Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
Trade show meets Fri., Sept. 10—Sun., Sept. 12, at the Oregon Convention Center and Red Lion Hotel, Portland, Ore.
After last year's departure from its usual weekend scheme, PNBA promises a return to the tried and true with a twist: a state-of-the-art convention center, newly renovated hotel accommodations and novel author activities.
Friday is dedicated to educational programming, with more than a dozen workshops at the convention center. Sessions are offered at 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. First off, facilitators Scott Foley of Grass Roots & Music and Cynthia Frank of Cypress House explain the ins and outs of trade show proceedings for newcomers. Foley gets the booksellers, and Frank nabs the publishers and authors. Feeling ambitious? Five concurrent sessions are slated for the 9 a.m. time slot. Panels and workshops are conducted in adjacent rooms to make it convenient for everyone to move from one program to next. Sales reps take center stage during the morning's second installment: commission and telephone sales reps talk about their evolving role in the industry, while a similar group acquaints buyers with their "picks of the lists." Make sure to catch "picks," part two, at 1:15 p.m. Meanwhile, members of the education committee instruct beginners on the basics of newsletter co-op; Bob Smith of BookPrinters Network gives tips to publishers working with printers; and Ruthanne Devlin of Bell, Book & Candle partners with Sharon Castlen to advise booksellers selling to the Christian market.
Morning sessions continue at 10:30 a.m. Third installment: a follow-up to the co-op panel. If returns are a concern, then join the discussion among booksellers, reps and publishers on managing inventory overstock. Retiring from the business? In an ABA-sponsored panel, former bookstore owners share the dos and don'ts of successful succession planning. Advertising a priority? Dawn Josephson (Putting It on Paper) conducts a workshop on effective promotional writing for authors and publishers.
After lunch, educational programming resumes at 1:15 p.m., with another set of five concurrent panels. Christy McDanold of Secret Garden Bookshop leads a show-and-tell of the fall children's lists; Judy Ness presents the annual holiday catalogue, along with suggestions on using it to increase sales. A representative from ABA heads a talk on forming local business alliances. Next door, a representative from the Northwest Association of Book Publishers teaches publishers and writers about cover design. At 3 p.m., Sharon Castlen and Cynthia Frank don their marketing-guru hats for a presentation on niche marketing. Afterward, stroll over to the celebration of authors to meet the stars of tomorrow's bestseller lists. A PNBA board member will introduce Wendy French (sMothering), K.P. Bath (The Secret of Castle Cant), Audrey Young (What Patients Taught Me), Stephanie Kallos (Broken for You), Marc Acito (How I Paid for College), Anna Balint (Horse Thief and Other Stories), Charles Goodrich (The Practice of Home), Suzanne Wolfe (Unveiling), Phillip Jennings (Nam-A-Rama) and Heather Barbieri (Snow in July) at this two-hour long event.
Stick around for the general membership meeting at 5:15 p.m.. Later, everyone is invited to an 8 p.m. dessert and autographing shindig at the hotel, where authors from the afternoon's "celebration" are joined by six others: Bob Welch (American Nightingale), Joseph Hilldorfer and Robert Dugoni (The Cyanide Canary), Terry Trueman (Cruise Control), Marcus Borg (The Heart of Christianity) and Jennifer Blomgren (Where Would I Be in an Evergreen Tree). Cake, coffee, conversation and views of Mt. Hood from the hotel's Window Lounge—what a fabulous way to end the day.
At Saturday's 8 a.m. book and author breakfast, former PNBA board member Scott Foley introduces novelist Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Queen of Dreams), memoirist A.J. Jacobs (The Know-It-All) and children's book team Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 5: The Wrath of Mulgarath). Booksellers at the breakfasts (tickets required) will receive one signed copy of each speaker's book. Books may be limited to one copy per member store, depending on availability. Exhibit hours: 9:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m. Autographing hours: 10 a.m.—noon and 2—3:30 p.m. A booksellers roundtable lunch is planned for 12:30 p.m. Booksellers can bring lunch or splurge on the buffet available for purchase and partake in the general discussion on great ideas that work in bookstores. PNBA's Book Awards Committee meets at 10 a.m. and its Education Committee meets at 2 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., activity on the floor winds down. The earlier finish time gives attendees a chance to freshen up before returning to the convention center's ballroom by 7 p.m. A stellar evening is planned. PNBA presents its First Annual Feast of Authors: more than 20 authors move from table to table, chatting with booksellers and signing books. The list is impressive: Tom Birdseye, Harry Bliss, Phil Condon, Claire Davis, Lynn Freed, Carol Gardner, Karsten Heuer, Michael Hoeye, Ron McLarty, John Marshall, Kathleen Dean Moore, Nancy Pearl, Mark Jude Poirier, Jeff Shaara, George Shaffner, Rich Shapero, Natalia Rachel Singer, Jasper Tomkins, Jess Walter and Janet S. Wong. Attendance (tickets required) is limited to retail booksellers. Guests will receive a gift bag full of books autographed by authors appearing at the event.
On Sunday morning, PNBA president Pat Rutledge emcees the book and author breakfast with bestselling authors Tony Hendra (Father Joe), Christopher Moore (The Stupidest Angel) and Pam Muñoz Ryan (Becoming Naomi Leon). Exhibit hours: 9:30 a.m.—2 p.m. Autographing hours: 10 a.m.—noon. At 2 p.m., doors close.
Contact:Thom Chambliss, 317 W. Broadway, Ste. 214, Eugene, Ore. 97401; (541) 683-4363;info@pnba.org; www.pnba.org.
Southern California Children's Booksellers Association
Annual dinner and Golden Dolphin Award presentation to be held on Sat., Sept. 11, at the Atrium Hotel, Irvine, Calif.
In typical Southern California fashion, the organizers of this year's annual dinner and presentation plan a star-studded affair. New SCCBA president Jody Fickes Shapiro from Adventures for Kids in Ventura will preside over the gala. At 5 p.m., the proceedings start poolside with a "mini" trade show featuring the best books for fall. More than 300 enthusiastic book lovers—booksellers, authors, illustrators, educators and librarians—gather at a reception to enjoy drinks, canapés and conversation. At 7 p.m., guests move to the ballroom, where a feast of culinary and literary delights await. The after-dinner program is impressive, with much-admired children's book authors, illustrators and collaborators filling the program card: Walter Wick (Can You See What I See? Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve), Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (Math Curse; Science Verse), and Julie Andrews Edwards (Simeon's Gift).
Time for the award presentation. Deborah Nourse Lattimore, author of more than 30 books, including Cinderhazeland The Sailor Who Captured the Sea, is the 2004 Golden Dolphin award recipient. Notable past recipients include Tony Johnston (2003), Sid Fleischman (2002), Eve Bunting (2001), Theodore Taylor (2000) and Bill Peet (1999). But wait—there's more to come. The six recipients of the SCCBA's annual literacy grants will also be announced. Each grant beneficiary receives a $500 voucher to be used for books or related purchases at SCCBA member storesy. At evening's end, guests will receive the customary gift bag filled with a few of their favorite things—books! A truly memorable time. Reservations for dinner must be made by September 7.
Contact:Betty Takeuchi or Candace Moreno, San Marino Toy and Book Shoppe, 2424 Huntington Dr., San Marino, Calif. 91108; (626) 309-0222;sccba@toysandbooks.com; www.socalkidsbooks.com.
Northern California Independent Booksellers Association
Trade show meets Fri., Oct. 1—Sun., Oct. 3, at the Oakland Convention Center and Oakland City Center Marriott, Oakland, Calif.
Change is in the air at this year's show, though the locale is familiar—in eclectic and popular downtown Oakland, with activities held at the centrally located convention center and hotel. The guidelines are new, with a different floor layout and an innovative author-signing policy in the works. Show organizers say it's an attempt to bring the three-day event up to date. The educational programming reflects this as well, with workshops and panels on operations, promotion and marketing.
Things get underway on Friday at 10 a.m. in the Simmons Ballroom with a presentation by ABA's Avin Domnitzn on bookstore profitability. The two-hour seminar has a catchy name, "The 2% Solution," but there's no mystery here: flashback to BookExpo America. Meantime, in a workshop designed with the writer in mind, a representative from Writer's Digestand a bookstore event coordinator offer tips on how to start an in-store writing group. A.J. Toppers is the place to go for the annual author box lunch featuring speakers Jennifer Haigh (Baker Towers), Mary Doria Russell (A Thread of Grace) and Bart Schneider (Beautiful Inez).
Educational programming continues in the afternoon back in the ballroom. At 1:45 p.m., Allan Beatts, owner of Borderlands Books, leads a discussion on bookstore security. Beatts is a former police officer and bookstore security chef—he knows the ropes when it comes to shoplifting and internal theft. In a concurrent session, representatives from Baker & Taylor and several booksellers share the ins-and-outs of handling DVDs as a part of a bookstore's inventory: getting started, finding the best mix, displays and preventing theft. The afternoon second installment of programs begins at 3:30 p.m. with a panel on used books. Knowledgeable booksellers steer the debate on issues like pricing strategies and merchandising. Jay Conrad Levinson conducts a seminar straight from the pages of his new book, Guerrilla Retailing. So many ideas, so little time. The day closes with a reception at 5 p.m. Come celebrate the 30th anniversary of Heyday Books; its well-liked publisher, Malcolm Margolin, is the evening's guest speaker.
On Saturday morning at 8 a.m., Francisco Goldman (The Divine Husband), Jim Wooten (We Are All the Same) and Kevin Starr (Coast of Dreams: California on the Edge, 1990—2003) will speak at the breakfast. Afterward, they will sign their books in a designated autographing area from 10—11 a.m.; then four authors at a time will sign their books on the hour and half hour until 3:30 p.m. A $1 donation per signed book is collected on behalf of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression. Exhibit hours: 10 a.m.—4 p.m. No educational programming is scheduled.
NCIBA holds its hour-long annual general membership meeting at 4 p.m. Top off the day at Toppers, where refreshments and hors d'ouevres await showgoers at the 5 p.m. cocktail party. Dan Millman is scheduled to read from his forthcoming book, The Journeys of Socrates. At the 7 p.m. moveable feast, 12 authors and more than 100 booksellers gather over a four-course dinner. Authors will move from table to table throughout the meal, meeting booksellers and talking up their books. After dessert and coffee, the authors will be available for an hour to sign copies of their books. A partial guest list includes Marc Acito, Joshua Braff, Harriett Scott Chessman, Gary Erickson, Gerald Everett Jones, Lawrence Thornton, Monique Truong and William Vollmann.
At the Sunday morning children's author breakfast Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Grim Grotto), joins Sarah Stewart and David Small (The Friend) and Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 5: The Wrath of Mulgarath). Afterward, these authors will sign their books in a designated autographing area from 10—11 a.m. Action then moves over to publishers' booths, at which four authors at a time sign their books at their respective publishers' tables on the hour and half hour until 3:30 p.m. A $1 donation per signed book is expected. Exhibit hours are the same as on Saturday. Tired of concession-stand fast food? Everyone is invited to sample delicious edibles at the "cookbook celebration." Everything served is prepared from recipes in this year's new cookbooks. Bruce Aidells, owner of Aidells Sausage Co. and author of Bruce Aidells's Complete Book of Pork, leads half a dozen or so gourmets grilling up platters of sausages and ribs, Thai seafood and pork dumplings, all washed down with cold beer. There's one last item—a mid-afternoon swing around to the NCIBA booth to find out which bookstores have won the "place-and-order-at-the-show" raffle—six cash prizes are up for grabs. Doors close at 4 p.m. Trade show, moveable feast, Oktoberfest, raffle—it's a formula for success and a remarkable weekend.
Contact:Hut Landon, Presidio National Park, 37 Graham St., Ste. 210, P.O. Box 29169, San Francisco, Calif. 94129; (415) 561-7686;office@nciba.com; www.nciba.com.
Southern California Booksellers Association
Fall seminars and annual authors' feast scheduled for Fri., Nov. 5, and Sat., Nov. 6, at the Hyatt Regency and Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, Calif.
Eager booksellers make their way to Long Beach, the permanent home of the majestic cruise liner the Queen Mary. Baker & Taylor is the premier sponsor this year, while Ingram Book Co., Partners/West and Random House Inc. are giving their support to social events and workshops. Unafraid of change, organizers have slotted this year's program over a two-day period. Friday is dedicated to educational programming, while Saturday is reserved for a mini trade show and annual dinner. Friday sessions start at 9:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. An ABA-produced and staffed panel discussion on forming local business alliances anchors the morning's proceedings. A noontime luncheon follows, and at 1:30 p.m., sessions resume. ABA's Avin Domnitz is the afternoon's headliner; his popular "2% Solution" workshop is the feature attraction. As evening draws near, colleagues and friends make plans for drinks and dinner on the waterfront, or go downtown.
Time is yours on Saturday morning and afternoon. SCBA will host a bus tour of several local stores. At each stop there will be a store tour and author or educational talk. Box lunches will be served. Get ready for the gala planned for that evening at the Aquarium of the Pacific, overlooking Rainbow Harbor. While waiting for dinner, booksellers have a chance to peruse the season's new catch at the 7:30 p.m. reception at the publishers' and distributors' exhibit tables. Cocktails served in the shark lagoon, dinner under a blue whale—a perfect backdrop for a splashy affair. The impressive guest list for the 8:45 p.m. dinner includes Michael Jaime Becerra, Jannell Cannon, J. California Cooper, M. Allen Cunningham, Mark Frost, Molly Hewitt, S.E. Hinton, Leigh Hobbs, Irene Kai, Susan Kandel, Jonathan Kirsch, Jeffrey Lewis, Sharyn McCrumb, T. Jefferson Parker, Steven Pressfield, Judy Sierra, Monique de Varennes, Randall Wallace and Amanda Ward.
The third Annual SCBA Book Awards will also be announced during the evening. The award is open to authors and illustrators residing within the SCBA region, and whose works reflect the southern California experience or culture. There are four categories—fiction, mystery, nonfiction and children's books. Congratulations to the five finalists in each of the categories. Fiction: Michelle Huneven (Jamesland), Steve Martin (The Pleasure of My Company), Diana Abu-Jaber (Crescent), John Rechy (The Life and Adventures of Lyle Clemens) and Alan Rifkin (Signal Hill). Mystery: Denise Hamilton (Last Lullaby), Terrill Lee Lankford (Earthquake Weather), Paula Woods (Dirty Laundry), Jacqueline Winspear (Birds of a Feather) and Edward Wright (While I Disappear). Nonfiction: Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman (The King of California), Peggy Park Bernal (The Huntington Library, Art Galleries and Botanical Gardens), Jamie Nudie and Mary Lynn Cabrall (Nudie—The Rodeo Tailor), Miles Corwin (Homicide Special) and Mark Salzman (True Notebooks). Children's: Francesca Lia Block (Wasteland), Jody Fickes Shapiro (Up! Up! Up! It's Apple Picking Time), Maiya Williams (The Golden Hour), Julie Williams (Escaping Tornado Season) and Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton (Dragon: Hound of Honor).
Contact:Jennifer Bigelow, 301 E. Colorado Blvd. Ste. 501, Pasadena, Calif. 91101; (626) 793-8435;office@scbabooks.org; www.scbabooks.org.
