Click here to view online | Like us on Facebook! Hello, dearest and most beloved booksellers, As we get ready for the summer, here are the latest thing happening in the land of SIBA you should know about. Note especially the new Okra Picks Newsletter opportunity -- Highlights: Entering events on the ARTS Calendar is easier than ever! Announcing the Okra Picks Newsletter The Circle of Sites/Banner-for-Dues Program is being upgraded A video guide to the SIBA Member Hub Be a judge for the Southern Book Prize Registration is open for #SIBA17 in the Big Easy THE ARTS CALENDAR, SIMPLIFIED Over the last couple months, SIBA has received a rising number of requests from our members about how to enter their store events into the Calendar at Authors Round the South (authorsroundthesouth.com). The truth is, the ARTS Calendar is based on an older platform, and has always required a separate log in process, which is confusing for many members (and for SIBA Staff!). So we've simplified and streamlined the process: You can now enter events from your own account at SIBA. You do not need to be on your store master account. You do not even need to be logged in, (although it will be easier for you if you are). There are fewer "required" fields, so you don't need to know book ISBNs or enter event descriptions if you don't want to. You can add all the information and upload book and author photos in one step. If you want to enter multiple events at once, you can download a spreadsheet template, fill it out, and email it to SIBA at nicki@sibaweb.com. It will take about 24 hours for any submitted event to appear on the calendar, so plan accordingly. And remember that you earn B3! points when you submit events yourself, instead of letting the SIBA elves enter them on your behalf. Enter your store events here: http://sibaweb.site-ym.com/page/stars_bkstore ANNOUNCING THE OKRA PICKS NEWSLETTER SIBA is now offering a quarterly newsletter for your customers featuring the seasonal Okra Picks -- the books you have chosen as the most excited hand sell titles of the season. Share the best in new Southern Literature, as picked by the people who would know. . .Southern indie booksellers like you! Modeled after the Indie Next newsletter for readers, the Okra Picks newsletter is store-branded with "Buy Now" buttons linked to your store's website. It is sent out four times a year in the middle of each Okra season, thus featuring books that are brand new or about to be released. SIBA's test run of the newsletter with Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC, showed an open rate for the email of 49%. "We sold two copies of Lisa Wingate's book right off the newsletter," reported owner Dave Lucey. Stores that participate in the Okra Picks Newsletter retain ownership of their email list and materials. Each participating store will receive 200 B3! points for the first mailing, and 50 point for each subsequent mailing. To see a sample of the Okra Picks Newsletter for the Spring season, https://sibaweb.site-ym.com/mpage/OkraPage158 Sign up for the newsletter here by May 10th: http://sibaweb.site-ym.com/page/ok_newsletter Customizing the newsletter for your store does take a couple days, so act quickly to be eligible to send out the Spring edition. CIRCLE OF SITES UPGRADE DEADLINE If your store is participating in the Banner-for-dues program you need to know the system is being upgraded this spring to a more effective, stable, and secure platform. This will require you to post new code on your websites. Contact nicki@sibaweb.com for the code. The deadline is July 1, after which the old code will no longer be supported. If you have ecommerce on your store site and are not doing the Banner-For-Dues program, you can contact Nicki to see if you are eligible. Basically any site where you can search for a book by ISBN qualifies. Once your banner is up, you don't have to do anything else, so it is an easy, hassle-free way to keep your SIBA membership current. Currently appearing on Circle of Sites, (aka Lady Banks' Pick of the Week): THE SIBA MEMBER HUB: VIDEO GUIDES The new SIBA member hub has become more and more active as members sign on, check in with the site, and explore the different ways they can communicate with others and manage their own accounts. To help members understand the new site layout, SIBA Board member Stefanie Crowe and staffer Nicki Leone have been recording a series of short videos that take a quick tour through some of the site features. The SIBA Member Hub: An Introduction https://vimeo.com/212651341/21a3909f56 Here's the link to view all the videos as they are posted (about twice a month) https://vimeo.com/album/4562901 CALL FOR SOUTHERN BOOK PRIZE JUDGES There is still time to be a judge for the Southern Book Prize! Judges must be owners or staff of a current SIBA member bookstore, and will receive copies of all the finalists to be judged in their assigned category. If you are interested in being a judge, fill out the form at the link below: https://sibaweb.site-ym.com/page/ba_judge_form You can see a list of the finalists and their categories here. #SIBA17 REGISTRATION IS OPEN It's never too early to register! SIBA returns to the Big Easy this coming September for the #siba17 Discovery Show. We'll be at the Sheraton New Orleans, right on Canal Street, the same hotel we were in the last time we visited NOLA in 2013. And a word to the wise -- New Orleans, like Savannah, is a popular destination. We had sellout crowds in 2013 and expect the same this year. Meal tickets, especially, went very quickly. Make your travel plans early: http://sibaweb.com/trade-show-info Is your membership current? Your name: @@first_name@@ @@last_name@@ Your store: @@employer@@ Your member type (store/staff): @@member_type@@ Your membership expiration: @@membership_exp_date@@ * **if your member type says "staff" then your expiration date is whenever your bookstore's membership expires. Renew here | Booksellers Benefits Package SIBA is mobile! Download our "SocialLink" app from your Apple or Google Play Store. --- Thank you for your interest in SIBA,   Nicki Leone SysAdmin nicki@sibaweb.com Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance 3806 Yale Avenue, Columbia, SC 29205 803.994.9530 Fax: 309.410.0211 www.sibaweb.com   #siba17: Fall Discovery Show Sept 15-17 FRI-SUN | New Orleans, LA Many thanks to our 2017 Inkreadible Sponsors below:

SIBA | 3806 Yale Dr. | Columbia, SC 29205
You are receiving this email at @@email@@. If you wish to stop receiving email from us, you can simply remove yourself by replying with "unsubscribe" in the subject or by visiting: @@unsubscribe_url@@

(Columbia, SC) – The votes are in! Southern indie booksellers have chosen the finalists for Southern Book Prize. Formerly known as the SIBA Book Award, the Southern Book Prize features an expanded list of categories – including seven different fiction and three nonfiction categories. Finalists were chosen by Southern independent booksellers from the long list ballot. The finalist titles will be sent to juried panels of booksellers, who will then decide on the winners in each category. Winners will be announced on July 4, “Independents Day.”

2017 Southern Book Prize Finalists

FICTION

Coming of Age
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (Harper, 9780062491794)
Lies and Other Acts of Love by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Berkley Books, 9781101987063) 
Long Way Gone by Charles Martin (Thomas Nelson, 9780718084714)
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner (Crown Books for Young Readers, 9780553524024)

     

Family Life
Flight Patterns by Karen White (Berkley Books, 9780451470911)
A Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe (Gallery Books, 9781501125539)
The Risen by Ron Rash (Ecco, 9780062436313)

     

Historical
Chasing the North Star by Robert Morgan (Algonquin Books, 9781565126275)
Forsaken by Ross Howell Jr (NewSouth Books, 9781588383174)
Glory Over Everything: Beyond the Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom (Simon & Schuster, 9781476748443)

Literary
Fallen Land by Taylor Brown (St. Martin's Press, 9781250077974)
Miss Jane by Brad Watson (W. W. Norton & Company, 9780393241730)
Over the Plain Houses by Julia Franks (Hub City Press, 9781938235214) 
Perfume River by Robert Olen Butler (Atlantic Monthly Press, 9780802125750)

Mystery & Detective
The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter (William Morrow & Company, 9780062430212)
Lowcountry Book Club by Susan M Boyer (HeneryPress, 9781635110456)
Miss Julia Inherits a Mess by Ann B Ross (Viking, 9780525427124)
Prayers the Devil Answers by Sharyn McCrumb (Atria Books, 9781476772813)

     
     

Southern Stories & Stories by Southerners
The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell (Thomas Nelson, 9780718037628)
A Lowcountry Wedding by Mary Alice Monroe (Gallery Books, 9781501125430)
Monsters in Appalachia: Stories by Sheryl Monks (West Virginia University Press, 9781943665396) 
Ninety-Nine Stories of God by Joy Williams (Tin House Books, 9781941040355)
The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews (St. Martin's Press, 9781250065940)
The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg (Random House, 9781400065950)

Thriller
Darktown by Thomas Mullen (Atria Books, 9781501133862) 
Redemption Road by John Hart (Thomas Dunne Books, 9780312380366)
Underground Airlines by Ben H Winters (Mulholland Books, 9780316261241)
The Whistler by John Grisham (Doubleday Books, 9780385541190)

JUVENILE
Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley; Jillian Tamaki (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 9780374302610)
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart (Delacorte Press, 9780553536744) 
Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick, 9780763681173)
The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart ; Diana Sudyka (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316389556)
Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty (Disney-Hyperion, 9781484775035)

NONFICTION

Biography, Autobiography, & Memoir
Dimestore: A Writer's Life by Lee Smith (Algonquin Books, 9781616205027)
The Gatekeeper: Missy Lehand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency by Kathryn Smith (Touchstone, 9781501114960)
The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature by J Drew Lanham (Milkweed, 9781571313157) 
My Father, the Pornographer: A Memoir by Chris Offutt (Atria Books, 9781501112461)

Cooking
Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South by Vivian Howard (Little Brown and Company, 9780316381109)
Hungry Is a Mighty Fine Sauce Cookbook: Recipes and Ramblings from the Belle of All Things Southern by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson (Shiloh Run Press, 9781634097826)
Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes by Ronni Lundy; Johnny Autry (Clarkson Potter Publishers, 9780804186742)

Creative Nonfiction
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race by Jesmyn Ward (Scribner Book Company, 9781501126345)
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J D Vance (Harper, 9780062300546)
A Lowcountry Heart: Reflections on a Writing Life by Pat Conroy (Nan A. Talese, 9780385530866)
Poems: New and Selected by Ron Rash (Ecco Press, 9780062435507)  
Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South by Beth Macy (Little Brown and Company, 9780316337540)

For more information about the Southern Book Prize, visit
http://www.authorsroundthesouth.com/read-this/siba-book-awards

Hello, dearest and most beloved booksellers.

It's that time again....time for oh so many things! Nominations for the Board, voting on the Southern Book Prize, Okra Picks info, and so much more.  Read on, read everything!

Highlights:

1. SIBA has an app. For real! Download the "SocialLink" app from your Apple or Google Play store
2. Call for Board Nominations
   
3. The Southern Book Prize Loooong List Ballot is open. And the Conroy Legacy Award is seeking nominations
4. There is now a resource page for the Spring Okra Picks
5. There is a now a downloadable flyer of monthly staff picks from SIBA Bookstores.
   
6. Registration is open for #SIBA17 in the Big Easy
7. Introducing IndieCommerce Lite

SIBA HAS AN APP!

Yes, that's right, SIBA is now has an app! Available for iPhone and Android, SIBA's new "SocialLink" app allows you to check in to the SIBA member hub and your account from your phone or mobile device. Most of the news you see below will also appear in your "feed." In the future, SIBA will be posting important news to the app feed on a regular basis, so having it will give you an early heads up to important or just plain useful news.

Search for "SocialLink" in the Apple or Google Play store.

Once you've installed the app, log in to start viewing your feed and notices. Your account information is:

Username: @@username@@
Email: @@email@@
Company: @@employer@@
Your membership expires: @@membership_exp_date@@

You should also be able to set your account so you can log in with Facebook. Email nicki@sibaweb.com if you have any problems.

CALL FOR BOARD NOMINATIONS

It’s that time again to pick the bookseller leaders that will move SIBA forward. SIBA’s Board Members are a hard‐working bunch. Serving on the SIBA Board is both rewarding and enlightening. Consider someone today for a board position. Self‐nominations are encouraged. Anyone can nominate here:

https://sibaweb.site-ym.com/?board_nom

Nominations close April 15.

THE SOUTHERN BOOK PRIZE LONG BALLOT IS OPEN

The Southern Book Prize Loooong List has just been announced. Now it is time for booksellers to vote for the finalists. The ballot is open to all SIBA member core booksellers -- stores and store staff! Your store earns 2 b3! points for each ballot cast.

Go here to vote:
http://sibaweb.site-ym.com/surveys/?id=2017_sbp

You need to be a current SIBA member bookstore/bookseller to vote.

If you have store staff not in SIBA's records that you would like added, email nicki@sibaweb.com. Each staff member must have their own unique email address.

The ballot closes April 3rd.

Remember also to nominate for the Conroy Legacy Award. The Conroy Legacy Award recognizes writers who have achieved a lasting impact on their literary community. Recipients will have shown the following attributes:

1. They support independent bookstores, both in their own communities and in general.
   
2. Their writing focuses significantly on their own home place.
   
3. They support other writers in their community, especially new and emerging authors.

The Conroy Legacy Award is given to one writer in SIBA territory annually. A juried panel of member booksellers will choose among our Southern writers to determine the year’s winner.

Nominate an author here

SPRING OKRA PICKS RESOURCE PAGE

the 2017 Spring Okra Picks will be announced April 1, but SIBA booksellers can have a sneak peak. We've collected some helpful resources for all the Okra titles to make it easier for you to sell all these fanstastic books:

https://sibaweb.site-ym.com/page/ok_forthcoming

YOUR STAFF PICKS HAVE STREET CRED!

You've probably seen the header at the top of this and the Lady Banks emails, but have you clicked? SIBA collates store staff picks and recommendations for the Lady Banks newsletter and AuthorsRoundtheSouth.com. You can see the list here:

http://www.authorsroundthesouth.com/read-this

Fully sortable and searchable and linked back to the store that made the recommendation.

There is also now a monthly print out of new recommendations stores can download for a quirky, unpredictable reading list. A great resource for book clubs, educators and hard to please customers!

#SIBA17 REGISTRATION IS OPEN

It's never too early to register!
SIBA returns to the Big Easy this coming September for the #siba17 Discovery Show. We'll be at the Sheraton New Orleans, right on Canal Street, the same hotel we were in the last time we visited NOLA in 2013.

And a word to the wise -- New Orleans, like Savannah, is a popular destination. We had sellout crowds in 2013 and expect the same this year. Meal tickets, especially, went very quickly. So make your travel plans early:

http://sibaweb.com/trade-show-info

Hello, dearest and most beloved booksellers.

Forgive the length of this email, but 2017 has brought with it some changes and new features to your SIBA membership, so this is a quick guide to what's new, upcoming, and ever so important. Please take the time to read through.

Highlights:

1. SIBA in the Springtime (3/6-3/7) is open for regstration. Click here. Hotel reservation deadline is 2/17. Click here for that
   
2. Introducing the Idea Box: Send your ideas about the perfect Discovery Show to SIBA. Click here.
   
3. Introducing the Conroy Legacy Award! The Southern Book Prize nomination deadline is Valentine's Day. Click here to nominate.
4. The 2017 Booksellers Benefits Package is now available. Download it here
   
5. B3! -- it's way easier! Click for details
   
6. Circle of Sites/Banner for Dues: upgrades are happening this spring. Email Nicki for details and new code
   
7. Programs you might not know about, but would be huge help: Trio | Peer Reviews
   
8. Welcome to the new Member Hub! Now mobile friendly and with Facebook login. Check your account. (Your username is: @@username@@)

SIBA IN THE SPRINGTIME

Writing the future of the SIBA Discovery Show

Open to everyone with a vested interest in the show:
booksellers, exhibitors, publishers, sales reps
$99 (meals included), Free for core member bookstores

March 6-7, 2017
The Crowne Plaza - Airport in Atlanta

Reservations: Call 866/750-3365, use Group Code SIB
Room Rate: $119 + 7% state sales tax.
Online hotel reservations

ROOM RATE CUT OFF DATE IS 2/17/2017

Online Event Registration

If you could change something about the SIBA Discovery Show, what would it be?

You will remember that last fall the talk of the Discovery Show was the plan to move the Fall Show to the spring, and partner with the GABBS show in Atlanta. Although the closure of the GABBS show has meant that plan will not go forward, the announcement has generated a lot of great discussion on the future of the SIBA Discovery Show, and how to keep it relevant and useful for our members.

To that end, SIBA is hosting it's regular "SIBA in the Springtime" education, with a focus on "writing the future of the SIBA Discovery Show." Join your fellow booksellers and book industry professionals for a day of brainstorming about the future direction of the Show. Imagination in encouraged. Bring all your dreams -- big and small.

The two-day event includes an author dinner on March 6 with three of your "Okra Pick" authors -- Michael Knight (Eveningland), Gina Kolata (Mercies in Disguise), and Taylor Brown (The River of Kings) plus two favorite Atlanta-based writers -- Patti Callahan Henry (The Bookshop at Water's End) and Joshilyn Jackson (Almost Sisters).

The American Booksellers Association will also be on hand to host a lunch, forum, and spring education presentation on March 7.

It is so very important that we hear from you. SIBA in the Springtime is FREE to core-member bookstores, so don't wait, register now.

THE IDEA BOX

If you can't make SIBA in the Springtime next month, or if you can, but you've already got so many ideas you just can't contain them all, then you can put your thoughts in THE IDEA BOX.

The Idea Box is a new benefit for SIBA members, a place to submit feedback, hopes, wishes, and dreams to the SIBA staff and indeed the entire SIBA membership. Ideas can be reviewed and voted on by members. SIBA uses the votes to gauge member interest and get an idea of how strongly you feel about something.

Right now, the Idea Box is geared towards re-envisioning the Discovery Show. So submit your ideas about what you think would be the perfect show. What you submit will help frame the discussion in Atlanta.

Click here to share your great ideas!

THE SOUTHERN BOOK PRIZE &
THE PAT CONROY LEGACY AWARD

The nomination deadline is Valentine's Day, less than a week away. Make sure your favorite southern books are represented. Click here.

New this year is the "lifetime achievement" category, the Conroy Legacy Award. The Conroy Legacy Award recognizes writers who have achieved a lasting impact on their literary community. Recipients will have shown the following attributes:

1. They support independent bookstores, both in their own communities and in general.
   
2. Their writing focuses significantly on their own home place.
   
3. They support other writers in their community, especially new and emerging authors.

The Conroy Legacy Award is given to one writer in SIBA territory annually. A juried panel of member booksellers will choose among our Southern writers to determine the year’s winner.

Nominate an author here

THE BOOKSELLERS BENEFITS PACKAGE

The 2017 edition of the Booksellers Benefits Package, which explains the details of your SIBA membership and all the programs and benefits is now available to download. Click here.

Even if you think you know what's available, it's worth taking a look at the new edition, which covers new programs and changes for 2017. Plus the front cover is a handy calendar of upcoming deadlines and important dates that really should be posted right on the staff room door!

B3! SIMPLIFIED

The B3! Engagement Program, whereby bookstores can earn points and rewards, up to and including an all-expenses paid trip to the SIBA Discovery Show, has been simplified to make it easier to use and track.

1. Fewer Levels -- we've kept the important milestone levels in the program, but did away with the intermediary ones.
   
2. Simplified Social Media Tracking. Now, to earn points for social media activity you simply have to tag SIBA on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter: @LadyBanks, @ReaderMtWriter

Facebook: @ReaderMeetWriter, @SouthernIndependentBooksellersAlliance, @LadyBanks

Useful hashtags: #okrapick,#southernbookprize,#siba17, #parapalooza, #southernindie, #readbuygive, #trio

CIRCLE OF SITES/BANNER-FOR-DUES PROGRAM

If your store is participating in the Banner-for-dues program you need to know the system is being upgraded this spring to a more effective, stable, and secure platform. This will require you to post new code on your websites. Contact nicki@sibaweb.com for the code. The deadline is July 1, after which the old code will no longer be supported.

If you have ecommerce on your store site and are not doing the Banner-For-Dues program, you can contact Nicki to see if you are eligible. Basically any site where you can search for a book by ISBN qualifies. Once your banner is up, you don't have to do anything else, so it is an easy, hassle-free way to keep your SIBA membership current.

NEWISH PROGRAMS YOU MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF

TRIO: TRIO is a traveling exhibit of art, music and literature. The TRIO exhibit debuts at the SIBA Discovery Show, and then travels around the South for the next twelve months, hosted by and sponsored by SIBA member bookstores.

SIBA sees TRIO as a unique opportunity for its members. It is an example of the of the real world power of real world connections, and can’t be mimicked in a virtual environment. By bringing TRIO to their town, a SIBA store can create create ties with other community organizations, reach new audiences, and bring attention to the store. Click here for more info.

PEER REVIEWS: Simply put, a peer review is booksellers helping booksellers. If you feel like there is room for improvement in your store (and who doesn’t feel this way?), friendly fellow booksellers will visit your store, look at areas that are causing you concern, and off er constructive and confi dential feedback. Contact Wanda at wanda@sibaweb.com to schedule a review or become a reviewer.

THE NEW MEMBER HUB

Over Christmas SIBA launched its new "Member Hub" designed to be easier to access, easier to navigate, and easier to participate in. Some of the highlights:

• You can now log in with your Facebook account.
  
• It is mobile-friendly, so create a shortcut on your phone and check in often.
  
• It is modeled on a Facebook-like layout, so you have a "feed" with all the important recent SIBA news.
  
• It is easy to upload and share information.

Put a shortcut on your phone and login to see for yourself.And while you are there, make sure your account information is up to date. Here's what we have for you:

Login: http://sibaweb.site-ym.com/login.aspx
You username: @@username@@
Your name: @@first_name@@ @@last_name@@
Your email: @@email@@
Your store: @@employer@@
Your member type (store/staff): @@member_type@@
Your membership expiration: @@membership_exp_date@@ *

**if your member type says "staff" then your expiration date is whenever your bookstore's membership expires.

and some more information that may be useful (for bookstores only):

Your oustanding SIBA credit: ##CREDIT##
Your B3! points: ##B3TOTAL##

Are you a Circle of Sites store?: ##CIRCLEOFSITESBANNER##
Your ecommerce system: ##ECOMMERCESYSTEM##
(if you have ecommerce, but are not a Cirle of Sites store, contact nicki@sibaweb.com about participating)

Square footage of your store: ##SQUAREFEET##
Store location: ##MAINSTREET##
Store town size: ##TOWN##
Year incorporated: ##YEARINCORPORATED##

For immediate release
January 26, 2017

(Columbia, SC) In an effort to expand exposure to its bookstore members and their customers to books by people of color, starting February 1 SIBA is offering a 35% discount to publishers who wish to promote their authors and illustrators of color for 2017.  Any book that has been written or illustrated by a person of color is eligible for the discount, which applies to all SIBA promotions with the exception of its annual Holiday Catalog, a shared revenue product.

“We had a strong call from our members to increase diversity in SIBA programming,” said Executive Director Wanda Jewell, “and to work with stores to increase the demand for diverse books,” adding that SIBA has already made an internal commitment to promote diverse authors and books in its consumer-targeted programs, such as the Lady Banks Commonplace Book newsletter.

“But it is an all-hands-on-deck process,” she added, “our booksellers are deeply committed to diversity, and we want publishers to see our membership as an enthusiastic and profitable audience for their divese writers.”

By offering the discount on SIBA promotional programs, Jewell hopes that publishers will not only send more diverse authors to SIBA territory, but also that they will see the benefit of committing more promotional dollars to their books as a whole.

For more information, contact: Wanda Jewell at wanda@sibaweb.com

The 2017 Winter Okra Picks have been selected: a flavor-filled collection of new Southern books hand-picked by Southern indie booksellers–people with impeccable taste in books... 

All Winter Okra picks have a strong Southern focus and publish between January and March, and all have fans among Southern indie booksellers: the people who are always looking out for the next great writer to fill your reading plate. So the next time you visit your local Southern indie bookstore and someone says, "You've got to read this!" and hands you one of these tasty titles, dig in and ask for a second helping. Great books are always good for you!

The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis
Hogarth, Hardcover, 9780451495648, 368pp.
Publication Date: March 7, 2017

The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish
HarperCollins, Hardcover, 9780062433381, 368pp. 
Publication Date: January 24, 2017

Eveningland: Stories by Michael Knight
Atlantic Monthly Press, Hardcover, 9780802125972, 304pp. 
Publication Date: March 7, 2017

Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell; Shadra Strickland (illus.)
Chronicle Books, Hardcover, 9781452125909, 260pp. 
Publication Date: January 31, 2017

Mercies in Disguise by Gina Kolata
St. Martin's Press, Hardcover, 9781250064349, 272pp. 
Publication Date: March 21, 2017

My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King
Henry Holt & Company, Hardcover, 9781627795982, 368pp. 
Publication Date: January 17, 2017

One Good Mama Bone by Bren McClain
University of South Carolina Press, Hardcover, 9781611177466, 280pp. 
Publication Date: February 14, 2017

Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit and Whiskey by Troy Ball
Dey Street Books, Hardcover, 9780062458971, 288pp. 
Publication Date: February 7, 2017

The River of Kings by Taylor Brown
St. Martin's Press, Hardcover, 9781250111753, 336pp. 
Publication Date: March 21, 2017

The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers
Algonquin Books, Hardcover, 9781616205812, 272pp. 
Publication Date: January 10, 2017

Signals: New and Selected Stories by Tim Gautreaux
Knopf Publishing Group, Hardcover, 9780451493040, 384pp. 
Publication Date: January 17, 2017

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson
St. Martin's Press, Hardcover, 9781250135995, 240pp. 
Publication Date: January 17, 2017

Dearest and most beloved booksellers,

We know you have other things on your mind this week -- you and the entire rest of the country! But please do take a moment to read the items below. They are things we think will be important and helpful to your business in the coming weeks and we want to make sure you take full advantage.

I. Indies First/Small Business Saturday is October 26
An open letter from ABA CEO Oren Teicher

Dear Bookseller,

Indies First/Small Business Saturday, November 26, will be here before we know it, and I wanted to be sure you had explored the many offers of generous business terms (http://www.bookweb.org/2016-indies-first-publisher-terms) for ABA members from our publisher partners. The Indies First publisher specials are really extraordinary, and with thoughtful ordering these terms can make a real difference to your bottom line.

As we've been discussing at the recent ABACUS sessions at the Fall Regional Shows, reducing the cost of goods is critical to the profitability of indie bookstores, and these offers help you do exactly that. The ordering periods vary, so don’t miss out.

One of the most generous offers – in discount, ordering period, and ease of use – comes from Baker & Taylor (http://www.bookweb.org/2016-indies-first-publisher-terms). I'd strongly encourage you take advantage of B&T's offering, which starts on November 20th and runs through December 3.

And while you’re at it, please add your Indies First event activity (http://bookweb.org/store-indies-first-activity-registry) to the national map. You can add your information now or just let us know an event is on the schedule and come back and fill in the details later. The stronger our map, the better it is for Indies First, our customers, and our publisher partners.

With sincere thanks,
Oren Teicher, CEO

II. Online Holiday Catalogs are available for your websites.

Click here for information on how to add them to your store website, and to download useful shareable memes and in store signage

III. Winter Okra Pick Nominations are open

The deadline to submit is December 1, for books pubbing between January 1, 2017 and March 31, 2017. So all those great books you found at the First 180 Days party at the Discovery Show in Savannah back in September? Now is the time to start nominating them!

Click here to nominate!

Dearly beloved booksellers,

Before you dive into the madness of the holiday shopping season, please take note of the following information, which is of the utmost importance or at least likely to be of use:

I. Pat Conroy Week is October 24-28

Email info@sibaweb.com for brochures to give your customers
Visit the bookstore resource page for helpful materials
Blanket the internet with the #PatConroyWeek hashtag

 

II. Okra Pick Shareables Page

SIBA has created a "shareables" page for the Okra Picks with memes that are optimized for instagram, facebook and twitter. Use them to promote the Okras to your own customers, and link back to your own store websites.

https://sibaweb.site-ym.com/page/ok_share

 

III. Banned Books Week: ABFE Survey Seeks Bookseller Input

American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), an initiative of the American Booksellers Association, is asking booksellers to help plan next year’s Banned Books Week by filling out a short survey on their experiences during this year’s event, which ended on Saturday, October 1.

To access the survey, click here.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VXDP6KR

 

IV. The Husdon Group is seeking an assistant book buyer

Starting salary is $31,200 full time with benefits. Applications can be sent to shinckley@hudsongroup.com.

Hudson Group operates stores in airports and transportation hubs across the country and the book office in Marietta, GA, north of Atlanta, selects all of the books for the bookstores and newsstands. We are members of the ABA and have relationships with independent bookstores in several cities. We seek an Assistant Buyer with an understanding and appreciation of the book world to work in the office, supporting the Book Team in all book-related endeavors.”

 

V. Independent Bookstore Day Literary Map

IBD is creating a literary map of the country and is looking for people to name and vote on the best/favorite/quintessential book sent in their home state. They are seeking help from bookstores in getting a social media campaign rolling. Tweet and Share to spread the word:

https://twitter.com/BookstoreDay/with_replies
https://www.facebook.com/BookstoreDay/

Here's what you need to know RIGHT NOW!

I. BINC SURVEY

The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation is asking booksellers and other book industry professionals to take a survey so that Binc can "hear from booksellers about what they want and need from an organization dedicated to helping them in times when they need it most."

The survey should take no more than seven minutes to complete. Participants will be eligible to win one of four $50 American Express Gift Cards as a thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. The results of the survey will be released in January 2017.

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Binc

II. PAT CONROY WEEK 10/24-10/28

#PatConroyWeek

Booksellers are encouraged to celebrate the late Pat Conroy during the week of October 24 with in-store and online events and promotions to raise money for the new Pat Conroy Literary Center in Beaufort, South Carolina. 

SIBA is also sponsoring a contest that allows those who donate $41 or more to the center to be included in a drawing to win the 41 new books that were the finalists and winners of the new Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize. 

More info for booksellers here: https://sibaweb.site-ym.com/page/ba_pclc

SIBA Bookstores should contact wanda@sibaweb.com if interested in securing appropriate authors or writers to appear during Pat Conroy Week in support of the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

III. READ THIS! 100% ALGORITHM FREE BOOKSELLER RECOMMENDATIONS

Did you know that SIBA's website for southern readers, AuthorsRoundtheSouth.com, receives about 1500 visits every day? Thanks to the rising circulation of the Lady Banks newsletter, and the popularity of programs like the Okra Picks and the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize, traffic on the site has been growing. And the visibility of SIBA member stores has been growing along with it.

SIBA has redesigned the "recommended reading" section of it's website for southern readers -- readermeetwriter.com -- as a searchable "book concierge" with dozens of categories coverings hundreds of bookseller recommendations. Recommendations are culled from store websites and newsletters, featured in the Lady Banks newsletter, and linked back to the recommending store.

Are your store staff picks on the list? If not, you can email links to nicki@sibaweb.com. SIBA is looking for store recommendations that are written in their own words, not simply reprinting catalog copy.

http://www.authorsroundthesouth.com/read-this

IV. NEW ABA WORKSHOP "The Principles of Bookstore Finance"

ABA, in conjunction with NAIBA, will present a new workshop on the Principles of Bookstore Finance, a full-day education session led by Robert Sindelar, managing partner of Third Place Books in Seattle, Washington, and ABA Chief Financial Officer Robyn DesHotel.

The workshop will take pace on Saturday, October 15, in Baltimore, Maryland, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and full details and a signup form can be found here.

The workshop will combine a detailed look at key components of financial management and focus on how to read and analyze a bookstore’s operating statement in order to improve it. More information is available here: http://www.bookweb.org/news/october-workshops-illustrate-principles-successful-financial-management-34521

Registration for the workshop is $85 per person and more information is available here:
http://www.bookweb.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=51

SIBA President Email
Incoming Board Member
SIBA Discovery Show
ABACUS South
SIBA Survey
Kansas Leadership Center

Incoming Board Member

Please join me in congratulating Kimberly Daniels Taws, owner and manager of The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC, who won election to the SIBA Board of Directors. She can be congratulated directly at kimberlyddaniels@gmail.com. Kimberly’s term will start in the Spring of 2017 but if you have not met her yet, we will be introducing Kimberly at the #SIBA16 Discovery Show in Savannah at the Ease into SIBA: Breakfast with Booksellers on Friday morning.

#SIBA16 Discovery Show

Speaking of the Ease into SIBA Friday morning breakfast, I’d like to encourage all SIBA attendees to show up to this event, which is also our annual member meeting.  We know it starts early (7:30am), but we're offering a FREE breakfast and the chance to meet and network with your peers and your SIBA board. Get excited about what our organization has accomplished and how you can contribute. Come prepared to make some noise for your store and win a Taste of Savannah gift basket.

And if you haven’t registered for #SIBA16 yet, time is running out to avoid the $75 late fee. So make sure to register by 9/1! 

Register online | Download a registration form

ABACUS South

Many thanks to the 36 stores who shared their 2015 financial data via the ABACUS survey this year. Our participation rate was up over last year so we will again be able to get a breakout of ABACUS South data once the final results are ready. Our region had the highest level of ABACUS participation — so give yourselves a big pat on the back! I’d love to see SIBA’s participation rate continue to climb each year, and if there’s something that’s stopping you from joining in please just reply to this email and let me know. ABA and OnCampus research are working to send all participating stores their reports in mid-September.

SIBA Survey

I’d also like to thank the 54 SIBA member stores that responded to the recent survey. The SIBA Board will be using the data you provided to make sure our organization is focused on what matters to you most now and in the future. If you’re curious about what everyone said, check out the results yourself at http://data.surveygizmo.com/r/447837_578519ba465db1.23686488
I’m also curious as to why our other 90 member stores didn’t respond and would love to hear feedback about that, especially if you never remember seeing the survey in the first place. Just reply to this email or email me at jill@fiction-addiction.com to let me know so we can use your feedback to help improve future response rates.

Kansas Leadership Center

Your SIBA Board takes its responsibility to our members very seriously and so we recently attended a seminar at the Kansas Leadership Center that we heard about at Winter Institute. While in Wichita we checked out Watermark Books and Café and met owner and former ABA Board member Sarah Bagby along with author Rae Meadows. I read Rae’s book, I Will Send Rain, on the plane ride back and highly recommend it to you. Though set in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl, it had the feel of a Southern novel to me and I think fans of One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash would enjoy it.

We are now safely back from our travels (though there was a bad moment when we realized 4 out of your 5 board members were on the same flight home) and look forward to seeing you in Savannah!

Regards,
Jill Hendrix
SIBA President & Owner of Fiction Addiction
jill@fiction-addiction.com
864-675-0540