News - Bookselling

Judy Blume is one of the best loved -- and most frequently censored -- authors. Her novels for both kids and adults have sold over 75 million copies, including Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Superfudge; Blubber; Just As Long as We're Together; Forever; and, most recently, Summer Sisters.

A number of ABA bookstores members have provided the Association with credit card information to keep on file to allow for the automatic charging of various fees and expenses. Some are charged at regular intervals and some only when a particular expense is incurred. In addition, when ABA products and services are ordered, these may be charged to a credit card number provided at the time the order is placed.

On January 19, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Tempe's Human Relations Commission hosted its Fourth Annual Diversity Awards ceremony to honor and celebrate individuals and organizations from the community who demonstrated a commitment to diversity. The 28-year-old Changing Hands Bookstore was among those honored with the 2002 Diversity Award in the Business category.

According to Reuters, the travel industry experienced a 20 percent drop in "like-for-like" sales for the 20 weeks to January 19. The International Air Transport Industry Association announced that passenger traffic on international flights was down four percent, and in December international traffic plummeted 12 percent from the prior year. Among those travel-related businesses feeling the pinch from these drastic drop-offs are airport and hotel bookstores.

BookSense.com has begun a marketing program designed to encourage booksellers who may not have evaluated the program since its commercial launch in November 2000 to look again. Len Vlahos, BookSense.com director, told BTW that since BookSense.com first went online in the summer of 2000 in a live beta test "the product has experienced so much growth and development -- we really want stores to take another look."

Viacom has announced its decision to integrate its Simon & Schuster publishing operation with the Viacom Entertainment Group (VEG). And while Viacom expects the move to positively impact Simon & Schuster, the question remains: What will its impact be on booksellers? According to Adam Rothberg, vice president and director of corporate communications for Simon & Schuster, it will be business as usual.

A brilliant young lawyer practices in a small town in the Deep South; respected and beloved, he's elected to the state legislature. He continues practicing law while serving in the House of Representatives for years until a case about rape and revenge changes his life forever.