Posts Tagged Bookstore
Meet Elizabeth Nichols!
Posted by Wanda in Good Gifts & Ideas on March 30, 2011
Elizabeth Nichols (800-637-0037 ext. 6614, elizabethn@bookweb.org) is the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) bookstore liaison.
Elizabeth came to ABA from Columbia University, where she worked in donor relations. “I want booksellers to know that I really mean it when I say they can call me any time,” she said. “They’ve made a great choice by joining ABA, and I’ll do whatever I can to help them get the most out of their membership.” Elizabeth studied sociology at Hunter College and Russian studies at NYU. In her spare time she enjoys light hiking, cooking, and volunteering at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan. In addition, one of Elizabeth’s favorite pastimes is to browse for memoirs at Book Culture and the Strand.
Bennie and the Gets! FBSP
Posted by Wanda in Bennie and the Gets! on January 19, 2011
This month’s highlighted benefit of SIBA Membership is the Free Book Stimulus Plan (FBSP) Any core member store can participate and it is a high-value perk for which the bookstore has to do very little.
Check out this link for materials for both in-store and on-line. You will see where we have added a new facet to FBSP via the Caught U Reading Program that came out of the Good Ideas Breakfast at #SIBA10.
We have core member stores who have placed the FBSP website on their receipts and stores that have printed out the mail-back form as a bag stuffer. SIBA has collected a contact list of hundreds and hundreds of southern readers via this program and does outreach on members’ behalf regularly. We have had many participants from Alpharetta, Suwanee, and Duluth, GA; Elizabeth City and Franklin, NC; and Tampa, FL. We’ve given away over 2000 books. It is a great way to thank your customers and who doesn’t love getting a free book in the mail?
Bottom Line: Anyone who shops in your store can mail their receipt attached to the form found at www.freebookstimulusplan.com and they are mailed a free book handpicked by me from my library of books from 20 years with SIBA.
Bennie and the Gets! (Win stuff for reading SIBA eInk)
Posted by Wanda in Bennie and the Gets! on January 12, 2011
A play on Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets here. Here I will write a monthlyish column on SIBA benefits that core members get. Survey results indicate that booksellers are very aware of some membership benefits and less aware of others. It may be that booksellers do not find some benefits valuable but before making that decision, I want to make certain that booksellers know of the benefit, try it, and then accept or reject its value to them. So here and in the monthly SIBA eInk, I will be highlighting underused benefits to make certain that core members are aware of them.
First, let’s look at the latest survey results. Core members indicate the most valuable benefits of SIBA Membership are: SIBA Book Awards, Southern Indie Bestseller List, the Holiday Catalog, Indie Bookseller Revivals, and Find a Bookstore
And rated less valuable? SIBA eInk, Southern Indie Lit Crossword Puzzle book, Wanda’s Wonderful Book Blog, Free Book Stimulus Plan, and The Document Library.
So this first post will deal with SIBA eInk, SIBA’s monthly newsletter directed at SIBA’s core indie bookstore members and distributed to the industry. This email newsletter takes the place of SIBA’s bi-monthly print publication of previous years and is the best, direct way to communicate with you about valuable upcoming opportunities. In addition to the SIBA listserv, this is the must current up-to-date material to assist you in maximizing your membership.
To pump up interest in this monthly electronic publication, SIBA will be offering a Twitter Contest each month where core members will be entered to win a FREE All Pass to #SIBA11. This will require setting up a FREE Twitter Account and following @SIndies. If you need help with that, please give me a call, and I will walk you thru it. Very easy, very economical, very efficient! The SIBA phone number is: 803.994.9530
What Booksellers are Saying about SIBA…
In response to an anonymous survey, core members finished the sentence prompt below.
I am a member of SIBA because…
I feel it’s important to support all activities highlighting independent businesses. There are useful communications that help me run my business.
Resources, encouragement, great responsiveness from Wanda to our questions, cutting edge info that is invaluable.
It’s important to support an organization that binds indies together.
I love the resources, the members, the helpful familial atmosphere- and of course, the authors and the books.
I enjoy the trade show and use the holiday catalog each year.
SIBA is a forum of knowledge contact with publishers and authors. We look for SIBA to be the eyes and ears of independent booksellers in a rapidly changing industry. Only as a group will we have a voice.
Community is important.
It is important to continue to support the local organization related to the profession; and to meet and learn from others in the profession
My bookstore has been open for 16 years and I have been a SIBA member for 8. The membership is the single most valuable expenditure (other than merchandise) that I make each year.
As booksellers in the Southeast, we should be.
I bought the store with the membership and decided to keep it.
The invaluable information we receive about authors, new titles, popular titles, the publishing industry, the trade show, networking and feedback from other southern booksellers. Our store would not be viable without all the info and services SIBA provides.
Bookseller Support Professional Association
So far it has been a good resource of ideas and references but I have not been a member too long so it is hard to comment.
of the holiday catalog, the free website, the e-mail community.
of the wealth of information I gain by reading emails, blogs and networking with other members at trade show.
SIBA is wonderful resource for the southern indie bookstores!!
I am a believer that we can help each other remain strong and INDEPENDENT
It is a great support system for my store.
Southern books are our core business
SIBA is invaluable for an independent shop, even when all of its programs are not taken advantage of.
It is a great network
I think it is important to be part of an organization related to my business.
I just opened a used bookstore and can use all the help I can get. I find valuable information on the website.
together we are stronger
tremendous amount of info – you all do a lot of the leg work for booksellers as a whole
of the irreplaceable contacts with publisher reps, authors, and fellow booksellers with whom I mingle at the trade show.
Happy Holidays! Here’s $150 from SIBA!
The Circle of Sites Banners-for-Dues program returns with more options (only available to indie bookstores that meet SIBA’s criteria as a Core Member)
2010 is winding down and the holiday season is upon us, that means it’s time to renew your membership dues for next year. Once again, SIBA is offering bookstores free membership if they will participate in the Circle of Sites program and run a banner on their store website for SIBA.
In otherwords, SIBA wants to give you $150.00.
Download our Welcome Kit to see other member benefits
Join online (choose “bill me” and put “Circle of Sites” in the comments)
Download a SIBA Dues Form (check the Circle of Sites option on the left)
If you allow SIBA to run a banner on your website, we will waive your membership dues for 2011. Banners change weekly, with no other work or requirement from you.
The deadline to participate is April 1st
Click here to see last year’s list of books promoted on Circle of Sites
What’s new for Circle of Sites in 2011?
- We now offer the option of a horizontal or vertical banner. We heard from many stores that the horizontal banners didn’t always fit into their website design gracefully. For those of you with narrow two- or three-column sites, we now have a vertical option we can provide.
- In order to be eligible for free membership dues, the banner must appear “above the fold” –that is, visible to viewers without scrolling when they first visit store site.
Stores interested in participating in the 2011 Circle of Sites program should contact Nicki at nicki@sibaweb.com with any questions.
Terrified to go to #SIBA10?
Posted by Wanda in Uncategorized on October 27, 2010
Submitted by
Michelle Cavalier, Owner, Cavalier House Books
michelle@cavalierhousebooks.com
http://www.cavalierhousebooks.com
I was terrified to go to the SIBA trade show! I opened my store in September of ’09, and it still doesn’t feel real, so I knew people were going to call me out on it. I thought that people would tell me I wasn’t a real bookseller and that I didn’t belong. Basically, that they would find me out and know my secret. I’m not a bookseller! I’m just a book lover. I don’t know anything about running a business.
And then I got there and I saw it. You are all just like me. Everyone in this business is in it because they love books. Yeah, they may be older and wiser than me and they may have some clue as to what it means to own or run a small business, but really I had nothing to hide or be ashamed of.
The day of education served to solidify this new belief. SIBA is, as the acronym allows, an alliance. The trade show was about being a book lover and learning to be a better bookseller. There were people here to help me learn the business and promotional stuff! I wanted to divide myself into several ‘mini-me’s in order to attend all of the available classes and panels, but alas there is only one of me. However, those I was able to attend were great.
First was “Get in Bed with a Book Blogger” with the bloggers from Beatrice.com (Ron Hogan) and The Book Lady’s Blog (Rebecca Joines Schinsky) as well as Kelly Justice, owner of Fountain Bookstore and SIBA president. I was so looking forward to this because I am ready to jump in bed with a blogger of my own. What should I expect of her? She of me? They answered it all and I am ready to implement their suggestions in my store and online. Then there was what I called the Malaprops’ Twitter Class. I asked several questions, but they were patient with me. I had no idea how Twitter worked really or the etiquette of it. Thanks to the Malaprops’ ladies I have been significantly more active on Twitter, but I still have a lot to learn (and a lot of first day of school awkwardness to get over).
I also attended two author panels (“True Southern: Books Steeped in the South” and “Cooking Up a Storm: Sharing recipes with readers”) as well as all of the author meals (wherein we did not eat authors, but listened to them speak). From the very first breakfast my TBR pile started growing and by Sunday evening it was taller than I am. How could I ever have been intimidated by these authors? They were all so eager to talk about their work and mine. Everyone was so approachable, and I realized – these are my people! Then the exhibits opened and I saw so many people geeking out over new books. It was so exciting and refreshing to see so many people as excited as I was about exactly the same things. Our collected passion: books!
The final coup came on Sunday morning at the “Good Ideas Breakfast.” I shared my idea of partnering with a local travel agent for literary tours, and they liked it. Everyone was so supportive. They liked my idea and counted me as one of their own. As it turns out, all of my insecurities were unfounded. I am not only a booklover, but a bookseller and business owner. So, thanks to you, my fellow SIBA members, for reminding me why I’m doing this in the first place. See you again next year.
A Shout Out from 2020 Vision USA
2020 Vision USA would like to thank all of our wonderful bookstore patrons for making SIBA a very successful show. The business from our independent bookstores has allowed the partnership between 2020 Vision USA and ABFFE to become a huge success. Thousands of bookstore customers are currently not only reading with less eye strain but supporting free speech! We thank you for your continued support. Looking forward to another successful year to come. Denise Foster 2020 Vision USA 214-769-2227 fax: 941-866-3542 www.2020visionusa.com Denise Foster Phil Meyer
Get a Twitter Account Right Now!
Posted by Wanda in Get in Bed Project, GiB Booksellers on June 29, 2010
Get in Bed With a Book Blogger #2
What good is Twitter?
I know how you feel about this. If you don’t have Twitter, or don’t use Twitter, or think Twitter is silly, or useless, please reconsider your decision not to participate. I rebuffed Twitter for a long time, didn’t get it, why only 140 characters, why would anyone care what I had for breakfast, or that I have a beautiful colon as declared by my doctor yesterday! What good is it? Who would I follow? Who would follow me? What does that even mean; followers!?!?
But I caved in and got a Twitter account to promote SIBA’s Free Book Stimulus Plan, and was amazed! Twitter is best when you want to know what your customers are saying about, and when you want your customers to know what you are marketing to them. Twitter is also best when trying to do anything else. And that is because it is a totally open platform much like the IPhone in that many apps have been written for Twitter so I need you to get a Twitter account today. It is FREE and it is POWERFUL!
Let me share a tale with you…I spent a Sunday morning trying to resolved an issue with my credit card company. I was angry after three hours with no result, and in a fit of frustration I tweeted the following:
3 hours, 6 phone numbers, 10 people! It seems that the managers at Company X are not allowed to speak to customers!
I even shared (in a screaming sound) with my husband that if Company X was smart, they’d have a Twitter account, but I was sure they did not! Imagine my surprise when I was tweeted back by Company X and they were able to resolve my issue in minutes. I then tweeted my gratitude and their competence. Company X could be Bookstore X, and Bookstore X could be YOU! Trust me here, and get your Twitter account today. I know you are asking – How does this help me get in bed with a book blogger?, and we will get to that, but for now:
FOR WEEK TWO:
1. Read Twitter 101 for Businesses.
2. Sign up for your Twitter Account.That’s it. Stop. Go shelve something.
More next week unless you’d like to do this *****BONUS ACTIVITY*****
Booksellers & BookBloggers, Spirited & Passionate
Posted by Wanda in Get in Bed Project, GiB Booksellers on June 16, 2010
Get in Bed With a Book Blogger #1
Booksellers are first entrepreneurs. They are spirited and passionate for books and their businesses in a way that many cannot imagine. These are people who want to build a business that serves their community, protects the First Amendment, and provides a cross-section of choices for consumers. And they want to be able to make a living, support their families, and provide for their employees. This is no small feat any time.
And especially now, booksellers are trying to do everything they have always done, and add a whole slew of new things to their day. Blog, Tweet, Post, Website, E-Commerce, Events, Newsletters, on, and on, and on and on. So SIBA wants to help you break it down. Let’s just do one thing a week. This week, I want you to learn about blogging, what it is, what it can do, and how you might not need to do it at all. You might only need to find someone who is already book blogging who can see that your established name in the industry, bevy of contacts, extensive expertise, and unparalleled passion is all they need from you to support you and your store’s efforts.
Take a stroll around The Book Lady’s Blog: Literary Adventures of a Panty-Throwing, Book-Loving Wild Woman. This is the blogger that has partnered with The Fountain Bookstore. Everybody wins. Fountain Bookstore promotes The Book Lady’s Blog at the store website. Kelly shares ARCs & Galleys with Rebecca. Rebecca has introduced some of her favorite authors at Fountain Bookstore’s events, and Kelly and Rebecca went to BEA together where Rebecca garnered favor with Kelly’s contacts, and vice versa. Kelly has enjoyed sales via Rebecca’s blog, Rebecca has garnered advertising for her blog, and both have gained some recognition in the industry as players.
FOR WEEK ONE:
1. Watch this video, Blogs in Plain English (this will help you understand just how blogs came to be and their value)
2. Read a book blog or two (http://bookbloggerappreciationweek.com/index.php/awards/2009) , if you don’t already (learn who these fine folks are and that they love books just as much as you do)That’s it. Stop. Go shelve or something. More next week.
Lady Banks Bookshelf
