Applications Open forInaugural George Keating Scholarship Program
Professional Development Scholarships available to NAIBA, SIBA and NEIBA booksellers
The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA), Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA), New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA), and the Friends of George Keating committee are pleased to announce applications for the inaugural George Markey Keating Memorial Scholarship will open April 6. The scholarship provides $250 to a bookseller from each of three regional associations, NAIBA, SIBA and NEIBA, for the purpose of professional development. The application period will close April 19 and grants will be awarded in June.
The Friends of George Keating is a group of his friends, customers and former colleagues that came together last year after his death in June to create this new scholarship in his honor. Known for his advocacy for and encouragement of booksellers, the Keating scholarship has the goal of helping booksellers enhance their professional development and advance in roles with their bookstores or within the publishing industry. The scholarship is tied to the regions where Keating worked and was a well-known, beloved colleague.
"George Keating was the consummate bookman - an avid reader, an advocate to his authors, his colleagues, and to booksellers. He was a friend to many, a role model, and a dedicated husband, father and grandfather. It is no wonder that upon his untimely passing, so many stepped up to launch a scholarship in his name. We are all better for having known George, and proud that his name will carry on what he exemplified - furthering the careers and enriching the lives of others who are passionate about the written word,” said Roger Williams, literary agent and Keating’s long-time friend.
Keating started his career in bookselling and then served for many years as a sales rep and sales director for Simon & Schuster and Naval Institute Press. Over the course of his career, Keating worked with authors including David McCullough, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Bob Woodward, to name only a few of the best-known writers featured in the obituary written by Williams.
"We are so grateful to The Friends of George Keating for creating this scholarship in his honor. What an inspiring legacy, supporting booksellers in the regions where George worked, so that they can pursue educational opportunities and advance their skills and careers." -- Linda-Marie Barrett, Executive Director, Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance
“Our thanks to the Friends of George Keating and the many donors who made this scholarship possible. It is a wonderful tribute to George to keep his spirit alive by helping to advance the careers of booksellers,” said Pamela French, Binc’s Executive Director.
Binc is distributing the funds for the Keating scholarships, but the applications are being managed by NAIBA, SIBA and NEIBA.
Booksellers whose stores are members of one of those three regional associations can apply for the scholarship at https://forms.gle/CRzLiZfmh3RyZ9nh8.
Bloomsbury Kids invites SIBA booksellers to meet two MG authors with Southern roots, Gillian McDunn and Ellen Hagan. Pour a glass of iced tea or coffee, and enjoy hearing about their fabulous new books, poised to be summer handsells to middle-graders
and teachers. Hosted by Kimberly Daniels Taws of The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC.
Wednesday, June 16 at 3PM (Register)
More about the authors:
Gillian McDunn is the author ofCaterpillar Summer,The Queen Bee and Me,andThese Unlucky Stars.
She has lived in California, Missouri, and North Carolina, and is a fan of both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. She currently lives near Raleigh, NC, with her family.
Ellen Hagan is a writer, performer, and educator. She is the co-author with Renée Watson of Watch Us Rise. Her poetry collections include Blooming Fiascoes, Hemisphere, and Crowned. Her work can be found in ESPN Magazine, She Walks in Beauty, and Southern Sin. Ellen is the Director of the Poetry & Theatre Departments at the DreamYard Project and directs their International Poetry Exchange Program with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. She co-leads the Alice Hoffman Young Writer's Retreat at Adelphi University. Raised in Kentucky, she now lives in New York City with her family.
The April 5th Keynote event, A Conversation Between Friends about Race and Joy with Ben Philippe and Luis Correa is now available to watch:
It was an inspiring, heartwarming, and sometimes enraging conversation. Some of our favorite quotable moments:
"Silence is not neutral."
"It's not about the intention, it's about the impact."
The event was the official launch of SIBA's 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge.Over 75 people have already signed up to take the Challenge, including many booksellers, librarians, and book industry people nation-wide.
Registration will remain open until Sunday, April 11th. Register here
The self-guided Challenge consists of a daily email prompt to encourage reflection on the ways racism manifests in our lives and our communities, along with some suggested actions to take to counter it and resources to help us work for change. Prompts will also be posted on the Challenge blog, and more resources added as we continue.
SIBA encourages its member stores to make the Challenge available to their staff. Some bookstores have contacted us to say they will be taking the Challenge as a group, which is wonderful to hear. We were especially impressed with the response from Julie Wilder of Spiral Circle Bookstore in Orlando, Florida on the subject of store owners taking this journey with their staff (quoted with permission):
"Since we are in constant talks about this issue, I was able to pull aside my Black, Brown and Asian staff to let them know this was happening before I announced to the rest of the staff and let them know that they could opt-out at any point, that their trauma was not up for consumption for the rest of the staff unless they were willing to share, etc and to make sure they knew I would have their back throughout this process."
Wilder has worked out a comprehensive plan for the Challenge that includes regular communication with her staff, in-store meetings, and integration into their already ongoing work on anti-racist training in their store. "We are not a perfect organization," she said in her announcement to staff, "and there are microaggressions that exist in our environment. The goal here is to create a culture in which none of us feel we have to endure essentially sexist, racists, ableist, etc behaviors from one another or our patrons and discover a way to effectively, compassionately and firmly disallow this to perpetuate in our culture."
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.
The Essence of Nathan Biddle by J. William Lewis Greenleaf Publishing June 1, 2021 $27.95 Hardcover ISBN: 9781626348462
Alabama novelist J. William Lewis delivers a tale to be savored in his debut, The Essence of Nathan Biddle. Beautifully written profoundly moving, The Essence of Nathan Biddle is a timeless, Southern Gothic-esque novel that unfolds on the Alabama coast in the 1950s.
Protagonist Kit Biddle, nearing the end of his high school career, finds himself tangled in a web of quandaries and absurdities. Kit’s angst is only compounded by the psychological burden of an unspeakable tragedy that haunts his family. But when he makes an irrational decision that causes a horrific accident, Kit is forced to examine his perceptions of his life and his version of reality.
In this exquisite coming-of-age tale, calamity gives way to clarity: readers will empathize—and celebrate—as the darkness lifts and Kit comes to terms with the necessity of engagement with life’s pain, pleasure . . . and absurdity
The Essence of Nathan Biddle as novelist David Armstrong observed, “is like discovering The Catcher in the Rye all over again.”
A beautifully written work of Southern fiction resplendent with wisdom, heart, and unforgettable characters, The Essence of Nathan Biddle soars in the spaces that exist between despair and hope, darkness and light, love and loss.
About the author: Novelist J. William Lewis lives in Shoal Creek, Alabama
(Asheville, North Carolina) The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance is happy to announce the 2021 Spring Read This Next! List: a selection of spring new releases generating extra excitement from Southern independent booksellers.
Each of the fifteen titles in the list received multiple high ratings and enthusiastic reviews from southern booksellers, marking them as hand-sell favorites for the forthcoming season.
Read This Next!Spring 2021 titles are chosen from the books publishing between April and June which have received the most positive reviews from Southern indie booksellers, and reflect the wide range of reading tastes
of booksellers from across the entire Southeast. These are the answer to the most important question of every avid reader – “What should I read next?”
Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
William Morrow, April
"I was not expecting to get sucked into this book so thoroughly, but sure enough I blinked and my Sunday was gone and I had read the entire thing." --Jamie Southern from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC
Malice by Heather Walter
Del Ray, April
"There is so much to love about this feminist, sapphic take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Alyce & Aurora are glorious, nuanced characters and their romance is a darkly glittering thing of beauty." --Cristina Russell from Books & Books in
Coral Gables, FL
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
Flatiron Books, April
"I picked up Of Women and Salt hoping for a story of family, and what I got was a slim but powerful tale of joy, heartbreak, and love as the interweaving chapters tell the story of immigration, family, and the beliefs we hold about ourselves. I laughed, cried, and immediately called my mother." --Faith Parke-Dodge from Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC
Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal
Quirk, April
"Oof, ouch, this debut YA yanked me in and I could NOT put it down. Poignant and hilarious, it delves into the mental landscape of chronic illnesses, and brings werewolfism (this should be a word, fyi) into the storyline. I LOVE Brigid's sense of humor and her and Priya's friendship is one we ALL need in our lives." --
Candice Conner from The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL
A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib
Random House, April
"It made me laugh, it made me angry, it made me think, and it made me look up old clips from Soul Train on YouTube. I am grateful that his book made me do all of those things. Hanif Abdurraqib is a writer I feel evangelical about." --Chelsea
Bauer from Union Ave Books in Knoxville, TN
The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews
St. Martin’s Press, May
"A completely different nail-biter of a novel that will satisfy every reader- whether they prefer mysteries, romance, humor, thriller or beach reads. The Newcomer has it ALL and will be our FIRST pick for this summer's beach bag!" --Jamie Anderson from Downtown Books in Manteo, NC
Secrets of Happiness by Joan Silber
Counterpoint, May
"Silber’s craft in linking her characters and her themes—connection, openheartedness, money—is seamless, but it’s her great gift for empathy that is sure to make this one of my favorite reads of this year." --Clara Boza from Malaprop's in Asheville,
NC
While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
Doubleday, May
"Intricate plotting, political insider details, human angles, and chess clue puzzles fit together seamlessly. We can add thriller queen to the list of Abrams’s many talents." --Jan Blodgett from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC
Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May
"Goofy and sweet, full of love and loss, and of course, a deep, nerdy love for movie soundtracks. Better Than the Movies will have you squealing and swooning." --Brittany Bunzey from Read With Me, A Children's Book & Art Shop in Raleigh,
NC
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Knopf, May
"I'm so grateful for this book — for how it walks through grief not as a way to leave it behind, but as a way to remember its exact shape. I'm grateful for its funny, self-deprecating and wise observations, and for its difficult beauty." --Steve
Haruch from Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ballantine, June
"How good was this? So good I read it in one night. Reid Jenkins carefully crafts a multi-generational saga drenched in the sun of 20th century Malibu that made me love, empathize with, and occasionally want to shake all of the characters." --Tracie Harris from The Book House in Mableton, GA
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Griffin, June
"This is not only a delightfully paranormal twist on the classic meet cute, but it's also a story of love among friends and found family. This book has so much heart and you'll find it hard to tear yourself away from August and Jane's perfect love story." --Christy Rogers from Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA
The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt
Grove, June
"This was a blast! Hill country Kentucky noir with characters that both repulse and endear. A tough combo that works well with the plot of familial vengeance that piles up the bodies without understanding the cause that makes the blood boil so hot. Superb." --Pete Mock from McIntyre's Books in Pittsboro, NC
Morningside Heights by Joshua Henkin
Pantheon, June
"Reading Morningside Heights gave me the same feeling as reading the late great James Salter. It explores the marriage at its center with the same sense of infinite complexity and shadow, the same taut sensuality beneath pressing everyday everyday-ness. I loved it." --Ashley Warlick from M Judson, booksellers and storytellers in Greenville, SC
House of Sticks by Ly Tran
Scribner, June
"With a delicate simplicity to her poetic prose, Ly Tran has crafted a spellbinding memoir perfect for fans of Tara Westover, Celeste Ng, and Jeanette Walls. Ly Tran's story reached into the depths of my heart and soul, and filled me with overwhelming hope." --Gennifer Eccles from Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC
SIBA’s 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge
April 12- May 2, 2021
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) stands against Racism. SIBA is committed to amplifying and supporting BIPOC voices in our membership and industry, and to offering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion educational programming to members, SIBA staff, and Board.
As part of our 2021 anti-racism initiatives, SIBA is offering a 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge. A self-guided program open to any member of the book industry, Challenge participants will receive daily emails that contain prompts for reflection, discussion, and action. The prompts will also be posted at a dedicated blog, along with resources and links in support of each day’s prompt and topic. Resources will be actively curated to be relevant to contemporary issues.
The Challenge’s Keynote Launch event will occur on April 5 at 7:00 PM EST: A Conversation Between Friends About Race and Joy. Ben Philippe, author of Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend: Notes from the Other Side of the Fist Bump, will be in conversation with Luis Correa, the Operations Manager at Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia, and a member of the American Bookseller Association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
SIBA’s 21-Day Challenge is designed specifically for its member booksellers and draws its format and many of its resources from the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challengecreated by Food Solutions New England (FSNE), a regional collaborative network organized to support the emergence and continued viability of a New England food system that is a resilient driver of healthy food for all, racial equity, sustainable farming and fishing, and thriving communities. We are so grateful for their extraordinary work creating this program and making it available to other organizations.
SIBA would like to thank Kenrya Rankin, author of Words of Change: Anti-Racism, Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas and her publisher, Sasquatch Books, for providing most of the daily quotes and images of activists. SIBA would also like to thank Sourcebooks for their contributing sponsorship.
For more information about SIBA’s 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, contact Linda-Marie Barrett, Executive Director, at lindamarie@sibaweb.com
“The Reader Meet Writer events have been a fantastic way for my store to sell books that we most likely would not have sold, and to stay present in the minds of our customers, especially since we have not been curating our own online author events until recently.” - SIBA Bookseller, submitted via anononymous member survey.
It was nearly a year ago that SIBA launched its first Reader Meet Writer virtual author event, on March 31, 2020, with Taylor Branch, who spoke about his (then) new book, The Pride of Eden. Since that time, Reader Meet Writer has hosted 57 author events, featuring "A-list" authors like Sarah Broom, Lee Smith, Alan Gurganus, and TJ Klune; breakout and debut writers such as Odie Lindsay, Yaffa Santos and Genevieve Hudson; Southern favorites like Lisa Wingate, Silas House, and Jill McCorkle; and media personalities and social media influencers like Julia Fowler and Miles McKenna.
I came to enjoy the Allan Gurganus interview, which was a beautiful example of the moderator trying to keep the philosopher from telling the entire story of humankind in one answer...
but seriously, thanks for making this a significant part of the legacy of the great Southern and American author. -- RMW attendee
What a great event! -- Deb Seager, Grove/Atlantic, on RMW with David Zucchino
We were thrilled to be a part of this program.” --Jessica Dorman, New Orleans Historical Collection, on RMW with Fatima Shaik
Originally started to help bookstores whose event programs had been cancelled due to the pandemic, Reader Meet Writer has established itself as a premier author series with an excellent reputation among booksellers, publishers, and most importantly, readers. It was cited as one of SIBA's most popular and valuable programs by booksellers in 2020.
That trend has continued in 2021. Of the eight RMW events hosted far this year, the average attendance has been over 100 people. (109.5, to be exact!). Post-event videos on YouTube are averaging 100 views and climbing.
RMW is an opportunity to host authors who might otherwise never visit your store. For stores without a virtual events program, it can work as your own store-branded event schedule. For stores with a virtual events program, RMW can fill in some of the gaps in your schedule, and bring authors to your customers that you might not otherwise reach.
Event promotion, ticket and book sales are done through SIBA stores. SIBA provides resources for stores to use in their own promotions:
RMW events are also promoted on SIBA's consumer-facing website and newsletter, The Southern Bookseller Review. Authors also often promote their upcoming appearance to their own fan base, a source of potential new customers for SIBA stores.
Each RMW event begins with an exhortation by host Wiley Cash for listeners to support their local stores. The event Q&A also includes call outs to thelocal bookstore of every view who asks a question.
After the event is over:
RMW events are recorded and posted on SIBA's YouTube channel. All are available for stores to link or embed on their own websites as part of their event programming and store marketing. Click here for the RMW playlist
Events are recapped in The Southern Bookseller Reviewnewsletter.
Booksellers: if your store is not on this list, contact Linda-Marie to be added to the RMW program.
Publishers: to submit an author for RMW, click here.
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
At the age of eleven, Mel Smith’s life found its purpose when she met Sarah Ross. Ten years later, Sarah’s sudden death threatens to break her. To fulfill a final promise to her best friend, Mel travels to an idyllic small town nestled in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains. Yet Morgan’s Gap is more than a land of morning mists and deep forest shadows.
There are secrets that call to Mel, in the gaze of the gnarled and knowing woman everyone calls Granny, in a salvaged remedy book filled with the magic of simple mountain traditions, and in the connection she feels to the Ross homestead and the wilderness around it.
With every taste of sweet honey and tart blackberries, the wildwood twines further into Mel’s broken heart. But a threat lingers in the woods—one that may have something to do with Sarah's untimely death and that has now set its sight on Mel.
The wildwood is whispering. It has secrets to reveal—if you're willing to listen…
On Monday, April 5th at 7:00 PM, SIBA will be hosting a special event with Ben Philippe, the author of Sure I'll Be Your Black Friend: Notes from the Other Side of the Fist Bump. Philippe will be in conversation with SIBA's own Luis Correa, the Operations Manager at Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia, and a member of the American Bookseller Association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
The event will be the keynote for SIBA's forthcoming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming, the details of which will be announced in March.
Philippe is a SIBA bookseller favorite and was a popular featured speaker at last September’s New Voices New Rooms virtual trade show. He will be speaking with Correa in a conversation about race, inspired by his new book, Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend, an at turns humorous and powerful take on topics universal and deeply personal.
Ben Philippe is a New York-based writer and screenwriter. Born in Haiti and raised in Montreal, Canada, he has a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and an MFA from the Michener Center for Writers in Austin, Texas. He has written two young adult novels: Field Guide to the North American Teenager, winner of the 2020 William C. Morris Award, and Charming as a Verb. Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend is his first book of adult nonfiction.
The SIBA Bookseller Book Club will meet virtually on Sunday, April 25 at 5PM EST/4PM CST to discuss Brene Brown’s
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts. Host Candice Huber, owner of Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop in New Orleans, LA, will lead the discussion. Join SIBA's private Book Club facebook group to be part of continuing discussion between meetings. Libro.fm is kindly donating 10 audio copies to members, first come first served! Register for the book club meeting.
The next book club meeting will be on Sunday, June 27 at 5PM EST/4PM CST to discuss Amber Cabral’s Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture.
About our host: Candice Huber (they/them) is a sixth generation New Orleanian who owns New Orleans’ premier geeky, queer, and progressive bookstore, Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop, named after their grandparents. They also established TALES
Publishing in 2018, which has thus far published three books. Candice serves on the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee and on the Science Fiction & Fantasy Task Force for the American Booksellers Association and is a writing, editing,
publishing, and virtual event consultant. In the before-times, they hosted The Writers’ Forum on WRBH Reading Radio, focusing on interviewing science fiction and fantasy authors.
Candice is especially excited to host the SIBA book club because they love communing and discussion with other booksellers and continually learning new and innovative ways to run the bookstore. They are excited to learn and grow with their fellow booksellers!
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.
SIBA promotes six new books every month to readers, the customers of our member stores, in our Southern Bookseller Review (SBR) Bookshelf promotion. These titles appear at the top of our weekly SBR newsletter, which has a circulation of over 60k. We also feature them on our SBR facebook page, with buy links promoted to our 15,000 Facebook friends, and on our Instagram and Twitter accounts. A different member store is featured with the titles every week. We give SIBA member stores a heads up on each month’s featured titles, to encourage in-store and online displays.
For publishers looking to promote their new titles out to readers across the South, the SBR Bookshelf is our greatest value because of high visibility and engagement across multiple platforms. Contact us for more information or to get your titles on “The Shelf” in coming months.
Coming up in March
Bad Girls at Samarcand by Karin Zipf, LSU Press
The Baddest Girl on the Planet by Heather Frese, Blair
Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olsen, Inkyard Press
Five Ways to Fall Out of Love by Emily Martin, Inkyard Press
The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle, Waterbrook Press
In the Shadow of the Moon: America, Russia, and the Hidden History of the Space Race by Amy Cherrix, Balzer + Bray
As we barrel into March (and perhaps, like me, you’re desperately looking for signs of daffodils), I hope you’re feeling the boost of Winter Institute: the big and small gatherings of folks you haven’t
seen in a year, the smiling faces, the unexpected release of tears, the reminder of our beloved, supportive bookselling community. I pulled out my bullet journal and took lots of notes, finding inspiration everywhere. In her conversation with
Janet Geddis, owner of Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA, Brene Brown said, “We are a meaning-making species.” This comment prompted thoughts about the narratives we create to describe our work, our stores, and ourselves. Are they serving us? Are they moving
us forward? Futurist Brian David Johnson, in his conversation with ABA CEO Allison Hill, urged us to consider the future we want for ourselves, our community, and our industry. What role can we play in creating that future? What are the obstacles
and opportunities?
Several sessions nudged reflection on how we’re holding up during a time of continuous social and economic disruption. Are we taking care of ourselves and our staff? Are we finding time to vision, to listen deeply to each other, to support our mental
health? Do we have the support we need, and if not, do we know where to turn? If you find you don’t have the support you need, please look to our resources on sibaweb.com, including these resources provided by the ABA. And reach out to us-we’re there for you and want to help.
I especially loved the poetry interludes that provided windows into experiences quite different from mine, glimpses of beauty and pain, an appreciation, always, of the life-changing magic of words, especially when spoken with such precise care by a poet.
These interludes made the virtual experience more intimate, when witnessed with other poetry lovers similarly moved by striking images and powerful delivery.
If you'd like to pass on your thoughts on Winter Institute-what worked for you, what challenged you, what you’d like to see SIBA providing virtually-we’re all ears!
Speaking of: we have two NVNR events coming up fast. First is Publicity Speed DatingTuesday, 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, other event programming, and special
pre-order campaigns. The event will only take 12-15 minutes of your time, but an updated press kit is required. Many NAIBA booksellers, who have been doing publicity speed dating for years, tell us this is their most important event of the year. 15
minutes of your time can result in big positive changes in your store’s relationships with publishers. Have questions? Please email me!
Next up is our March Madness: Social Media Bootcamp & Author Programming, March 23-25. Registration is now open for this 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.
Please also save the date of Monday, April 5 at 7PM for "A Conversation Between Friends About Race and Joy"with Ben Philippe, author of Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend , the kick-off to SIBA’s 21-Day Racial Equity
Challenge. He'll be in conversation with Luis Correa, Operations Manager at Avid Bookshop and a member of the American Bookseller Association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. Register here. More to come on this special programming, stay tuned!
In the meantime, stay in touch so you stay on top of SIBA programming and member benefits that will serve your business, and your dreams. Creating the future you want to be in begins today, and we are here to help you on your journey.
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.
Posted By Nicki Leone,
Sunday, February 14, 2021
Updated: Saturday, February 13, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2021
CARTER SICKELS, NATASHA TRETHEWEY, DERRICK BARNES & GORDON C. JAMES (Illustrator) WIN 2021 SOUTHERN BOOK PRIZE
(Asheville, NC) The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Southern Book Prize. The Prize, representing southern bookseller favorites from 2020, is awarded to “the best Southern book of the year” as nominated by Southern indie booksellers and voted on by their customers. Winners were chosen by popular vote from a ballot of favorite bookseller “hand sells” in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature, making each Southern Book Prize winner a true Southern reader favorite.
2021 SBP Children’s Winner: I Am Every Good Thing, by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James (Illus.) Nancy Paulsen Books, September 2020 “This book is exactly what we need in the world right now. Uplifting black boys that they are beautiful and can be anything they want to be! A wonderful book!” --Deanna Bailey, Story on the Square, McDonough, GA
2021 SBP Fiction Winner: The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels Hub City Press, May 2020 “Intimate and, at times, heartbreaking, Sickels has written a powerful novel that turns the wonderful trick of creating unique characters and telling under represented stories to delve into the universal themes of family, of coming home, of what it means to simply be.” --Land Arnold, Letters Bookshop, Durham, NC
2021 SBP Nonfiction Winner: Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey Ecco, July 2020
“This is an incredibly personal and obviously painful story but it is also one that is well crafted, beautifully written, and unforgettable. Trethewey demonstrates once again that she is a fierce and fearless writer who is one of the best we have working today.” --Cody Morrison, Square Books, Oxford, MS
The Southern Book Prize, formerly known as the SIBA Book Award, has been awarded annually since 1999. SIBA launched the public ballot in 2019 to encourage stores to engage their customers in the important question of what books deserve to be called “the best Southern book of the year.” For more information, visit the Southern Book Prize home at The Southern Bookseller Review: https://thesouthernbooksellerreview.org/southern-book-prize/
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.
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The Friends of George Keating is a group of his friends, customers and former colleagues that came together last year after his death in June to create this new scholarship in his honor. Known for his advocacy for and encouragement of booksellers, the Keating scholarship has the goal of helping booksellers enhance their professional development and advance in roles with their bookstores or within the publishing industry. The scholarship is tied to the regions where Keating worked and was a well-known, beloved colleague. 
The event was the official launch of SIBA's 
Recordings and resources are now available to SIBA bookstore members from last month's
NVNR Social Media Retreat. 
Announcing Read This Next! 2021 Spring Edition
The Challenge’s Keynote Launch event will occur on April 5 at 7:00 PM EST: A Conversation Between Friends About Race and Joy. Ben Philippe, author of Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend: Notes from the Other Side of the Fist Bump, will be in conversation with Luis Correa, the Operations Manager at Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia, and a member of the American Bookseller Association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
SIBA would like to thank Kenrya Rankin, author of Words of Change: Anti-Racism, Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas and her publisher, Sasquatch Books, for providing most of the daily quotes and images of activists. SIBA would also like to thank Sourcebooks for their contributing sponsorship.
Reader Meet Writer Spring 2021
The SIBA Bookseller Book Club will meet virtually on Sunday, April 25 at 5PM EST/4PM CST to discuss Brene Brown’s
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts. Host Candice Huber, owner of Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop in New Orleans, LA, will lead the discussion. 
As we barrel into March (and perhaps, like me, you’re desperately looking for signs of daffodils), I hope you’re feeling the boost of Winter Institute: the big and small gatherings of folks you haven’t
seen in a year, the smiling faces, the unexpected release of tears, the reminder of our beloved, supportive bookselling community. I pulled out my bullet journal and took lots of notes, finding inspiration everywhere. In her conversation with
Janet Geddis, owner of Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA, Brene Brown said, “We are a meaning-making species.” This comment prompted thoughts about the narratives we create to describe our work, our stores, and ourselves. Are they serving us? Are they moving
us forward? Futurist Brian David Johnson, in his conversation with ABA CEO Allison Hill, urged us to consider the future we want for ourselves, our community, and our industry. What role can we play in creating that future? What are the obstacles
and opportunities?
Wednesday, March 3 at 3PM EST!