Australian Booksellers Association to Adopt IndieBound

Australian booksellers embrace
IndieBound-inspired marketing

IndieBound has now expanded to the Southern Hemisphere. The Australian Booksellers Association (OzBA) is launching an Oz-based IndieBound this July. “I think it’s very encouraging to see booksellers working collaboratively across borders to support independent book retailing,” said OzBA CEO Joel Becker.

OzBA will announce the Australian IndieBound at their booksellers conference in Brisbane, scheduled to run from July 11 - 13. Under the new arrangement, the Australian Booksellers Association will license for its members' use certain IndieBound designs, collateral, and marketing materials. ABA will also be creating a customized version of the Bookseller DIY.

Becker said OzBA's hope was that Austrailian indie booksellers could "replicate the passion and enthusiasm" that American indie booksellers have for IndieBound. “Independent booksellers are an important part of the whole book industry and we would hate to see any decline in the market.”

“We’re delighted to collaborate with our Australian colleagues to highlight the value of independent booksellers to vibrant local communities,” said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. “IndieBound’s message is universal, and we look forward to seeing how independent Australian booksellers use IndieBound materials within their own unique businesses.”

ABA launched the IndieBound program in 2008. Last year the Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom and Ireland (BA) adopted IndieBound for use in the U.K [1]. (IndieBound is working so well for the BA, The Bookseller [2] recently ran a three-page feature on the popularity and adaptability of the program.)

OzBA became interested in IndieBound after incoming OzBA President Jon Page, of Pages and Pages [3] in Sydney; current President Fiona Stager of Avid Reader [4] in Brisbane; and Past President Derek Dryden, owner of Better Read Than Dead [5] in Sydney, attended ABA educational programming, including presentations on IndieBound.  They then invited ABA’s Membership and Marketing Officer, Meg Smith, to give part of a keynote address on the program at OzBA’s annual booksellers conference. The response was “tremendous,” said Page.

Once the program is offered to members of OzBA, which represents both chains and indies, Page said he expects “that a lot of our independent bookshop members will sign up very quickly.” 

Said Page, “I am personally really excited about IndieBound coming to Australia. I have been really envious of all the wonderful things [ABA] has been able to do for their members with IndieBound and to have our version in Australia is fantastic. I would like to thank Meg Smith and Paige Poe for their hard work, help and patience in getting IndieBound to Australia.”