Industry Voices - All

By Joel Crockett and David Skibbins The town of Gualala, California, hangs over the Pacific Coast, almost two hours away from the nearest MacDonald's, Wal-Mart, Borders, or Safeway. To the south, cows walk unfenced across the only highway into town. In wet weather the river to the north inevitably floods, shutting off all traffic till it recedes. Fewer than 2,000 locals live here year round.

Melissa Lion By Melissa Lion

Steven Hall Steven Hall, author of The Raw Shark Texts (Canongate), an April Book Sense Pick, provides an entertaining look at his experiences on a cross-country promotional tour. Friday, April 27

Less than two weeks after attending this year's Winter Institute, Becky Milner, the owner of Vintage Books in Vancouver, Washington, wrote to ABA staff to share some of the many changes the two-day education program, and her networking colleagues, inspired her to make in the store's operations. What she created was the beginnings of a great marketing checklist for any independent bookseller. February 13, 2007

By ABA President Russ Lawrence of Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, Montana

Jessica Stockton, events coordinator at New York City's McNally Robinson Booksellers (and bookseller blogger extraordinaire), files a full account of the second annual Winter Institute, in Portland, Oregon, from the opening reception to the plane flight home. By Jessica Stockton

by Len Vlahos From December 8 to December 10, Len Vlahos, ABA's education and BookSense.com director, joined the bookselling team at Maria's Bookshop in Durango, Colorado, for a weekend stint as a frontline bookseller. This is his account of magical car rides, a charming Colorado town, and hectic holiday sales days while working at a very successful independent bookstore.

To Have and to Hold ... From This Day Forward?By Ann Lacefield When technology fails, or a marriage for that matter, whose fault is it?