Southern California Bestseller List Debuts

The first Southern California Independent Bestseller List, published in a cooperative effort between Book Sense and the Southern California Booksellers Association, debuted last week. The SCBA list includes bestsellers in the categories of Hardcover Fiction and Nonfiction, Trade Paperback Fiction and Nonfiction, Mass Market, and Children's (Fiction and Illustrated) books.

"SCBA is thrilled to have our bestseller list to illustrate the strength of our independent market and to inform customers what independent stores are selling," said SCBA Executive Director Jennifer Bigelow.

Eight other regional Book Sense Bestseller lists are currently published. The SCBA list joins those published in conjunction with the Great Lakes Booksellers Association and the Upper Midwest Booksellers Association, the Mid-South Independent Booksellers Association, the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association, the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, the New England Booksellers Association, the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, and the Southeast Booksellers Association.

The regional lists are created from weekly sales reports to the national Book Sense Bestseller List from independent bookstores participating in the Book Sense marketing program within each region.

Consistently providing consumers with independent booksellers' handselling favorites -- titles not often found on other bestseller lists until weeks or months later, if at all -- the Book Sense Bestseller lists are the freshest lists available and show what is truly selling regionally in the independent bookselling market.

Consistent weekly reporting by bookstores with Book Sense is key to keeping the lists fresh and unique. For details about how to report, booksellers should contact Associate Book Sense Marketing Director Meg Smith at (800) 637-0037, ext. 1239, or at meg@booksense.com.

Media outlets interested in publishing any of the Book Sense Bestseller lists should also contact Smith.