The RMW Kristy Woodson Harvey (Feels Like Falling) and RMW Marie Benedict (The Other Einstein) events are now available to view online. All SIBA member stores are invited to link, post, or embed them on your websites, in your newsletters, or your social media feeds, and to include your own store branding and purchase links:
In a time of uncertainty, one thing’s certain: The SIBA Fall Discovery Show will go on!
SIBA is taking advantage of this unique opportunity to innovate, partner, and create knock-your-socks-off programming not possible at an in-person show. Publishers and other industry partners, authors, and booksellers will be brought together in both intimate and larger virtual rooms devoted to a wide variety of interests. The show will feature a fresh format spanning five days, crafted with care to answer the community’s call for shared spaces, networking, the discovery of new titles and bookselling best practices, and plain old fun! More details soon!
Registration for #SIBA20 has been temporarily closed while the show is reconfigured to its new format. Attendees who have already registered will be contacted by SIBA to convert their registration to the new platform.
A new format means new opportunities!
SIBA is currently seeking input from booksellers, publishers, and authors who are interested in the show. They are looking for new and creative ideas about programming, and want to hear any concerns or questions about the challenges a virtual show will present. Please contact lindamarie@sibaweb.com or enter your comments here
Visit sibaweb.com for up to date information as it is confirmed.
Posted By Douglas Calhoun, Social Media and Marketing Intern at SIBA,
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
SIBA is hoping to test and share the kind of aspirational content we think might serve our communities virtually. It's a a good time to uniformly share a message we can all agree on. It's a challenge, but we're going the distance while we socially distance.
We are really excited that a few bookstores were able to contribute to this short video we put together to share throughout social media. Snail On The Wall, Bookmarks, E. Shaver, Story on the Square, Copperfish Books and Hub City Bookshop all shared some short video of the new "day-in-the-life" of bookstore operations.
Our plan is to share the video on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at 2:00 PM EDT on Friday, May 15, and we're planning to amplify this positive message by providing all member bookstores with the file to share at the same time. We want to highlight just how resourceful and flexible indie bookstores are. The more everyone posts this, the more this will be seen by publishers, authors, and loyal customers; put smiles on their faces; and remind them that indie bookstores are here for them.
Here is the ask:
FOR INSTAGRAM: Post the video to your Instagram stories and grid on Friday at 2:00 PM EDT.
Find a suggested caption for underneath your Instagram post here (copy and paste, it's easy!):
Southern Indie Bookstores go the distance. Follow @siba_books to hear about ways to support, collaborate, and partner with the bookstore community and check out what @storyonthesquare @hubcitywriters @copperfishbooks @e.shaver_bookseller and @snailbooks are doing to ensure customers safely receive books. #gothedistance #SIBA20 #indiebookstores
FOR FACEBOOK:
We'll post the video at 2:00 PM EDT on Friday and you can simply share it from there. When you share we encourage you to write:
Southern Indie Bookstores go the distance. #gothedistance #SIBA20 #indiebookstores
FOR TWITTER:
Post video to your Twitter account on Friday at 2:00 PM EDT.
When you share we encourage you to write:
Southern Indie Bookstores go the distance. #gothedistance #SIBA20 #indiebookstores
It is SIBA's goal to continue Reader Meet Writer after a two week break from June 15-July 1. Half of the books that have been featured on Reader Meet Writer have made the Southern Indie Bestseller List the week following their appearance. That bodes well for the program if that keeps up, and we need to hear from stores who are participating. These virtual events have been well received by booksellers, publishers, and authors alike.
Beginning in July, SIBA is going to offer two virtual events a week, one in the afternoon on Tuesdays and in the evenings on Thursdays. We have confirmed Kristen Harmel on July 21st, and Odie Lindsey on August 6th. We will fill in the remaining dates over the next few weeks and keep the calendar updated at the Reader Meet Writer site for booksellers.
Tyndale Fiction, 9781496437303, 464pp.
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
From bestselling and eight-time Christy Award-winning author Lynn Austin comes a remarkable novel of sisterhood and self-discovery set against the backdrop of WWII.
1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve's secrets--and the complicated history of their friendship--to the surface.
1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve's mother served as a lady's maid for Audrey's mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat--Nazi invasion--reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey's brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.
This sweeping story transports readers to one of the most challenging eras of history to explore the deep, abiding power of faith and friendship to overcome more than we ever thought possible.
THIS! Thursday Inspiration with SIBA is SIBA's new informal virtual club on Thursday afternoons at 1 pm, where booksellers share things that are working for them. Less formal than a webinar, the program encourages conversation and the exchange of good ideas. Last Thursday's inaugural program featured Shari Stauch from Main Street Reads in Summervile, South Carolina, who demonstrated how she uses the social media tracking and scheduling service Metricool to manage her social media presence and grow her audience. Email Linda-Marie to be notified of upcoming topics.
Bookseller Chill with Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. is a six-week series that began on March 26 at 2 PM EST and continues each Thursday, same time, same zoom link, till April 30. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and include concepts from Bryan's book: #Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn On Your Life (HarperCollins, 2019), followed by what Bryan calls simple, short "MicroChiller" meditations that will help us relax and restore during this time of great uncertainty. You can read Bryan's recent post at Forbes.com: The Psychology of Uncertainty: How to Cope with COVID-19 Anxiety.
The May 6th event with the management team of Kepler's Books on the future of independent bookstores drew an unprecedented crowd of highly engaged booksellers, publishers, and book industry people from as far away as Italy and France. The Kepler's business model, which prioritizes paying living wages to its employees and community service in its programming, pulled the company from the brink of bankruptcy into a financially stable organization that has seen a 75% increase in employee wages across the board. The Kepler's team of Praveen Madan, Jean Forstner, and Amanda Hall describe the journey they took to re-invent the bookstore and offer some perspective on how others can apply the process to their own businesses. What they have to say will enlighten and inspire, even -- or maybe especially -- in these uncertain times.
Join this list of bookstores and choose from this list of events to present to your customers. Stores are handling the events as they would handle their own virtual events -- it is left up to the stor. Some are selling the book as the ticket to attend. Some are selling tickets for a flat rate that can then be used as a credit towards the book or any purchase from the store. Each store determines how they want to use the events to assist in selling more books. It is our hope that we are offering stores an easy way to sell books without the headache of managing a new tool.
The RMW Lee Smith (Blue Marlin) and RMW Ruthie Lindsay (There I Am) events are now available to view online. All SIBA member stores are invited to link, post, or embed them on your websites, in your newsletters, or your social media feeds, and to include your own store branding and purchase links:
Paricipating stores, have you completed the events survey? This is a really important final step. We need the data to carry this program forward. Please complete this form for each event.
May 8 at 5pm: Kimberly McCreight, A Good Marriage
May 12 at 5pm: Mary Kay Andrews, Hello Summer
May 13 at 4 pm: Katy Simpson Smith, The Everlasting
May 14 at 4 pm: Susan Beckham Zurenda, Bells for Eli
May 15 at 3 pm: Kristin Arnett, Mostly Dead Things
Lee Smith's appearance on Reader Meet Writer for Blue Marlin (an Okra Pick book) drew an audience of over 450 readers. The event is now available on video. SIBA member stores are invited to embed the video on their own websites and use it in their own marketing efforts.
Born in the small coal-mining town of Grundy, Virginia, Lee Smith began writing stories at the age of nine and selling them for a nickel apiece. Since then, she has written seventeen works of fiction, including Fair and Tender Ladies, Oral History, and, most recently, Guests on Earth. She has received many awards, including the North Carolina Award for Literature and an Academy Award in Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her novel The Last Girls was a New York Times bestseller as well as winner of the Southern Book Critics Circle Award. She lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with her husband, the writer Hal Crowther.
Carousels of Paris by Kaye Wilkinson Barley, Donald Barley (photographer)
Publisher: Aakenbaaken & Kent Pub date: 3/17/2020 Price: $29.99 Format: hardcover ISBN: 9780578600451
Available from Ingram
“Kaye and Donald Barley’s photographs of Parisian carousels capture the whimsy, wit, and charm of the raucous merry-go-rounds that pepper the cobblestone streets and manicured parks of the City of Light. So grab a copy of Carousels of Paris and let your imagination wander back to a world full of colored lights and painted horses, quaint carriages and playful tigers, fantastical griffins and endangered dodos.” —Juliet Blackwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Carousel of Provence and Letters from Paris
Kaye Wilkinson Barley has been fascinated by carousels since she was a little girl. She fell in love with Parisian carousels during her first visit to the city and returned home eager to learn more. Thus began her trip down the carousel research rabbit hole, enjoying every second of the journey.
Carousels of Paris captures the colorful motion of everyday life in the City of Light while chronicling the history and characteristics of these unique attractions.
Carousels are much more than amusement rides. They are emblematic of the fantastical and the fun, the wild and the tamed. With their varying degrees of ornamentation and craftsmanship, Parisian carousels have for more than a century signaled delight and merriment for children while igniting the still small spark of whimsy among adults.
“Simply enchanting! The carousels are delightful and the photographers manage to bring them to life. I half expected them to leap off the pages. I absolutely adored this book!” —Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author and author of soon to be released Paris is Always a Good Idea
Bookseller Chill with Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. is a six-week series that began on March 26 at 2 PM EST and continues each Thursday, same time, same zoom link, till April 30. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and include concepts from Bryan's book: #Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn On Your Life (HarperCollins, 2019), followed by what Bryan calls simple, short "MicroChiller" meditations that will help us relax and restore during this time of great uncertainty. You can read Bryan's recent post at Forbes.com: The Psychology of Uncertainty: How to Cope with COVID-19 Anxiety.
SIBA promotes six new books every month to readers, the customers of our member stores, in our Lady Banks Bookshelf promotion.These titles appear at the top of our weekly Lady Banks Commonplace Book newsletter, which has a circulation of over 60k. We also feature them above the fold on the homepage of Authors 'Round the South and as the cover image of the ARTS facebook page, with buy links promoted to our 15,000 Facebook friends. Plus, we boost these titles on our Facebook page for thousands more views. A different member store is featured with the titles every week.
For publishers looking to promote their new titles out to readers across the South, Lady Banks Bookshelf is our greatest value because of high visibility and engagement across multiple platforms. To support the efforts of publishers launching books during this challenging time, we're offering this, and all of our other promotions (except the RAMP holiday catalog) for half-price. Contact us for more information or to get your titles on "The Shelf" in coming months.
Pale by Edward A. Farmer
Little Tea by Claire Fullerton
Hello Summer by Mary Kay Andrews
A Leader's Guide to Giving a Memorable Speechby Donald J. Palmisano
Beginning May 1st, SIBA is making some changes to its Office Hours schedule:
Office Hours will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00-2:00 pm, EST. Anyone can drop in, but for security purposes registration will now be required. The upgraded link to the Office Hours will go live on Monday, May 4th:
Thursdays will now be reserved for THIS! (Thursday Inspiration with SIBA) on most Thursdays, from 1-2PM.
THIS! is an hour of sharing best practices and tips for surviving, maybe even thriving, during Covid-19. Each week a featured bookseller will discuss what's working at their store, and take your questions. More casual than a webinar, more fun than figuring it all out by yourself. Let's be there for each other so we can all rise together. Pour a cup of coffee, grab a snack, and join us on THIS!, most Thursdays at 1 PM EST.
Steven Wright's appearance on Reader Meet Writer is now available on video. SIBA member stores are invited to embed the video on their own websites and use it in their own marketing efforts.
Some of the reviews submitted this week on Edelweiss+ from your fellow SIBA booksellers. SIBA members earn B3! points for every review if they join the SIBA community on Edelweiss. Email nicki@sibaweb.com to be added.
A Good Neighborhood by Therese Ann Fowler
April, 2020
Reviewed by Tricia Nociti, Reading Rock Books, Dickson, TN On Edelweiss | Buy
I'm going to be chewing on this one for a while. I was unable to put it down, and yet, I was angry and upset throughout much of it. I'm not sure how that qualifies as far as reading experience, but it's a book I'll be thinking about and going back to for a long time. I think the most upsetting part is it felt exaggerated and yet I know it isn't. Very raw and very real.
Frances Mayes Always Italy by Frances Mayes, April, 2020
Reviewed by Rene Martin, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC On Edelweiss | Buy
We will want to return to Italy or visit if for the first time as soon as we can. Italy will need us and Frances has written the guide that will help us plan the trip now. In this richly illustrated guide (published by National Geographic!) Frances and Ondine Cohane travel the entire country and find the interesting and out of the way spots as well as the can't miss treasures of Italy. They include very practical information about what to see and do; where to stay, where to eat, and they introduce us to interesting people. It is the perfect book to dream with right now. Frances was scheduled to talk with us about this book in person but now that plans have changed she has sent signed book plates that will be available with every book. And just maybe she'll get to come see us in the fall!
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez, April, 2020
Reviewed by Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN On Edelweiss | Buy
Sloan is literally stopped in her tracks by lost dog Tucker. When his owner Jason (both attractive and charming) shows back up to reclaim his dog, Sloan is swept off her feet. This is more than a romance - it's a heartfelt story about choosing happiness and being true to who you really are. Plus it comes with a built-in playlist!
If you haven't signed up to participate in Reader Meet Writer Virtual Author Events, you can do so by simply emailing wanda@sibaweb.com.
Join this list of bookstores and choose from this list of events to present to your customers. Stores are handling the events as they would handle their own virtual events. Some are selling the book as the ticket to attend. Some are selling tickets for a flat rate that can then be used as a credit towards the book or any purchase from the store. Each store determines how they want to use the events to assist in selling more books. It is our hope that we are offering stores an easy way to sell books without the headache of managing a new tool.
When asked "Are you pleased with the outcome?", a resounding YES from participating booksellers:
"Yes! It came together very quickly for us and we're delighted that people joined in and bought some books. Thank you for putting this together."
"Yes - this was an opportunity to have an author event at a time when we otherwise could not at all."
"Yes-- I was super late in getting the word out so this was more than I'd hoped. I'd ordered 2 in for the store and they might not have sold without this. I sold those 2 locally, did one Direct-to-Home shipment and 1 on Bookshop."
"Yes, it attracted some readers that haven't attended our events in the past."
"Very pleased. Excited to participate again soon."
"Yes. We had I believe 86 RSVPs, but it looks like only 2/3 or so actually attended the event. 17 books in less than 24 hours for an online event is nothing to turn up our noses at! Some of these customers also purchased other books in their orders."
"Yes. My customers loved the chance to hear from such a beloved author!"
"Yes! Normally I sell ZERO hardcover debuts."
Last, and most important, only 18 of the current 60 participating bookstore have completed the events survey. This is a really important final step. We need the data to carry this program forward. Please complete this form for each event. Thanks!
Some of the reviews submitted this week on Edelweiss+ from your fellow SIBA booksellers. SIBA members earn B3! points for every review if they join the SIBA community on Edelweiss. Email nicki@sibaweb.com to be added.
Plenty of Hugs by Fran Manushkin, Kate Alizadeh (Illus.)
April, 2020
Reviewed by Dwan Dawson-Tape, Sundog Books, Santa Rosa Beach, FL On Edelweiss
This is a simple joy - straight-forward, colorful illustrations with no fanfare , just a family having a wonderful day.
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, April, 2020
Reviewed by Cat Chapman, Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL On Edelweiss
Insightful, dark, and filled with really compelling descriptions for Korean bar food, Frances Cha's If I Had Your Face is led by perception and underlying psychological drive. It's a story that focuses on young women in states of transience and transition, in apartments and jobs and relationships that may or may not stand the test of time, and their thoughts--distorted, rebellious, exhausted--are revealed. Frances Cha masterfully approaches the volatility and equal warmth of this state, with a colorful backdrop of Seoul, surreal as it is bleak.
If It Bleeds by Stephen King, April, 2020
Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA On Edelweiss
There is nobody who writes better novellas than Stephen King, and If It Bleeds contains four spectacular stories! From calls to the grave in Mr. Harrigan's Phone, to giant billboard ads in The Life of Chuck, to a visit to Finders Keepers with Holly and crew, and finally to the desperation of a struggling author to just finish one book, just once, King doles out the thrills and chills, but also captures the human condition in all its many forms. And like a pyschic in a traveling renfaire, King seems to prepare readers to make sure they wash their hands and cover those sneezes!
As many stores around the country are struggling for survival during the economic crisis triggered by the pandemic, now might be a good time, as challenging as it is, to look at the current business model of independent bookstores and ask: Do we want to go back to the old model or could we start imagining and building a better future for independent bookstores and people who are committed to them? Could we do some things differently going forward?
We will hear from the CEO and management team at Kepler's, a world famous bookstore based in Menlo Park, CA. Eight years ago, the Kepler's team decided to chart a bold new course and engaged their community to transform Kepler's into a Next Generation Bookstore. Many didn't believe their audacious goals – paying living wages, building a strong financial foundation, and Amazon-proofing their business. They will share their journey, their approach, their results, how they are faring during the current crisis, and their plans for the future. A Q & A will follow their presentation. Please RSVP lindamarie@sibaweb.com
About our presenters:
Praveen Madan
Praveen stumbled into bookselling in 2007 believing that bookstores had to be reinvented. He has loved books and bookstores since his days growing up in India. He was craving a meaning and purpose that he wasn't finding in his corporate career so he picked a cause he believed in. At the time he thought it would take him 2-3 years to figure it all out. Thirteen years later he thinks he is finally on the right track but still has a lot of work ahead of him. He became the CEO of Kepler's in 2012.
Amanda Hall
Amanda is the General Manager of Kepler's Books & Magazines in Menlo Park, CA. A former small-business owner from Chicago, she has channeled her retail knowledge and passion for books into Kepler's new mission-based model that supports community engagement, sustainability and staff welfare. She has a BS in Journalism from Northwestern University and a Master's in Social Work from the University of Illinois.
Jean Forstner
Jean is the co-founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit Kepler's Literary Foundation. She is a community leader with strong experience working with schools and nonprofits, building partnerships, and producing cultural and literary programs. Previously, she served as California State Director to U.S. Senator Alan Cranston. She is a graduate of Stanford University.
THursday Inspiration with SIBA (aka THIS!) is an hour of sharing best practices and tips for surviving, maybe even thriving, during Covid-19. Each week a featured bookseller will discuss what's working at their store, and take your questions. More casual than a webinar, more fun than figuring it all out by yourself. Let's be there for each other so we can all rise together. Pour a cup of coffee, grab a snack, and join us on THIS!, every Thursday at 1 PM EDT.
This week (4/23) Kelly Justice, owner of Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia, will share her experience with Crowdcast, a platform for hosting online events. She's been hosting her new weekly program, Fountain Fix: Cocktails with Kelly! on Crowdcast and has much to share with you about her experience.
Next week (4/30) Shari Stauch, owner of Main Street Reads in Summerville, SC, will discuss MetriCool, a tool for organizing and simplifying your tasks on social media.
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A Good Neighborhood by Therese Ann Fowler 
Frances Mayes Always Italy by Frances Mayes, April, 2020
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez, April, 2020
Plenty of Hugs by Fran Manushkin, Kate Alizadeh (Illus.) 
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, April, 2020
If It Bleeds by Stephen King, April, 2020
