Focus Group Signup Deadline May 3

In response to the success of the Bookseller/Publisher Focus Groups at Winter Institute 8, the American Booksellers Association has arranged a series of focus group meetings to be held during BookExpo America [1]. Booksellers who are interested in meeting with publishers to discuss issues of common interest and mutual concern must sign up by May 3. [2]

Adding their voices to the chorus of participants who felt that the Wi8 focus groups proved to be an extremely productive experience [3] are Barbara Theroux of Fact & Fiction in Missoula, Montana, and Carla Gray, director of adult marketing, at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

“The Publisher Focus Group that I participated in at the Winter Institute was one of the most productive sessions of the weekend,” said Theroux. “The publisher representatives came with concerns and questions. The booksellers were able to offer insights and recommendations. It gave me a great feeling about the state of independent bookselling and our publishing partners. I look forward to another rewarding session at BEA.”

From a publisher’s perspective, Gray said, “The focus groups were perhaps the most useful of all the publishing/bookseller programs offered to us at the Winter Institute.” HMH field sales manager Beth Ineson led the conversation on “how to work with marketing,” and vice versa, Gray said. “We discussed new ideas, existing programs, and talked a lot about the regional trade shows, and came away with new action points and plans.”

Booksellers who sign up for the focus groups at BEA by May 3 will be randomly assigned to a specific publisher for one of six time slots listed below. An e-mail with assignments will be sent from ABA’s Mark Nichols during the week of May 13.
 
Participation in the focus groups is limited to two booksellers per ABA member company. A unique e-mail address is required for each bookseller. Requests for specific publishers and/or time slots cannot be accommodated, and booksellers are asked not to change appointments during the show.
 
Thursday, May 30

• 9:50 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.
• 11:00 a.m. - Noon

Friday, May 31

• 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
• 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• 3:10 p.m. - 4:10 p.m.

Saturday, June 1

• 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• 11:10 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Sign up now for ABA’s Bookseller/Publisher Focus Groups. [2]Complete details about ABA programming at BEA are available here. [4]