About Bookselling

Fundamentals of Independent Bookselling -- Strategies for Understanding and Growing a Profitable Business Wednesday, May 1 from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Thursday, May 2 from 9:00 a.m. - Noon and 2:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.; and Friday, May 3 from 9:00 a.m. - Noon.

There will be a particularly strong focus on professional development, education, and networking at this year's BookExpo America -- a centerpiece of which will be a full day of programming on Thursday, May 2, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Karl Kilian, owner of Brazos Bookstore in Houston, is determined to try to put his city and his store on the literary map. "[The University of] Houston has this very good writing program … and it's made serious inroads to the consciousness of the city. But we still don't figure in nationally," he told BTW. "When times were better, [Brazos] bookstore itself could hold events ... but we're off the map in terms of author tours."

The next week-long intensive workshop, "Opening A Bookstore: The Business Essentials," will be held March 3 - 8 in Raleigh, North Carolina. More than a dozen book industry professionals will conduct training to introduce attendees to retail bookselling. From what it will cost to how much you'll make, from choosing a smart location to creating your initial inventory and selecting a computerized management system, attendees will learn the kinds of details that will help decide whether bookselling is the right choice and how to avoid common start-up pitfalls.

For many booksellers, publisher co-operative promotions are an essential and cost-effective tool. As Dave Kaverman, co-owner of the Little Professor Book Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, explained in a previous BTW piece last fall, utilizing publisher co-op allowances can help a store fulfill several goals at once: increasing a store's marketing exposure while also adding money to the bottom line.

Quick Links to Each Day's Events: Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Multi-day To download this schedule in pdf format, click here. THURSDAY, MAY 2