The Bestsellers Grant Program

BookExpo has take major steps is making it easier for booksellers to attend the show. Together with the American Booksellers Association, it has unveiled the first Bestsellers Grant Program, which gives grants of $1,000 to some 200 booksellers to cover travel and accommodation expenses related to BookExpo. The grants are being given to new booksellers, or booksellers who haven't attended BookExpo in five years and are ABA members.

The effort began last year with 18 scholarships (two booksellers from each of the nine regional booksellers associations). The recipients were "so grateful and had such a fruitful experience that we wanted to offer the same thing on a much larger scale this year," Jenny Martin says. A first round of grants was given in January, and more are being confirmed. Martin adds that BookExpo is developing special programming for recipients "to ensure a great experience."

Already the reaction has been "amazingly positive," Martin continues. "Once they get past the initial thought that they are being punked, they have been extremely excited. Our publishers are also eager to meet all these new faces."

ABA CEO Oren Teicher comments about the program: "This new initiative from BookExpo of outreach and support to bookstores that have not had a chance to recently attend the event--and experience the new programming--is a clear demonstration of their commitment to the independent bookstore channel. This participation of new bookstores and others can only make BookExpo an even stronger event."

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