In announcing the debut of the 2011 Independent Booksellers Choice awards,
which will honor indie publishers--as judged by indie
booksellers--Melville House Publishing noted the prize was created
because "indie booksellers know books best. They are the people who
guide readers past the flavor-of-the-moment titles to the hidden gems.
No Amazon algorithm recommendation or Oprah book club pick can compete
with your local bookseller when he or she says, 'You might not have
heard of it, but this book is going to blow your mind.' "
To
celebrate the partnership between indie booksellers and indie
publishers, Melville House will work with a number of independent
booksellers, who will vote for their favorite books published in 2010,
regardless of category. Five winners of the grand prize--featured
displays in participating stores--will be announced during the Book Expo
America convention in May.
"It’s the ultimate shelf-talker,"
said Melville House publisher Dennis Johnson. "Rather than give a prize
to an author or a publisher or a translator, we wanted to do something
that really boosted the eco-system we live in. With any luck, we can get
some deserving titles to sell a few more copies, which is good for the
store, good for the publisher, and good for the authors and translators.
It lets all of us not only keep doing what we do, but thrive."
"It’s
a terrific idea," said Elaine Petrocelli, whose Book Passage bookstores
in the San Francisco Bay area are among the participating stores.
Petrocelli said she is pleased her entire staff "will have the pleasure
of nominating books we love and giving recognition to great books from
independent presses."
Other bookstores participating in the
project include the Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Wash.; Skylight
Books, Los Angeles, Calif.; and St. Mark’s Bookshop, New York City. Only
staff members of independent stores will be eligible to vote, though
anyone is welcome to follow discussion about the nominees on the
project’s website, booksellerschoiceaward.com.
Voting began
yesterday. A long list of 25 titles will be announced on April 1,
followed by the shortlist a month later. Winners will be announced at a
ceremony featuring "some surprise celebrity presenters" during BEA.
"The only drag is that our books won’t be eligible," said Johnson.