BookSense.com Becomes ABA E-commerce Solution
With the launch of IndieBound last Thursday at BookExpo America, the Book Sense marketing program has been replaced with a program that's more of a movement than a marketing campaign, and this means changes for the BookSense.com program.
First and foremost, BookSense.com is not part of IndieBound, and it has been renamed the ABA E-commerce Solution. This will be visible in several ways:
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The BookSense.com hub site -- www.booksense.com -- will be replaced by the new IndieBound.org website. Both sites will exist side by side for the next month, as the transition is made from Book Sense to IndieBound.
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E-mail addresses for ABA staff are changing from name@booksense.com to name@bookweb.org. (For example, patti@booksense.com is now patti@bookweb.org.)
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Over the next few weeks, beginning on Tuesday, June 3, the following changes will be made to individual websites:
The Book Sense logo will be removed.
The Book Sense Bestseller list will be rebranded as the Indie Bestseller List.
The Book Sense Picks will be rebranded as the Indie Next List. (Both the Indie Bestseller List and Indie Next list are optional and are enabled by default.)
The words "Book Sense" will be removed from the gift card page. BookSense gift cards will be replaced by ABA Gift Cards.
The URL of stores using "store.booksense.com" will be changing to an IndieBound URL. It's important that booksellers make this change in their print and electronic marketing materials. (All traffic attempting to reach store.booksense.com will be redirected to the new URL.)
Inventory Uploads Now Free At the E-commerce Solution Users Group meeting at BEA, Ricky Leung, the program's director, announced that the $20 fee for uploading local store inventory has been removed. All participating stores may now upload their inventory at no additional cost. ABA staff is now in the process of automating inventory uploads. (Watch for more details in the coming weeks.) Stores interested in participating in the inventory upload program should contact staff@bookweb.org beginning Monday, June 9. |