Greetings!

This month, we're delighted to share our report on Canadian Independent Bookstore Day 2024, an update on IndieBookstores.ca, new resources, upcoming events, and more.

Grab yourself an iced beverage and scroll down.

CIBD 2024 Report

On April 27, CIBA hosted its fourth edition of Canadian Independent Bookstore Day—and it was one for the books!

A short recap and a full campaign report are now available. Visit the Member Blog to read about this year’s success and access reports from past years to see how the campaign has grown.

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors as well as the Government of Canada for supporting the campaign. Our unending thanks as well to the booksellers, publishers, industry partners, authors, illustrators, and readers who made this year’s edition of CIBD such a huge success.

We can’t wait for next year!

Our indie web hub is live and thriving!

Over the past few months, we have promoted IndieBookstores.ca with a comprehensive advertising campaign alongside a rebrand of our social channels and the introduction of our reader-facing newsletter. We have also executed a targeted outreach plan that encourages industry partners and book media to utilize the platform.

The site is doing extremely well, and traffic is increasing every day. Promoting IndieBookstores.ca in tandem with Canadian Independent Bookstore Day, through both advertising and organic promotion, was especially beneficial for raising awareness. In the month of April, IndieBookstores.ca was visited by more than 40,000 people and had an average engagement rate of 70%.

Here is what we have coming up:

• We’ll launch our new summer contest in early July, which will encourage readers to add indie bookstores to their travel plans, utilizing the IndieBookstores.ca directory and map to plan their visits
• We will continue to analyze traffic and promote the site
• We will implement new features to the site as resources allow

Bookseller Members: If you have yet to provide us with your store description and photo, we encourage you to do so using this form.

Publishers: Please consider using IndieBookstores.ca as your go-to resource for purchase links on your website—you can find a guide here (plus new buttons!). We encourage you to share this guide with authors and illustrators who are keen to promote shopping local.

If you have any questions about IndieBookstores.ca, please get in touch.

Introducing The Guide to Bookselling in Canada

We are pleased that members are enjoying our latest resource, The Guide to Bookselling in Canada.

This guide consists of curated content, CIBA-developed resources (including content from our Lectures & Labs series), and case-study interviews with Bookseller Members. It has been designed to address the needs of prospective, new, and experienced booksellers.

This is a living document that will be developed further, as resources allow, including additional CIBA-generated resources driven by member need. Please send questions and content suggestions to Nicola Dufficy.

Thank you to all the booksellers and industry partners who contributed to the first version of the guide. We are very grateful for your time and expertise.

Disclaimer: This guide is intended for member use only and users do not have permission to share this content with the general public. If you are not a CIBA member but would like access to the guide—plus a wealth of other resources—consider joining today.

Register Now: Upcoming Events

Become an Inventory Wizard: Understanding Stock Turn
Thursday, June 20
4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

Managing your bookstore’s inventory effectively is crucial to the lifespan of your business. Keeping the right inventory level and knowing how to evaluate your stock are key to successful retail.

Stock turns are one of the crucial metrics that shed light on your efforts to handle both your investment and your customer service. But what is a stock turn? How many should you aim for in a year? How can you leverage it to take your business to the next level?

Join Tim Middleton, BookNet Canada’s Product Manager, for this informative session. It'll be your first step toward becoming an inventory wizard!

Visual Marketing Tips for Booksellers
Tuesday, June 25
4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

For an object made up almost entirely of words, books are often better marketed visually. In this virtual workshop, booksellers will learn the secret to great mobile photography, social video tips, and design considerations for graphics.

Led by Ariel Hudnall, Managing Director of Zg Stories, this session will reveal that it's not the tools you have, but how you use them. Come prepared with your mobile phone, your creative spirit, and a book you'd love to promote.

Ask Us ANYTHING! – CIBA Summer Mentor Series
Tuesday, July 9: Erin Dalton (Huckleberry Books, BC)
Tuesday, July 16: Heather Kuipers (Ella Minnow Children's Bookstore, ON)
Tuesday, August 13: Chandler Jolliffe (Cedar Canoe Books, ON)
12pm PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET, 4pm AT, 4:30pm Newfoundland

Do you have a burning question you’d like to ask a pro-bookseller? Here’s your chance! Join CIBA’s team of experienced bookseller mentors for a special summer program. There will be no formal presentation at these events­—simply log on and ask away.

Event Recording: Data Demystified Part II

How do you stock and sell books you aren’t familiar with (or don’t particularly like)? Whether you’re stumped by sci-fi, a little rusty in Romantasy, or intimidated by Manga, market research can help you expand your knowledge and offerings.

With our latest recording—Data Demystified Part II: How to Sell Books You Don't Read—you’ll learn how to harness the power of SalesData to help you make informed buying and ordering decisions for sections of the store you might not know as intimately as others, but that your customers are interested in.

Not a CIBA member? Join now to access a range of benefits, including access to live events, recordings, and other business resources.

Notable Public Dates for July-September

To help members plan their marketing activities, CIBA manages a living calendar that features key dates like public holidays, themed days/weeks/months, awards announcements, and more. This resource is accessible as a list-by-date and as a traditional calendar.

We also create a printable resource for the coming quarter. Members can access the July-September resource and the full calendar here.

We will continue to add to the calendar as information becomes available. If you have any questions or wish to add a key date that may be of interest to all members, please email Kayla Calder.

CIBA’s Membership with the EIBF

We are pleased to share that two CIBA Bookseller Members have been selected to take part in the RISE Bookseller Exchange Program through the European and International Booksellers Association (EIBF).

Later this year, Oona Craig from Agricola Street Books will go to Germany while Jenna Doyle from Books & Shenanigans will head to Switzerland for the program. Additionally, a bookseller from Australia will be coming to work at Iron Dog Books in Vancouver. Congratulations, all!

In other news, the Frankfurt Book Fair has granted the EIBF two spots for booksellers to attend the 2024 edition of the Fair, which will take place from October 16-20. Fair admission, travel, and accommodation costs will be covered for selected applicants through the RISE Bookselling program.

The EIBF has opened an application process to which booksellers are encouraged to apply before June 28, 2024. Information about the process, selection criteria, and how to apply is available on the RISE website.

Meet Our Member: Running the Goat Books

Running the Goat is a special independent bookstore and micro press in Tors Cove, NL. The shop, which primarily serves tourists, carries a thoughtfully curated collection of books as well as letterpress-printed books, cards, and ephemera. We spoke with Marnie Parsons, Publisher, Printer, and Bookseller, about this dreamy shop and what she loves about being an indie bookseller.

“We are often in the midst of printing when folks drop by, and it’s always lovely to bring them into the back and let them see how the presses work—to remind them how books used to be made!”

Read the article here.

Save the Date for the 2024 AGM

Please save the date: our 2023-24 AGM will take place on Wednesday, September 18 via Zoom at 7:00pm ET!

As per our bylaws, the AGM is only open to the Bookseller Members. We will record the meeting and save it to the Member Hub for on-demand viewing. Likewise, our annual report will be accessible to our entire community.

We will also host a Coffee Break session with the CIBA leadership on Tuesday, September 10 at 1pm ET. This will provide an opportunity for Bookseller Members to connect with the team and board, ask questions about upcoming votes, and more.

Please contact Laura Carter with any questions.

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