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Beth Ineson, executive director of the New England Independent Booksellers Association, reported that over the past three weeks, member booksellers' needs have changed rapidly. At first, it was clarity on state-by-state orders about what businesses could and could not do, which sometimes differed by muncipality within the same state. Then, it was all about publishers' and wholesalers' shipping restrictions. Most recently, it's been all grant and loan applications, all the time.
Ineson and her team have been hosting daily Zoom calls for information sharing, as well as weekly owner and manager calls by state. There's a Covid-19 resource page on the NEIBA website now, and the NEIBA team has been extending these resources to stores that are in the region but are not members.
The association has been sharing technology to help stores switch to online events and more online promotion. There have been digital rep pick sessions, and NEIBA is soliciting nominations for an upcoming region-wide event called "One Quarantine/One Book." Ineson and her colleagues are also working on collecting bookseller video pitches for new release titiles that can be shared on social media by all member stores.
NEIBA has made a substantial donation to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, and while NEIBA's membership year usually begins July 1, the association will not collect membership dues until 2021.
"I am constnatly impressed with the kindness, business-savvy and resiliency of our member booksellers," said Ineson. "The circumstances in which we find ourselves are extraordinarily challenging, but through it all the stores in my region have shared information, supported each other, and shown blazing creativity when it comes to moving their businesses forward."
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In the weeks since states began shutting down businesses and limiting social contact due to the coronavirus pandemic, Carrie Obry and her team at the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association have been helping bookstores throughout the region navigate differing safety mandates and the struggles associated with transitioning to being mainly online businesses.
Obry reported that while some stores are able to do curbside pickup, the option hasn't proven to be worthwhile for everyone. Delivery, however, is generally going very well for member stores, with Obry noting that one bookseller even bought a magnetic store sign for the top of his car. It is easier to adhere to safety restrictions while doing delivery, she continued, and some stores may well offer it even after restrictions are lifted. Mystery boxes and grab bags of varying dollar amounts have been doing well for many stores. They can be tailored to suit particular age ranges or to focus on specific genres and are a fun surprise for the recipients.
Some member stores are down dramatically, while others have been able to hold steady. Much of that, Obry said, depends on things like what kind of community the store is in and how many booksellers there are on staff. She noted that one member store in a dense college town with a strong downtown has kept sales steady, but another store in a tourist-heavy area is down. Bookseller are also continuously having to reinvent their business models and are putting in long days to keep up with orders.
MIBA has posted a guide to the state-by-state mandates on its website and is sending urgent information out to booksellers through the association's newsletter. Obry and her team are increasing conversations on MIBA's private Facebook group to share best practices as well as inspiration. In addition, Obry is contacting every member store individually to get a better sense of what they need.
The association has started a weekly Happy Hour series via Zoom, and the plan is to start with a four-week series that focuses on one bookseller's story per session, along with open conversation. And with Independent Bookstore Day on hold until August, MIBA is using the individual store art created by artist Kevin Cannon for custom graphics and promotional messages, instead of the usual IBD roadmap.
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The Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association, meanwhile, has adjusted plans for its Virtual Spring Forum. With member booksellers busy trying to adapt to the current crisis through things like curbside pickup, local delivery and online events, all while trying to raise funds and navigate relief programs, executive director Larry Law and his team have decided to spread the Spring Forum out over weeks, so booksellers can participate at their convenience.
Instead of holding the entire Spring Forum on one day, GLIBA will be hosting online video chats for members every Wednesday and posting a new video from a Spring Forum author each week. All author presentations will be sent to member booksellers, shared on social media and hosted on GLIBA's website. At the same time, GLIBA is opening up its Spring Forum to booksellers from across the country.
The forum will begin next Wednesday, April 22, with the bookseller chat scheduled to run from 9-10 a.m., and the first author video posted that same day. Once stay-at-home orders are lifted, GLIBA will start sending galleys to registered booksellers.