The NCIBA in Pictures
The Art of the Blurb
Wendy Sheanin, Director of Marketing for the Adult Publishing Group at Simon & Schuster, recently created a great show-and-tell flier on blurb writing (380KB PDF) and why it’s important. The flier has been making the rounds among publishers and booksellers, so we wanted to reproduce it here for any interested booksellers.
New NCIBA Bookstore Blogs Page
We now have a page with the latest posts from blogs written by NCIBA members. Check it out!
Top Shelf Picks
We are sending the list weekly to booksellers, and we are also posting the information on our bestsellers page. There you’ll also find the week’s Top Shelf list — 10 recommended new titles from an independent bookstore.
IndieBound.org Affiliate Program Grows by Leaps and Bounds
The IndieBound.org Affiliate Program is unique in that it links to not one, but hundreds of independent bookstore websites. And this week the program, which pays generous commissions to bloggers, authors, and other website owners on sales their sites refer to independent bookstores, launched the first of several planned enhancements.
“The IndieBound.org Affiliate Program is the best way for bloggers to express their commitment to free speech, diversity, and shopping local,” said ABA Chief Marketing Officer Meg Smith.
“In light of the recent news about Amazon, many prominent bloggers are reconsidering where their links for book sales go,” added IndieBound Outreach Liaison Paige Poe. “A lot of them have recently signed up for IndieBound’s Affiliate Program.”
IndieBound.org Affiliate Program improvements introduced this week include:
- Affiliates can now link to any page on IndieBound.org, such as the Indie Next List, the results of a book search, or their Wish List. Previously, affiliates could only link directly to specific titles for sale.
- When a consumer follows an affiliate’s link, IndieBound.org sets a session cookie in their browser. This cookie ensures that the affiliate receives credit for additional sales generated through the visit, not just for the landing page.
- The URL syntax for affiliate links has been simplified, making it easier for affiliates to code their own links, or automate the process of creating links on their blog or website.
- Affiliate IDs are now connected to user accounts on IndieBound.org, making it easy for affiliates to update their own contact and payment information.
Future improvements will include:
- Attractive, flexible JavaScript widgets that can display Indie Bestseller Lists, the Indie Next List, the affiliate’s Wish List, or any custom list of books. These widgets will be available soon in a variety of shapes and sizes with a completely customizable palette of colors.
- Plug-ins for WordPress, TypePad, and other blogging platforms.
- Integrated sales reporting on IndieBound.org. Affiliates will be able to review detailed reports of traffic and sales their links have generated.
The IndieBound Affiliate Program passes sales through IndieBound.org to bookstore websites participating in the ABA E-Commerce Solution. “In order for the affiliate to receive credit for any sales that result, the bookseller’s site must track the affiliate’s data and report it back to IndieBound.org,” Web Content Coordinator Matt Supko explained. “Currently, ABA E-Commerce Solution sites are the only websites capable of doing this.”
Visitors to IndieBound.org who do not follow affiliate links also have the option to buy through other e-commerce-capable independent bookseller websites. All ABA Member stores appear, along with links to their websites, on the Indie Store Finder map, in the site search, and elsewhere on IndieBound.org.
Questions about the affiliate program should be addressed to Project Manager Patti Neske at patti@bookweb.org or (800) 637-0037, ext 6653. Questions about IndieBound should be addressed to Paige Poe at paige@bookweb.org or (800) 637-0037, ext 6668.
NCIBA Trade Show Program, Attendee Registration
Attendee registration for the 2010 NCIBA trade show on October 14-16 in Oakland is now open. Click here (367 KB PDF) for a full description of the Schedule of Events, including education sessions, author events, social gatherings, and more. The packet also has registration forms, hotel reservation information, and other pertinent advice and facts about the show.
NCIBA Trade Show Exhibitor Registration Now Open
The 2010 NCIBA Trade Show, being held at the Oakland Convention Center and City Center Marriott Thursday October 14–Saturday, October 16, is now accepting exhibitor applications. Click here for the full information packet and registration forms (302K PDF). Click here for shipping details from our drayage company, Western Event Services (1.2MB PDF). If you have any questions, please contact us at .
NCIBA Holiday Catalog Title List Here
In response to numerous requests, we’ve created a list of books being advertised in this year’s Holiday Catalog. Even if you’re not planning to use the catalog as a free marketing piece for your store, it may be useful to see which titles publishers are focusing on for the upcoming Fall season. The list is alphabetical by publisher and was last updated on August 12, so if you looked at it prior to then, it’s worth another perusal.
We’ve also asked publishers to provide links to book trailers or online catalog pages for advertised titles, and you’ll find those links here as well.
Remember, stores can order free copies of the catalog in any quantity and receive free store-name imprinting with an order of 5,000 or more. You can download the order sheet (64K PDF) here, find in the August newsletter, or contact the office for a copy.
Northern California Independent Booksellers 2010 Book of Year Awards
Honoring books published in 2009 and written or illustrated by Northern California authors and artists
The third annual Book of the Year awards, presented by members of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA), have been announced. The 2010 awards honor local authors and a children’s book illustrator whose books were published for the first time in 2009.
Independent booksellers representing 200 stores in the region voted for their favorite titles from a Finalists ballot created by bookseller committees. This year, due to the plethora of quality titles, we added two categories — Food Writing and Teen Lit — and booksellers recognized eight books from a total of 45 finalists.
The NCIBA is producing a display poster and book jacket stickers for member stores to create displays of the winning titles. The Book of the Year winners will also be posted on www.nciba.com.
2010 Book of the Year Winners
FICTION
- Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese (Knopf)
NONFICTION
- Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s)
POETRY
- Chronic by D.A. Powell (Graywolf Press)
FOOD WRITING
- Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter (Penguin)
CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATED (award to illustrator)
- Zero Is the Leaves on the Tree illustrated by Shino Arihara (Tricycle)
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
- Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko (Penguin Young Readers)
TEEN LIT
- Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman (Delacorte Young Readers)
REGIONAL
- Tamalpais Walking by Tom Killion & Gary Snyder (Heyday Books)
For more information, contact Hut Landon at 415-561-7686 or
News Search Links
Bookstore Directory Published
The NCIBA has just published a new edition the Northern California Directory of Independent Booksellers for 2010, a 32 page, pocket-sized guide to member bookstores organized by region—San Francisco, East Bay, South Bay, North Bay, Central Valley/Gold Country/Sierra Nevada, and Southern California. For a free copy of the guide, with your mailing address; supplies are limited.
A directory of stores is also available on this web site, including maps to each store location.
Our New “Shop Local” Poster
See it here (26K PDF). The poster available in both 8 1/2″ x 11″ and 11″ x 17″ formats. To order, email or call 415-561-7686.