School; with panelists Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books; and Maggie Parrish, East City Bookshop

Although the phrase "book fair" is usually associated with school and library fundraising events, they can also be a creative way to partner with other local businesses and organizations. Bookstores have expanded book fairs to be successful adult-only "Boozy Book Fairs" — created in partnership with local breweries or wine bars, in-store multi-day events for local partner organization fundraisers, off-site pop-up events for community partners, and more.

The session panelists, all veterans of running different book fair models, both on-site and off-site, noted that these events require adequate planning, communication, and relationship-building to succeed. Developing strong relationships with partner organizations, establishing clear communication, and setting well defined expectations for all involved are paramount to a well run book fair and repeat business. It is also important to establish effective inventory and sales management strategies to maximize sales and ensure accurate record keeping, fulfillment, and reporting:

• Create documentation clearly outlining expectations for partner organizations.
• Develop branded marketing and promotional materials early in the planning process to share with partner organizations and ensure consistent messaging.
• Curate inventory to be appropriate to the partner and event.
• Create systems to track book fair timelines/checklists, partner organizations and contacts, as well as book fair ROIs and metrics.
• Have a dedicated, branded website page for each book fair for promotion and ordering, to increase accessibility and sales.
• Talk to publishers about discounts, sponsorships, and in-kind support.

Book fairs create a separate revenue stream, but also open the door for other opportunities like B2B sales, cross promotion & marketing, and future partner events.

Book Fair Tips Handouts:
Book Fair Flier | Book Fair Coupons | Book Fair Brochure | Hosting a Book Fair for Grown-Ups | ECB Book Fair Planning Checklist

Current Newsletter: Women in translation.

Bookstores with reviews in this week's newsletter:

• Jen Minor, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Adam Fall, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas
• Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
• Angela Redden, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee
• Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama
• Amanda White, Writer's Block Bookstore in Winter Park, Florida
• Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama
• Nyawira Nyota, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
• Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Books in Savannah, Georgia
• Becca Naylor, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Victoria Herrmann, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana
• Tori, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama
• Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia
• Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
• Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Olivia Schaffer, The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia

Book Buzz Feature: Men Have Caller Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler
When I was in the hospital, I took really detailed notes, not anticipating that I would do anything with them. It just felt like what was hopefully a singular experience that I really wanted to remember. Writing about my story, I was also able to tap into something that is universal, which was my goal the whole time. What I really wanted to get across is not necessarily the ordinariness, but the way that my experiences are probably the same as those of so many other women.

― Anna Marie Tendler, The Guardian

Decide For Yourself Banned Book Feature:
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
Alan Gratz is the master at posing historical fiction in a compelling and propulsive way for middle-grade readers. I love the way he went back and forth between a boy fighting for his life in the tower and a girl fighting for her own life in the aftermath of 9/11 overseas. It was touching and eye-opening in a way that younger readers have not experienced the events of 9/11.
― Olivia Schaffer, The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia

NEW REVIEWS | SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT A REVIEW | FOR PUBLISHERS

SOUTHERN INDIE BESTSELLER LIST
For the week ending 8/11/2024

Edelweiss Collections:
(sort by "Catalog Order" to see each list according to rating)

Hardcover Fiction | Hardcover Nonfiction | Trade Paperback Fiction | Trade Paperback Nonfiction | Mass Market | Children's Illustrated | Children's Interest | Children's Series

As we settle back into life post-NVNR, mulling which ARCs to read first, what brilliant idea we want to try at our stores or in our own personal lives, what folks we met that we don’t want to lose contact with, I hope the enthusiasm and optimism of four days together continues in your spirit. This ephemeral community we experience at our conference is truly joyful, collaborative, and kind. In a year of so much challenge, being around folks who seek to raise each other up really makes a difference. If you met a bookseller, author, or industry partner whom you’d like to reach out to, please contact us and we’ll get you in touch with their store, publicist, or sales representative. Let’s keep these relationships strong and thriving!

We’ll be sharing lots of NVNR materials over the next month, including best tips from education panels, Edelweiss collections, and more. We’ll also share some of the wonderful memories captured in pictures, and we’d love to see your pictures, if you would share with us in our Discord community. Look for a survey coming your way to get your important feedback on what worked, and what could be improved, for future planning.

Deepest thanks to the AMAZING staff of NVNR, which included SIBA’s Nicki Leone, Candice Huber, and Andi Richardson. The team worked 16 hour days (and sometimes more) during the conference and were always there for each other and our attendees. Their passion and commitment runs deep! This week we’re all getting a wee bit of rest to reset before we bring more great SIBA programming your way. 

— Linda-Marie Barrett, SIBA Executive Director

New Voices New Rooms, SIBA’s annual conference in partnership with NAIBA, will represent 2024’s largest gathering of SIBA booksellers in one place over four days. This is an important opportunity for members to connect with SIBA’s Board of Directors directly on issues that are important to them. Throughout our conference, members of our Board will be available to meet with SIBA bookseller members, either at scheduled events or in private meetings. 

Scheduled opportunities: 

• Coffee & Coloring Meetup on Friday 4:00-5:00 PM, Arlington Foyer
• Focus on Editors reception on Saturday 5:00-6:30 PM, Skyview
• SIBA Town Square on Sunday 9:00-10:00 AM, Salon 6

Off the Schedule opportunities:

• At the conference: Visit our on-site registration desk and request a meeting with the Board. The Board will be contacted and work with you to meet up at a mutually convenient time.
• Schedule in Advance: Email candice@sibaweb.com and they will let the Board know you’d like to set up an appointment at the conference.

More about our Town Square: SIBA and the Board have transformed our Town Hall meeting into a Town Square format. After a presentation on the State of SIBA and current Board work, the meeting will transform from presentation to interaction, with the SIBA Board and staff at tables around the room to meet with members on specific areas of interest: advocacy with our industry partners, membership benefits, SIBA governance (how we operate), professional development opportunities, and more.

Please make time to visit with the Board during the conference. Your voice matters and makes our community and our Board’s work more attuned to our member needs.

There is still time to register!

At New Voices New Rooms 2024, our theme is wellness and self care. We know how hectic industry conferences are and how easy it is to get lost in the chaos and forget to care for yourself. To make this a bit easier for attendees, NVNR is incorporating mindful moments into the conference.

Like last year, we will have a Quiet Room where attendees can sit and take a break. This year, we’re adding puzzles and coloring sheets as additional calming elements. We will also have a “Coffee and Coloring” meetup after our education sessions to give booksellers a chance to unwind, catch up, and color together.

Because running from session to session during the day can be chaotic, NVNR has made space for breaks at the beginning and end of every session to give people time to practice a few "mindful moments," including breathing exercises and stretches. The conference will have snacks and water available throughout the day, and the Quiet Room will always be available for anyone who needs a break.

Our hope is that by incorporating these moments and reminders, attendees will have ample opportunity to slow down and take the best care of themselves possible. We welcome any feedback or ideas from booksellers as to mindful moments and self care experiences we can implement in the future.

Register for New Voices New Rooms

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director
Reading: The Wedding People by Alison Espach, a SIBA Read This Next! choice, and well-deserved. It's funny and very moving, prompting thoughts about how we make decisions, the importance of paying attention, and embracing life, even when it's really hard.
Listening: After a month of extreme heat and no rain, we're now experiencing daily rainfall, which is very peaceful background sound.
Watching: A bit of this and that, but settled on The Mallorca Files as our next "Death in Paradise" kind of evening viewing.

Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: I honestly haven't had much time to read lately, so I'm still on the same stuff - The Examiner and The Nightmare Before Kissmas. I'm hoping to finish both before NVNR though, especially since Sara Raasch will be at the conference!
Listening: My Spotify DJ has been really on point lately! Listening to a mix of 90s nostalgia and today's music. I particularly love pop rock (think Queen, Jukebox the Ghost, etc.).
Watching: Binged through the newest season of The Boys, and hooboy, that show, although satire, is tough to watch at this particular moment! The finale has me hanging by a thread.

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: See last week, And the week before that. On an upwards note, however, my "Prime Day" rebel binge order at my local store's Bookshop site came today, so I now have the German-English Genealogical Dictionary by Ernest Thode to look forward to when I again have a moment to read something other than registration reports. Woo hoo. Party on.
Listening: Mostly, power tools. I think my neighbor behind me is building a bunker for the end times.
Watching: Movie night with SP this week was Showing Up with Michelle Williams and about a dozen other people I vaguely recognized. It was really lovely. I have a thing for movies about artists and creators and felt like I knew or had met every person in this movie at some point.

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: Theoretically, I'm all for it.
Listening: Joni Mitchell / Court and Spark. No notes.
Watching: Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. A quietly perfect movie which will make you wonder whether anything will ever happen until you suddenly realize everything is happening.

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White - to prepare for the amazing horror panel I get to moderate at NVNR soon!
Listening: I can't stop listening to Handsome. I really want to be friends with Fortune, Mae, and Tig.
Watching: We're still watching re-runs of Newhart at my house, made all the more poignant with Bob Newhart's recent passing. That man was a comedic genius.

The ABACUS survey is currently live. Booksellers have until July 21, 2024 to submit their responses. Click here: https://www.bookweb.org/abacus

This report filled with information highlighting how your store’s financials compare to other stores like yours in a range of areas, including wages, cost of goods, and overall profitability. It’s free and confidential! ABA doesn’t see your data. Stores use their ABACUS report to:

• Negotiate with their union
• Negotiate with their landlord
• Find potential cost savings
• Identify areas of their business that may need attention
• Train staff to empower their work in the store and/or help with their professional development
• Educate their customers, community, bankers, city officials and local elected officials about their challenges and the realities of the book business.

Your input is very important. If you haven't filled out your ABACUS survey, now is the time to start. Click here: https://www.bookweb.org/abacus

The NVNR orientations for booksellers and exhibitors on July 10 are now available to watch:

The Bookseller Orientation includes a tour of the NVNR Attendee app, an overview of the conference program, and some sound advice from the SIBA and NAIBA Board presidents to make the best use of your time at the show.

The Exhibitor Orientation provides a tour of the Exhibitor Resources tools available to connect with booksellers, and a discussion with the SIBA and NAIBA Board presidents about what does and does not work when approaching booksellers.

View here

NVNR hotel deadline extended!

In response to requests from booksellers and exhibitors, the deadline to receive the conference rate of at the NVNR hotel has been extended until July 24:

Crystal Gateway Marriott
1700 Richmond Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
703-920-3230

Reservation Link: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1699028154352&key=GRP&app=resvlink

Room Rate is $154/night.

Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director
Reading: Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell. Such a poignant and realistically complicated love story of two people in challenging family and economic dynamics who struggle to express the big love they've felt for each other since they were teens. Halfway through and rooting for them all the way.
Listening: Enjoying birdsong, the hum of my diffuser, and the occasional soothing music options on my Calm app.
Watching: Finally caught up to the end (for now) of Death in Paradise and looking for the next thing to binge on. When will The Great British Baking Show's next season begin?

Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: About to crack The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller for book club, but it's been hard to find time to read lately!
Listening: Created a playlist called "Straight Bangers" of songs that I feel go pretty hard and make me bounce my head to that I've been quite enjoying.
Watching: Finally finished my binge of The Vampire Diaries! I really enjoyed it!

Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Spreadsheets, mostly. Lots and lots of conference registration data.
Listening: Will the Circle Be Unbroken. I find that fiddle music is a good thing to read spreadsheets by. It keeps me awake. Unlike Bob Dylan, which brings me down and makes me lose my place.
Watching: I'm still watching the British Country Village channel, aka Midsomer Murders. I'm on season 4 of what, 283?

SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: I think the closest I've come to reading in the last few weeks is dusting my growing stack of "after August 11" books. Which is a fib--I also haven't dusted anything in the last few weeks.
Listening: I've been revisiting The Jayhawks' 1996 album, Tomorrow the Green Grass. The last time I listened to it was on a cassette tape in my old Ford station wagon while waiting to pick up my kids from preschool.
Watching: House of the Dragon. It's fine, but I am disappointed in the lack of people calling each other "varlet" or "knave."

Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: Just ordered myself a copy of Appalachian Reckoning (edited by Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll) for no reason whatsoever...
Listening: Handsome Podcast, inspired by my "watching" response this week.
Watching: I just watched a great documentary called Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution on Netflix - it's about the history of LGBTQIA+ people in the history of comedy.