About Bookselling

“We are a cultural institution disguised as a retailer,” said Jeff Deutsch, director of the Seminary Co-op Bookstores. “Our cultural work of creating an unparalleled browsing experience and a hub for community...needs no further utility to justify its existence.”

In this new series’ second installment, Shabeeh Syed, the assistant manager at the Anderson’s Bookshop location in La Grange, Illinois, spoke with Bookselling This Week about her work.

As part of the “Tell Me Everything” series from online news and debate website The Tylt, editor-at-large Jessie Blaeser visited Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia, to find out why people love independent businesses.

Patterson is pledging a personal contribution of $250,000 to independent bookstore employees, which will be granted in amounts of $500 bonuses to 500 individual booksellers.

Author James Patterson will select winners from bookstores across the U.S. to receive bonuses this holiday season. The grant application asks one question: “Why does this bookseller deserve a holiday bonus?” 

The award recognizes the achievements of booksellers whose ideas, creativity, and execution have improved store operations, fostered community relationships, inspired new efficiencies, and more. 

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced Tuesday that religious books, including Bibles, will be excluded from the Trump administration’s 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, while tariffs on children’s books will be delayed to December 15.

Bookstore panelists spoke about how to identify small costs that add up, where to look for savings, small actions booksellers can take to impact overall savings and sales, and more.

In this session, attendees heard tips for the perfect pitch, how to create a great general event profile, how to request access to author grids, and more.

At this session on subscription boxes, booksellers learned about best practices for marketing, inventory control, options for special services, how to select categories, fulfillment management, and order tracking.

Elizabeth Acevedo, the New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X and With the Fire on High, spoke about the true meaning of being “well-read” at the seventh annual Children’s Institute. 

Here from Tegan Tigani, ABA Board member and children’s book buyer at Queen Anne Book Company in Seattle, is a recap of the full-day bookstore tour held last week during the 2019 Children’s Institute.