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The Best Handseller

The Best Sales Rep

NAIBA Position Statement

NAIBA expects every publisher to respect the relationships between the local bookseller and members of their community. NAIBA opposes any publisher’s decision to offer books directly to consumers below the prices it charges its bookseller cutomers.

NAIBA expects every publisher to respect the relationships between the local bookseller and members of their community. When a publisher offers direct special sales at deep below-cost discount, it damages the publisher’s historic partnership with local booksellers. NAIBA expects every publisher to develop policies that emphasize directing special sales to local independents.

I was so grateful for the 'kick in the butt' from NAIBA to "expect every publisher to develop policies that emphasize directing special sales to local independents."

Catapult and Counterpoint Press had been doing this in an unorganized and intermittent way already, wherever we had existing relationships with stores or when an author was local to an area. But the NAIBA call was a reminder that every sale, in every town, matters. And it's up to publishers to create the processes and take the time to make connections between the direct sale opportunity and an indie bookstore in the area. It's a little bit of effort on my team's part that goes a long way towards sustaining a community we claim to value as champions of the culture we're trying to create.

So thanks to NAIBA, we're now directing every special sale in every region to a local indie first.

Jennifer Abel Kovitz

Associate Publisher, Director of Marketing

Catapult, Counterpoint Press, & Soft Skull

Fall Conference 2018

Registration opens June 2018.

Saturday - Monday, October 6-8, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor

Improve your store's marketing & publicity kit. View our press kit webinar.

Publicity speed dating event has now become the single most beneficial thing I've done this year. We have Madeline Miller coming for Circe in May (our first author event with a major publisher!), I'm working with Harper Avon to set up an author-curated romance section, and we're in the process of getting an author presentation for our community center's Civil War series! Not bad for a mostly-used store in the middle of nowhere. Thanks for organizing it!

Erin Matthews, owner, Books With A Past

Welcome to NAIBA! We're a regional trade association of locally-owned, independent booksellers, and the authors and publishers who enjoy working with them and promoting their books through the independent bookstore. We provide the community, education, awareness, and tools for independent bookstores to succeed. Our region covers New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, northern Virginia and West Virginia.

To achieve these goals, NAIBA hosts an annual conference in the Fall to educate and enlighten booksellers and publishers; creates opportunities throughout the year for booksellers to visit with each other and exchange ideas and have problems solved; communicates weekly with our members on industry events, issues, and creative ideas.

"Our dues check is one I never mind writing. Thanks for all you do to help us build our business."

Marlene England, Curious Iguana

Fall Conference

This annual Fall gathering is 2 1/2 days of bookseller education, networking, author events, and awards ceremonies. The publisher display tables are a highlight with their fall and winter picks of the lists. Reps are there to help you sell books using winning marketing tips, author appearances, and promotional products. The Conference is FREE to NAIBA bookstore members. Publishers sponsor event ticket packets for frontline booksellers, so register early to qualify. Saturday – Monday, Oct. 6-8, 2018, Hyatt Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD

Holiday Catalog

NAIBA has a 12-page, full color catalog that NAIBA members can order FREE of charge. Exceptional regional and national titles are showcased with appealing descriptions and full color jacket covers. Have them available for your customers in your store, place in other retail outlets, mail to customers, insert in newspapers, etc. An online e-commerce version is available as well. These catalogs are guaranteed to generate new sales.

Publisher Advocate

Sales are lost if you don’t know early on what titles are receiving publishers’ support, and it can be overwhelming reviewing catalogs without a reps’ input. NAIBA has a solution. Publisher Advocates are sales reps who have volunteered to provide marked-up Edelweiss catalogs to accounts who don’t work with a rep.

Publisher Promotions

NAIBA compiles all the publishers specials in one spreadsheet and emails the excel file to book buyers on Monday morning. Don’t lose track of promotions - sign up to be on this email distribution list.

NAIBAhood Events & Gatherings: visit our website to register, or email NAIBAeileen@gmail.com

ABA Forum: Wednesday, March 28 in NYC

Independent Bookstore Day: Saturday, April 29, all over the country!

Pittsburgh Social: date to be announced

New York City Social: Monday, July 16, NYC

Washington DC Social: date to be announced

Hachette Open House: August, NYC

Book Buddies & NAIBAhood Network

A group of seasoned booksellers have volunteered their time to share their expertise in various store operations. They can offer advice and assistance to NAIBA members whenever you need it. These “Book Buddies” can work with you on the phone and are amenable to an in-store visit.

Publicity Speed Dating & Press Kits Online

Every year, mid-winter, NAIBA hosts a full day of publicity speed-dating, allowing up to 30 bookstores the chance to have 20 quick meetings with publicists to plan out future events. To support the success of our Publicity Speed Dating, NAIBA is the clearinghouse for our members’ publicity kits, which are posted online. NAIBA promotes this service to publishers constantly, so be sure to have your store’s information posted. Email us your publicity kit; if you need assistance with content, NAIBA’s website (www.naiba.com) has a list of important information required by publicity departments.

Advocacy

NAIBA works closely with ABA on the e-fairness legislative issue, keeping you informed on your state’s legislative agenda and providing the materials and templates to send to your elected officials. NAIBA also is your voice with publishers on business practices.

Thank You to Our Fall Conference Sponsors!