August 21, 2008 number of booksellers -- both indie and corporate -- have noted TABLE OF CONTENTS: their plans regarding the book. As far as indie booksellers go, each • Expediency Vs an Open Marketplace of Ideas will make a decision regarding Obama's Challenge on their own, based on their particular business realities. In such matters, I would .......................................................................... 1 never presume to speak for them, or to suggest a course of action. • NAIBA Fall Conference Features Education, But there are issues of real importance here that I do want to Authors & Food ................................................ 1 discuss, issues that transcend the headlines of a single day. What I • Midwest Connections: MBA's 28th Annual find most troubling about Chelsea Green's decision to exclude all Trade Show Returns to St. Paul ....................... 2 channels of distribution save one -- for what might be the prime • Important Announcement: BookWeb Users sales period of a very topical book -- is that they have chosen expediency at the expense of supporting those values that underpin Will Soon Need to Reset Passwords ................ 3 a free society that depends on open market access. • The Indie Community Needs You! ................... 4 One of my core beliefs as a bookseller is that a free society depends • Kids' Indie Next List Now Featured on on a diverse marketplace of ideas, and that closed markets, IndieBound.org ................................................. 4 exclusive agreements, and tactics designed to achieve a short-term • A Three-City Tour: Independent Booksellers victory at the expense of core values are both short-sighted and Prepare for Political Conventions ..................... 4 counter productive. The issue of exclusivity works to the detriment • GLBT Titles: Not Just For GLBTs Anymore ..... 6 of independent businesses; open markets encourage the free flow of ideas. Ironically, Chelsea Green's actions come in a campaign • What's It All About? R.J. Julia's Great Books season where the clarion call by the candidate who is the subject of Program Tries to Find Out ................................ 7 their book has been for meaningful change -- especially to change • BTW News Briefs ............................................. 8 politics from an enterprise monopolized by a privileged few • The Indie Sci-Fi & Fantasy Bestseller List ........ 8 making decisions behind closed doors to one in which a diverse society participates in an open process. • Emerging Leaders Get a Taste of IndieBound .......................................................................... 9 Using existing technology and an extensive network of booksellers -- again both indie and corporate -- I am convinced that Chelsea • IndieBound On Tour ......................................... 9 Green could have achieved its sales goals, reaching readers and selling many copies of their timely book. In 2008, there are many MARKETPLACE print-on-demand options, there are many indie and corporate online booksellers, and there is every reason to believe that the excitement • Classifieds ........................................................ 10 and enthusiasm of thousands of booksellers nationwide handselling • Other Advertising .............................................. 10 Obama's Challenge from the opening of the Democratic Convention would have resulted in the most impressive book launch possible. Expediency Vs an Open Marketplace of Obviously, that's not what Chelsea Green decided to do this time. As they continue to receive feedback about this decision and Ideas proceed toward the launch of Obama's Challenge , I hope they August 21, 2008 -- An open letter from ABA President Gayle recognize their own challenge: To trust in the most unique treasure Shanks on Chelsea Green's decision to limit the distribution of our country offers -- the value of a free and open society. Obama's Challenge Sincerely, Gayle Shanks Dear Book Industry Colleagues: ABA President For booksellers, this week there's a new headline issue in the Changing Hands Bookstore 1 presidential race. The news is not about health care, inflation, or Tempe, Arizona foreign policy, but it raises important issues none the less -- issues about fair play, the free flow of information, and a vibrant NAIBA Fall Conference Features marketplace of ideas. Education, Authors & Food The story in question is publishing house Chelsea Green's decision August 21, 2008 -- 2 The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers to restrict the sale of its upcoming title Obama's Challenge: 3 America's Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Association (NAIBA) will hold its Fall Conference from Presidency for its initial weeks of availability to Amazon.com. Saturday, September 20, through Monday, September 22, at the Since the news was first reported in Publishers Weekly last week, a Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The conference, a "unique annual gathering to help booksellers market books," will © 2008 American Booksellers Association. http://news.bookweb.org/ 1 BOOKSELLING THIS WEEK August 21, 2008 feature a plethora of educational sessions, the annual Movable Feast Luncheon, the Children's Breakfast, the Awards Banquet, and ABA's E-commerce Solution is undergoing a major overhaul, Saturday's Early Bird Supper & Magic Show. American planned for a fall 2008 release. The site is migrating to the Booksellers Association education programming at this year's event open-source platform Drupal, which will provide users with new includes "Connecting to Your Customers and Community With and improved administrative tools, better performance and IndieBound," "Bookstore Self Audit: A Critical Look at Your Own reliability, and a shorter path to new features and functionality. Operations," and "ABA's E-Commerce Solution Users' Group." Participants in the users group will have an opportunity to meet Some of the changes at this year's conference include a new with and provide feedback to ABA's e-commerce staff. breakfast on Sunday morning, sponsored by Penguin Group Booksellers who are not currently E-Commerce participants are "featuring some great children's writers -- T.A. Barron, Jay Asher, also invited to attend. Loren Long, and Cameron Tuttle," Eileen Dengler, NAIBA Among NAIBA's offerings on Sunday are "Sunrise With Susan - executive director, told BTW via e-mail. Gentle Yoga," with Susan Weis of breathe books in Baltimore, Also new, NAIBA is bringing its Book Buddies program to the Maryland, who will lead attendees through gentle yoga and conference on Saturday, September 20, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. breathing exercises; the "NAIBA Morning Show," with John Book Buddies are a group of booksellers who visit bookstores Mutter of Shelf Awareness interviewing Jonathon Welch of Talking during the year and provide ideas and answer questions from a Leaves Books in Buffalo, New York, and Erika Davis of Creekside bookstore that requested the visit, Dengler reported. "This year Books & Caf, in Skaneateles, New York; the "Tween Literature: we'll have them available at the conference for drop-in [bookseller] Too Much Too Soon" panel discussion regarding literature visits -- kind of like Lucy in Peanuts : [the] 'Book Buddies Are In' marketed to middle schoolers; and the Opening Reception. will answer any question booksellers have." Monday's programming kicks off with the Breakfast, which Dengler stressed that "it goes without saying" that ABA's includes NAIBA's Annual Meeting and publisher Pick of the Lists, IndieBound session is a "must-attend for all booksellers. This is and then the exhibit floor is open from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. such an important business action item that everyone can utilize Features on the floor include a Children's Author/Illustrator Show and personalize. I'd like to see the enthusiasm we felt during our & Tell, Author Autographing, and Discover New Authors Tables. smaller introductory meetings be shared with all the booksellers at ABA will also have a booth on the NAIBA exhibit floor, where the conference." booksellers can meet with staff and learn about IndieBound and the ABA's programming, sponsored by Ingram Book Group/Ingram association's many other services and products. Information will Publisher Services, will be presented by ABA Chief Program also be available about the Winter Institute 4 (Wi4), to be held in Officer Len Vlahos; Senior Director, Publisher Initiatives Mark Salt Lake City, Utah, from Thursday, January 29, through Sunday, Nichols; and Education Coordinator Lisa Winn. ABA education February 1. sessions include: Booksellers can enter a raffle for a free trip to Wi4 (airfare and up Sunday, September 21 to a two-night hotel stay for one person) by dropping a business • Bookstore Self Audit: A Critical Look at Your Own card off at the ABA booth on the show floor. They can also enter Operations, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. the raffle a second time by updating their store profile 4 via Learn how to evaluate your store from the perspective of your BookWeb.org. One winner will be chosen at random at the end of customers. The focus will be on your business' ambiance, October from all entries received at the nine regional shows and via convenience, financial health, inventory selection, marketing, profile updates. and customer services and how to use the audit to identify where Registration materials, including ticket information and a full to focus your resources to make your bookstore more schedule of events, are available on the NAIBA