Hello all,

April is finally here and we’re feeling buoyed by blue skies and the energy surrounding Canadian Independent Bookstore Day. 

This month's newsletter includes some important reminders, a much-anticipated new resource for bookseller members, interviews, an exciting winner announcement, and more.

Enjoy!

After many months advocating on behalf of its members, CIBA was thrilled to share the announcement of the new Support for Booksellers (SFB) component of the Canada Book Fund last month. This program will provide two years of integral support to help Canadian booksellers.

REMINDER: Applications are due on April 25 by 11:59pm (local time).

  • Application guidelines can be found here
  • Members can log in to revisit our info session here
  • You can request an application form by contacting sal-sfb@pch.gc.ca

We strongly encourage all eligible bookstores to apply. Your association has worked with the Department of Canadian Heritage to help ensure the application is simple and straightforward. By utilizing this program, you are bolstering CIBA’s future advocacy work on behalf of indies and shoring up resources for your business. It’s win-win!

CIBA’s Advocacy Committee will continue to champion the needs of members with the federal government. This committee is chaired by Jessica Walker (Munro’s Books) and its members include Hilary Atleo (Iron Dog Books), Chris Hall (McNally Robinson), Eleanor LeFave (Mabel’s Fables), Jason Purcell (Glass Bookshop), and Dan Wells (Biblioasis Bookshop).

Please email Laura Carter if you have any questions about this funding opportunity or CIBA’s ongoing advocacy work.

Canadian Independent Bookstore Day is fast approaching! We can’t wait to celebrate indie bookstores across the country next Saturday, April 30. 

We’ve designed our CIBD 2022 initiatives so that all indies will be celebrated. Our Contest for Book Lovers will drive sales to indies, our advertising and public relations efforts will help raise awareness across the country, and our reader-facing promotion will reinforce our key message that indie bookstores are integral to Canadian culture.

A few reminders as we ramp up campaign promotion:

  • Check out the member toolkit. It contains digital assets, social media messages, and more to help you promote. You must be logged in to access these resources.

  • Brush up on our 2022 contest. Contest rules can be found here and we have created an FAQ document to help you field any questions. The entry form will go live on April 30.

  • Tell us what you’re planning! We will promote unique bookseller activities throughout the month. Email Kayla with any planned activities or tag @CIBAbooks in your posts so we can boost the signal.

  • Please use the campaign hashtag (#CIBD2022). This hashtag will help us track engagement from bookstores and customers.

We encourage everyone to follow CIBA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We'll share info about CIBD activities, contest details, and special messages every day next week. On the big day, we’ll be live on our social channels to share the love and answer any contest questions.

Here we go!
 

French-Language Books for Young People (Part 1): Curating Your Stock of Backlist Titles
Thursday, April 21
12pm PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET, 4pm AT, 4:30pm Newfoundland

With nearly 60 years of experience in the business, Librairie le Fureteur in Saint-Lambert, QC has earned a reputation for sharing great literary finds. Responsible for le Fureteur's youth section, Marika B. Drapeau will share her recommendations for curating a balanced selection of backlist titles. The presentation will provide CIBA booksellers with ideas for filling orders and making strategic recommendations. 

This event is the first in a series intended to create a comprehensive overview of French-Canadian creators and publishers. Stay tuned for details!

Presenter: Marika B. Drapeau (Librairie le Fureteur)

BookNet Canada Presents: Book Industry State of the Nation 2022
Tuesday, April 26
11am PT, 12pm MT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET, 3pm AT, 3:30pm Newfoundland

Join BookNet Canada’s President and CEO Noah Genner for an in-depth presentation of the most recent data on Canadian book buyers, readers, and consumers.

Presenter: Noah Genner, President and CEO (BookNet Canada)

Lectures & Labs: Ask the Bookseller – Effective Sideline Strategies
Thursday, May 5
4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

If books are your main business, then gifts and sidelines should be the icing on the cake! Attendees will learn how our panel of booksellers leverage sidelines to delight their customers and increase sales. How do our panelists choose what to stock? What percentage of their sales are gifts and sidelines? What are their strategies for holiday ordering? Hear the answers to all this and more at our next Ask the Bookseller session!

Panelists: Susan Chamberlain (The Book Keeper), Kelly McKinnon (Kidsbooks), Matthew Stepanic (Glass Bookshop), hosted by Jessica Walker (Munro's Books)

French-Language Books for Young People (Part 2): Publisher Pitches
Tuesday, May 17 & Thursday, May 19
3:30pm PT, 4:30pm MT, 5:30pm CT, 6:30pm ET, 7:30pm AT, 8:00pm Newfoundland

Get to know French-language publishers of literature for young people. Each event will feature eight publishers from Québec and Francophone Canada who will introduce their publishing house and present 3-5 titles in a range of genres and reading levels. 

The format of the event is based on the Publisher Picks sessions held earlier this year. These sessions will help booksellers curate their French-language book selection and make useful recommendations to school libraries and boards, teachers, parents, and community members looking to develop their French reading lists. 

Hosted by: Québec Édition / Association nationale des éditeurs de livres

Can’t find the time to attend CIBA events live? No problem! You can access our event recordings in the CIBA Member Portal. Recent additions include:

  • How to apply for the new Support for Booksellers grant program
  • Overstock Returns, Dead Stock, and Inventory Reconciliation: Housekeeping worth your time
  • Enhance your gift and sideline business with the new Raincoast Distribution Group website 

Not a member? Join CIBA today to access event recordings and a range of other benefits.

You asked, we delivered!

We've created a new bookseller resource that compiles return policies and terms from a range of publishers and distributors. This resource will be edited monthly if there are any additions or changes.

CIBA Bookseller Members can log in now to access the list here. 

Publishers can check out the announcement here and contact Nicola if their distributor is not listed.

Not a CIBA member? Join us to access this resource and more.

Mabel Murple’s Book Shoppe and Dreamery is a seasonal bookshop in rural Nova Scotia that sees thousands of readers go through its doors every summer. We spoke with co-owner and author Sheree Fitch about her experience as a seasonal independent bookseller.

“I can’t explain the high it gives me when I see people and families visiting the shop, creating memories, and walking away with a handful of good books. I’m realizing a dream that I never knew I had. It’s also something I hope to do until I'm very, very old. I'll be that little old witchy lady on the dirt road who sells books.”

Read the interview now on our member blog.

Not a CIBA member? Join today to access a range of benefits including exclusive content on the member blog!

CIBA has welcomed more than 15 new bookstore members so far in 2022!

In place of our usual member profile, we invited a few of our new members – School House Teaching Supplies & Children’s Books, Gold Rush Bookstore, and Books Galore – to introduce themselves in their own words.

Click here to learn about these wonderful stores.
     

    CIBA’s social channels are reader-facing. We run shareable book content that our members and supporters can use to help fill out their own feeds. 

    Here's what we have planned for the next few months:

    Major Campaigns

    • Canadian Independent Bookstore Day – we will continue to run shareable content throughout April that promotes the contest, exclusives, customer giveaways, and more

    Book Features 

    • International Short Story Month (May 18)
    • Pride Month (June 7)
    • National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21)

    Monthly Content 

    • Meet Our Members
    • Love Notes to Indie Bookstores
    • Window Shopping

    If you have a great window or in-store display, want to be profiled on CIBA's website and socials, or have the perfect suggestion for a "Love Notes" prompt, please get in touch today! 
       

      Thank you to all those who filled out the 2022 Member Survey. Your insights and input are vital to CIBA’s success. 

      We’ve now randomly selected one survey respondent to receive the $250 retail credit from Raincoast Books. And the winner is... Lunenburg Bound!

      Congratulations to the winning shop and our sincerest thanks to Raincoast Books for their support of this initiative.
         

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