View Program at a Glance
require pre-registration.Pick up your badge, the official Ci6 welcome bag from Baker & Taylor, and a full schedule of Institute events. Group and table assignments are printed on bookseller badges.
9:00 am to 7:00 pm
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Pre-registration required [8]; Walk-ins welcome subject to space limitations; no fee. Open to Children’s Institute registered booksellers, this 101-level seminar will cover the fundamentals of budgeting, understanding cash flow, business financing, bookkeeping, and financial statements. The workshop will include a segment focusing on strategies for achieving higher profits and improving cash flow. The program will conclude with an interactive group discussion, working through an example of how booksellers can use their store’s financial information to make sound business decisions. The seminar will concentrate on bookstore finances as opposed to bookstore accounting, and though it will be helpful for attendees to be familiar with basic bookstore finances, deep financial experience is not required. Lunch will be served.
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
IndieCommerce and IndieLite are ABA’s online platforms for marketing events and author appearances as well as selling books and other merchandise. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce and IndieLite are invited to schedule a one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Hours are offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Appointments are encouraged. [10]
Pre-registration is required [12]; space is limited to 30 booksellers; fee: $30
Hone your penmanship and lure customers into your bookstore with beautiful chalkboard art. New Orleans-based illustrator and chalk artist Ashlee Arceneaux Jones will lead booksellers in a fun and interactive three-hour workshop in which she will teach the fundamentals of making an eye-catching sign. Each workshop participant will be provided with chalk and a small chalkboard.
Pre-registration is required [14]; space is limited to 60 booksellers; fee: $30
Bring your walking shoes! Join your colleagues on an exciting literary walking tour of the Big Easy. This three-hour afternoon tour will take booksellers to some of the most famous literary sites New Orleans has to offer.
5:00 pm to 5:30 pm
ABC Children's Institute scholarship recipients and their sponsoring publishers meet to say hello and thank you prior to the Ci6 Welcome Reception. Everyone receiving a scholarship should plan to attend the Meet and Greet.
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Celebrate the opening of the ABC Children’s Institute in the company of your colleagues from around the country. This year’s opening reception will feature a backlist book character costume contest. Come dressed as your favorite backlist book character and win prizes!
9:00 pm to 10:30 pm
After a fun and exciting Ci6 Opening Reception, attendees can kick back at this very special exclusive late night viewing party of Flying Eye Books Netflix Original, HILDA.
7:00 am to 5:00 pm
Pick up your badge, the official Ci6 welcome bag from Baker & Taylor, and a full schedule of Institute events. Group and table assignments are printed on bookseller badges.
7:30 am to 7:45 am
Mentors and mentees will meet at assigned tables for keynote breakfasts. Table assignments are noted on attendee badges.
7:45 am to 8:45 am
Mallika Chopra is a mom, media entrepreneur, public speaker, and published author. Her most recent book, Living With Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy, was published in April 2015. Mallika is the founder of Intent.com, a platform focused on personal, social, and global wellness. Mallika has taught meditations to thousands of people. She enjoys speaking to audiences around the world, including TedX and the Women's Conferences. She has shared ideas on balance and purpose at many companies, including Coca Cola, Disney, LinkedIn and Google. Mallika's writing and work have been featured in many publications including Time.com, Self Magazine, Women's Health, Prevention Magazine, OWN, Glamour, Oprah.com, Mind Body Green, the LA Times, and Huffington Post. She currently is featured in Time Magazine's Special Issue on Mindfulness. Her upcoming book, Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More will be published by Running Press Kids in August 2018. Find out more about Mallika online at mallikachopra.com [21].
9:00 am to 10:00 am
A bookstore’s community is far larger than one might think. When people walk by a storefront, they think, “This place is for me!” or “There is nothing for me here.” Bookselling colleagues who have made it part of their stores’ mission to expand their reach to underserved communities will share the most effective ways for a bookstore to reach out to new customers by diversifying inventory, marketing tactics, and events.
Just like Dear Abby, Edelweiss is here to answer all of your difficult and pressing questions on best practices for its platform. Space in each session is limited to 20 booksellers and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Successful social media marketing requires more than just posting and sharing content. Retailers that understand the power of engagement and customer relationships can generate name recognition, sales, on-site visitors, and more. Learn how to develop a more informed, organized, goal-oriented approach to your social media that will help you achieve your digital marketing goals. Identify how social media marketing can target the right audiences and grow your bottom line. This class will benefit any bookseller who has clearly defined digital marketing goals, currently manages one or more social media accounts, and is actively marketing on social media on a daily or weekly basis.
Managing large-scale off-site events takes a lot of planning. With concerns ranging from securing a location and ticketing to working with the publisher, formulating marketing strategies, and event team logistics, pulling together a large-scale event can quickly overwhelm even the most seasoned event planner. Come spend an hour with colleagues from bookstores that regularly produce children’s large-scale off-site events for insights and tips on how to manage a successful event of your own.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
IndieCommerce and IndieLite are ABA’s online platforms for marketing events and author appearances as well as selling books and other merchandise. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce and IndieLite are invited to schedule a one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Hours are offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Appointments are encouraged. [10]
Galley Room Grand A [27]
The always-popular Galley Room is filled with ARCs of upcoming titles from Ci6 sponsors. The room will open after the morning breakfast keynote on Wednesday and will remain open for the duration of the Institute.
9:00 am to 12:30 pm
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers.
10:15 am to 11:15 am
Allison Risbridger, client development specialist at NPD Book, will present a review of the most recent data on the U.S. children’s book market with a deep-dive into the latest trends in genres, formats, buyer behavior, and more. Attendees will emerge with plenty of new insights to help them better understand their business in the coming year.
11:30 am to 12:15 pm
Booksellers gather with colleagues to discuss the NPD findings and tips for using the ABC catalog. Discussions are led by ABA Board, BAC, and ABC Advisory Council members. Group and room assignments are printed on attendee badges.
12:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Enjoy lunch with reps and learn about great upcoming titles from the Ci6 publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned; table numbers are printed on bookseller badges. Booksellers are expected to attend.
Developed for author guests at ABC Children's Institute, this lunch panel features booksellers who have formulated best practices for creating events that benefit both stores and authors. This session will cover a number of issues, from author publicity to dealing with pre-event nerves.
12:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Ship your galleys from Ci6 with UPS instead of lugging them home. Payment is by credit card only and a UPS account cannot be used. There is a $5 per carton handling fee.
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers.
2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
Young adult books are consistently growing in sales, but who’s actually reading YA? Adults have been reading YA for years, and oftentimes in secret. Booksellers with a burning passion for young adult books will reveal their best-kept secrets on how to remove the stigma surrounding young adult books for older readers and successfully display, discuss, and hand-sell YA to the adult reader.
Are you looking for better checklists and forms to help you organize your store operations? Or do you already have procedures for self-published authors, special orders, or other store operations that you can’t live without? Here’s an opportunity for you and your fellow booksellers to crowdsource solutions. Come to this idea exchange with copies of your “best loved” forms and exchange them with “best loved” forms from other stores.
Newsletters are an easy and fun way to communicate to your customers what’s happening in your bookstore. Bookselling panelists who have mastered newsletter writing will dissect what makes a successful newsletter.
Panel: Kenny Brechner, Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers; Broche Fabian, Quail Ridge Books; Jessica Palacios, Once Upon a Time
Launch your passion for bookselling into the stratosphere by taking the steps to become a heavy hitter in the independent bookselling world. There are many ways to get involved, and opportunities are always available. Hear from members and leaders of the independent regional bookseller associations, the ABA Board of Directors, the ABC Advisory Council, the ABA Bookseller Advisory Council, Indies Introduce panelists, and ABA Education Task Force members about the processes, commitment, and experiences booksellers can expect when they get involved outside the store.
4:00 pm to 5:20 pm
To encourage further interaction between booksellers and publishers, booksellers will have the opportunity to meet with Ci6’s sponsoring publishers in small groups to discuss issues of common interest and mutual concern. Booksellers will be assigned to a specific table for this session; publishers will move from table to table. Table assignments are printed on booksellers’ badges.
5:40 pm to 7:00 pm
Thanks to the generosity of ABA’s publisher sponsors, many authors and illustrators will be on hand to chat with booksellers and autograph new and forthcoming titles at the Author Reception. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
9:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Enjoy drinks and desserts at the Scholastic After-party. Meet Authors and illustrators, take home gifts, and get a first look at upcoming books. Featuring Mac Barnett (Mac Undercover), Rafael López (We’ve Got the Whole World in Our Hands), Daniel José Older (The Dactyl Hill Squad), and Kody Keplinger (That’s Not What Happened).
7:30 am to 7:45 am
7:30 am to 3:00 pm
Member Relationship Managers Elizabeth Roberts and Daniel O’Brien can answer any questions about ABA or Ci6.
7:45 am to 8:45 am
Chelsea Clinton is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, which was praised in a starred review by Publishers Weekly as a “lovely, moving work of children's literature [and a] polished introduction to a diverse and accomplished group of women." She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going! and, with Devi Sridhar, Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why? Chelsea Clinton is the Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she works on many initiatives including those that help to empower the next generation of leaders. She lives in New York City with her husband, Marc, their daughter, Charlotte, their son, Aidan, and their dog, Soren. You can follow her on Twitter at @ChelseaClinton or on Facebook at facebook.com/chelseaclinton [45].
8:45 am to 6:00 pm
Galley Room Grand A [46]
The always-popular Galley Room is filled with ARCs of upcoming titles from Ci6 sponsors. The room will open after the morning breakfast keynote on Wednesday and will remain open for the duration of the Institute.
9:00 am to 10:00 am
Bookstores are not only where to go to purchase a new book, they also serve as centers for communities and places of refuge. Booksellers go to great lengths to foster feelings of inclusion so that everyone, including today’s LGBTQIA youth, feels that their local independent bookstore is a place where they can express their voices and be themselves freely. In this session, panelists who have implemented LGBTQIA youth programming and nurtured a space of inclusion in their stores will share the details of their efforts, why creating programs is important, the impact the programs have had on their community, and how you can get involved at your own bookstore.
Eva Chen — known to her 800,000+ Instagram followers as @evachen212 — is a self-described “fashion nerd” who has worked for Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Teen Vogue, and Vogue, and was the youngest ever editor in chief of Lucky magazine (appointed by Anna Wintour). Eva is currently the head of brand partnerships at Instagram. In this program, Eva will provide insider knowledge and resources to help booksellers build distinct brands and increase presence on Instagram and other social platforms, while retaining the authenticity and individuality that makes independent bookstores so special.
Take your store out on the road with a pop-up shop. Whether you’re popping up for a book fair, farmer’s market, or off-site event, the ability to be mobile can increase sales and expand a store’s reach by introducing its brand to new customers in unexpected places. A panel of booksellers who have the pop-up know-how will share the ins and outs of managing staff, cash flow, and inventory planning and maintenance, and offer tips they wish they’d known before heading out of the store.
STEM and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) books are becoming increasingly more creative as the emphasis from schools and parents on the core curriculum holds steady. In response to the demand, a panel of authors, publishers, and booksellers will share their inventive and thoughtful ways of marketing and presenting STEM and STEAM books to children, parents, and educators.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
IndieCommerce and IndieLite are ABA’s online platforms for marketing events and author appearances as well as selling books and other merchandise. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce and IndieLite are invited to schedule a one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Hours are offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Scheduling is now open. [10]
9:00 am to 11:15 am
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers.
Booksellers will have the opportunity to meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers will have sample copies of their books as well as additional copies for giveaways at their discretion.
10:15 am to 11:00 am
In an increasingly polarized world, parents are looking for tools to discuss the difficult political and global challenges that their children will one day inherit. In response to this need, powerful voices in children’s publishing share their perspective, encouragement, hope, and inspiration to help parents, educators, and young readers ignite lasting change in their communities.
11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Ship your galleys from Ci6 with UPS instead of lugging them home. Payment is by credit card only and a UPS account cannot be used. There is a $5 per carton handling fee.
11:15 am to 12:45 pm
In a series of brief presentations, the Ci6 small press sponsors discuss their publishing programs and key upcoming titles. Following the presentations, Indies Introduce authors read selections from their debut books and sign immediately afterward. Seating is open for this lunch.
12:45 pm to 5:15 pm
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers.
Booksellers will have the opportunity to meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers will have sample copies of their books as well as additional copies for giveaways at their discretion.
12:45 pm to 2:00 pm
Immediately following their lunch presentations, reps from participating small press sponsors will be available to meet with interested booksellers for further discussion.
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
A book festival can be an ideal vehicle to promote reading and literacy in your community. Booksellers intimately involved in festivals will explain how to get started with your own children’s or teen festival, including working in partnership with other local businesses and organizations, attracting authors and working with publicists, and garnering media attention.
Just like Dear Abby, Edelweiss is here to answer all of your difficult and pressing questions on best practices for its platform.
You see a book in a publisher’s catalog and You. Have. To. Have. It. You know nothing about the story inside, but something about the cover speaks to you — it draws you in like a moth to a flame and you know what’s between the covers has to be good. That’s the power of a great book cover. Enjoy this exciting session with publishing art directors to learn how an exceptional picture book, middle grade, and young adult book cover is born.
Teens and tweens have their fingers on the pulse of what’s trending. Not only are they bright, innovative, and full of opinions, but they are also a useful resource to your store! Booksellers from bookstores that have successful teen and tween advisory boards will detail how to start, sustain, and get kids involved in bookstore and children’s department activities, making your bookstore a place for young people to visit and spend their pocket money.
2:15 pm to 3:00 pm
Temple Grandin is one of the world's most accomplished and well-known adults with autism. She has a PhD in animal science from the University of Illinois and is a professor at Colorado State University. She is the author of twelve books on autism and animal behavior, including the national bestsellers Thinking in Pictures and Animals in Translation. Dr. Grandin was inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2018 she will be made a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She lectures to parents and teachers throughout the U.S. on her experiences with autism, and her work has been covered in the New York Times, People, National Public Radio, and 20/20. Most recently she was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of the year. The HBO movie based on her life, starring Claire Danes, received seven Emmy Awards. Her newest book, Calling All Minds: How To Think and Create Like an Inventor will be published by Penguin Young Readers in May 2018.
3:15 pm to 4:15 pm
Virtual author visits are a great way for bookstores to bring authors to their stores and into schools. Fabled Films Press, Nocturnal's series author Tracey Hecht, and a panel of booksellers who have hosted virtual author visits will share their experiences partnering with each other to create successful virtual author visits. They will also advise on best practices for stores, and special programs like Fabled Films Press' Read Aloud Writing program and more traditional author and book club visits using Facetime, Skype, or Google Hangouts.
Bookstores and libraries share a similar goal: to reach the community through the power of books. Each institution has its own valuable set of resources. This session will have booksellers, experts, and librarians discussing how to benefit from each other’s resources and knowledge to best serve their communities.
Are you a brand-new bookstore, a provisional member, or thinking about taking the leap into bookstore ownership? If so, this session is for you! Veteran bookstore owners who have wisdom and insight into what goes into bookstore longevity will give new owners and owners-to-be the inside scoop on what they need to know, plus share what they wish they had known before taking the plunge.
4:30 pm to 5:15 pm
Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was having an article about her in Right On! magazine. She holds a BFA in creative writing and can still rap if needed. She is also the author of The Hate You Give. Her newest book, On the Come Up will be published in February 2019 by Balzer + Bray. You can find her at angiethomas.com [69].
5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Teams will compete for bragging rights at the Post-Ci6 Trivia Party. Based on the popular event held at the regional trade shows, the Ci6 version will focus on children’s literature so everyone can play!