BTW News Briefs

New Atlantic Booksellers Name Sales Rep of the Year

Bill Getz of Publishers Group West has been named the 2011 Helmuth Sales Rep of the Year by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. A book industry veteran, Getz said in a letter to NAIBA members, “I can't imagine a better way to spend my time than in meeting with smart, knowledgeable book people and talking about what we love the most -- books and the people who create them.” Getz will receive the Helmuth Sales Rep of the Year Award at the NAIBA Awards Banquet, Tuesday, September 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Children’s Books Exempt From CPSIA Testing Requirements

An amendment to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed by the House and the Senate that exempts “ordinary” children’s books from the law’s testing requirements, as reported by Publishers Weekly. Three years after CPSIA was enacted, the amendment was welcome news to publishers of print books. Said Gary Jones, assistant vice president for environmental, health, and safety affairs at the Printing Industries of America, “We still have to comply with the lead limits and the tracking labels, but not the most onerous part, which is the testing and subsequently the certification requirements.” Certain novelty books will still require testing. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature. It is expected to become law.

Shelf Awareness Widget Promotes Consumer Publication & Giveaway

Booksellers, librarians, and media folks can help Shelf Awareness get the word out about its new publication, Shelf Awareness for Readers, by embedding a widget in their websites or newsletters. Customers who sign up for Shelf Awareness for Readers then have a chance to win a featured title.

Embedding the widget on store sites is easy. Shelf Awareness provides the HTML code that booksellers can paste into their sites, wherever they would like the widget to appear. There’s also an introduction that can be used to tell customers about the giveaway. Learn more.