Registration for Prospective Booksellers School Closes May 7

Prospective booksellers who are interested in participating in "Opening a Bookstore: Creating Foundations for Success," a school sponsored by the American Booksellers Association and facilitated by Paz & Associates at BookExpo America, must register by Wednesday, May 7. The school program will run from Tuesday afternoon, May 27, through Thursday, May 29, at Hotel ABA, the Renaissance Hollywood, in Los Angeles.

The Booksellers School curriculum is right for anyone contemplating a career as a bookstore owner, or anyone working towards opening a bookstore or considering investing in one. Participants can expect to learn:

• How to assess whether your community will support an independent bookstore
• Ways that successful booksellers compete in today's market
• How much it will cost to implement your vision
• Bookstore financial dynamics -- why some bookstores are profitable and others aren't
• How long it will take to open
• How your dream compares with reality

Booksellers School students will spend Thursday with seasoned booksellers at ABA's Day of Education, where they'll be able to explore topics ranging from green retailing, to the growing localism movement, to negotiating a lease, to budgeting and monitoring, and much more.

Booksellers School registration includes admission to the BEA trade show, including all non-ticketed events. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to be paired with an experienced bookseller who will show them the ropes at the trade show, answer questions about opening a bookstore, and more.

Tuition is $300 per person for ABA members, $600 per person for non-members. Advance registration is required and is via a registration form on ABA's trade website, www.BookWeb.org. Only a limited number of spaces are open for the school, and they are expected to fill up quickly.

Bookseller School registrants will be automatically registered for BookExpo America; however, tickets to special events with fees must be ordered through the BEA website.

A block of rooms at this year's Hotel ABA, The Renaissance Hollywood, has been set aside for Booksellers School registrants who are ABA members. Members who would like to book a room at the special rate of $164 per night should contact ABA's Margaret Nafz as soon as possible at (800) 637-0037 ext. 6614 or margaret@bookweb.org, as these rooms are expected to sell out quickly.

Booksellers School registrants who are not ABA bookstore or provisional members, and those who are unable to reserve a hotel room at Hotel ABA, can book a room at any one of a number of hotels where BookExpo America has negotiated rates. A list of these hotels and a reservation form can be found at the BookExpo America Travel Desk. ABA has also created a list of other accommodation options in Hollywood. No special rates have been negotiated, but they are within walking distance of Hotel ABA.

An application form to join ABA as a provisional member is available on BookWeb.org, as are membership details.

Questions about membership, as well as general inquiries about Booksellers School, should be addressed to ABA's Sarah Rettger at (914) 373-6645 or sarah@bookweb.org.