Held in Melbourne a week ago, the Australian Booksellers Association's 93rd annual conference had the theme "collaboration and community" and resembled one of the American Booksellers Association's Winter Institutes. The gathering drew more than 300 people and featured lots of panels at which a mix of veteran and younger booksellers shared ideas, a brief exhibitor session, a very entertaining gala dinner and keynotes by Waterstones' managing director James Daunt (see yesterday's story here) and Shelf Awareness's John Mutter.
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At the conference, the ABA announced that it is rebranding the annual National Bookshop Day as Love Your Bookshop Day. On Saturday, August 12, booksellers across the country will be hosting parties for themselves, their customers and their staff.
"Think balloons, bunting, streamers, fairy lights, cake, dressing up, discounts and prizes--the sky's the limit just as long as it's a party for your shop," the ABA said. It's putting together a range of LYBD material featuring well-known Australian authors sharing #whyIlovemybookshop. ABA member booksellers will also receive copies of a special edition of Five Go Bookselling.
Member reaction was highly positive. One ABA bookseller said that the name change made the event sound "less like a government program and more like a fun event."
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The gala dinner featured the presentation of several awards. Besides the Miles Franklin shortlist, these included:
ABA Nielsen Book Booksellers Choice Award (the book Australian booksellers most enjoyed selling last year): The Birdman's Wife by Melissa Ashley (Affirm Press)
ABA Text Publishing Bookseller of the Year: Catherine Schulz of Fullers Bookshop, Hobart, Tasmania
ABA Penguin Random House Young Bookseller of the Year: Sarah Deasy of Avid Reader Bookshop & Café, West End, near Brisbane.
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Analogue Marketing
A panel called "analogue marketing" served as a reminder that despite the growing power of social media and digital, there are many highly effective, old-fashioned methods of marketing.
Moderator Jay Lansdown, owner of the Constant Reader in Crows Nest, near Sydney, discussed an unusual example of analogue marketing: his long, narrow store's lack of signage. Not having signs "creates an air of mystery," he said, and leads to customers discovering titles in areas that might have avoided if there were signs. In addition, having no signs "encourages me and the staff to be engaged with customers," he continued. "Customers walking around with a 'where-am-I?' look gives us a great opportunity to start a conversation and help them."
Anna Low, owner of Potts Point Bookshop, Potts Point, near Sydney, called sidewalk chalkboards "probably our most successful analogue marketing tool." The boards, she explained, get a lot of social media attention, are a great way of advertising events, and "start conversations with customers."
Fiona Stager, co-owner of the Avid Reader Bookshop & Café, West End, near Brisbane, praised shelf talkers ("they're a way to handsell when I'm not in the shop"); a staff pick stand (very effective with the many customers who trust a particular staff member's recommendations); and the store's book of the month program, featuring a fiction and a nonfiction title ("people come straight up and grab them").
Jane Seaton, owner of Beaufort Street Books, Mount Lawley, near Perth, "thoroughly recommended" having a cookbook book club. Her store has had one for three years, and members are so devoted that one of them flew back from Melbourne to participate in a recent meeting (a trip of about 1,700 miles).
Seaton also uses a large chalkboard on the wall behind the cash register to highlight the store's calendar, events and other information.
Fun Sideline
One of the most amusing sidelines mentioned during panels was the "solar Queen Elizabeth," a figurine of the Queen with a small solar panel on her purse that powers her signature wave. The solar Queens are made by Kikkerland Design in "basic," "90th birthday" and "derby" models. Scott Whitmont, owner of the Lindfield Bookshop & Children's Bookshop in Lindfield, near Sydney, said staff thought he was crazy for ordering the waving Queen, but he happily reported that he's sold 300. --John Mutter