About Bookselling

Small Press Month is officially the month of March, but don't tell that to independent booksellers -- those who spoke to BTW explained that they celebrate small presses all year round. That's because small presses play a key role in the identities of their stores, allowing each independent bookstore to offer unique titles that their customers might not find elsewhere.

At a time when more retail space is devoted to selling books than ever before and an increasing number of consumers are turning to Internet retailers, sustaining and growing a profitable bookstore business requires that each person in a management role fully understand the fundamentals of running a business.

Once again, booksellers at BookExpo America will have the opportunity to attend a special day of educational programming designed specifically for them. Organized and sponsored by American Booksellers Association, the full day of bookseller education panels and seminars is set for Thursday, May 29, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Last year, when ABA's day-long bookseller education programming debuted at BEA in New York City, the panels and seminars were extremely well received.

By Ed Avis Writers buy books. According to a survey in 2000, nearly all readers of The Writer magazine purchased books in the last year, and 60 percent of them bought at least one book each month. How do you get those folks into your store? Starting a writers' group is one way.

When making travel plans for this year's BookExpo America in Los Angeles, booksellers are encouraged to keep in mind that on Thursday, May 29, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., ABA will once again be sponsoring a full day of bookseller educational programming. The special educational programming, taking place the day before the BEA trade show floor opens, will include in-depth sessions on:

By Carl Lennertz Three books to watch, thanks to the almost 400 stores who reported last week! Are YOU one of the stores contributing to this wealth of knowledge? As it turns out, all of these are also on at least one Regional Bestseller List:

One key element to successful bookstore succession planning is to know your ideal buyer and terms. Experts attest that the process of selling a store is complicated enough without having to negotiate with a buyer who is, at best, an unknown quantity.

In our ongoing coverage of the public debate regarding the retail makeup of a proposed government-subsidized development in Austin, Texas, BTW has cited an economic study commissioned by Liveable City and The Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA), local nonprofit groups. The study documents how local merchants contribute significantly more to the local economy than do retail chains.

The bookstore training and consulting group of Paz & Associates, in conjunction with the American Booksellers Association, is offering a spring workshop for those interested in, or already involved in, the process of opening or buying a bookstore. "Opening a Bookstore: The Business Essentials" will be held on March 23 - 28 in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Participants will learn:

Bookseller response to the new online ABACUS reporting system continues to grow -- and has been extremely positive. Recently, booksellers touted the new ABACUS on BookWeb.org's Booksellers General Forum and on the e-mail listserve of the New England Booksellers Association (NEBA).