In this issue, we offer several stories based on some of the outstanding educational programming at the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association trade show last weekend. They include an interview with the owners of Politics & Prose, a panel on "great things" that some stores in the region are doing and a discussion of handselling tips.

As if this wasn't enough e-ink for NAIBA, completely coincidentally this is the association's turn in the weekly Book Sense/regional booksellers association bestseller list rotation.

 

What most Americans heard about Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's speech at the U.N. on Wednesday was that he called President Bush a devil. But there was more to the talk than that: one of the Bush Administration's fiercest foreign critics also appealed to the General Assembly and Americans to read a Noam Chomsky book first published in 2003. The unexpected recommendation has proven as powerful as an Oprah endorsement: Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance (The American Empire Project) (Owl Books, $13, 0805076883) has become an online bestseller, rising high onto the bestseller lists at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com (this morning it was No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.)

Chomsky, who Chavez mistakenly believed was dead, told today's New York Times that he had received "10,000 e-mails" since the speech, and while he was glad Chavez liked the book, "he would not describe himself as flattered." Still, he said, "I have been quite interested in his policies. Personally, I think many of them are quite constructive."

According to the AP, the publisher has ordered an additional printing of 25,000 copies.

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The soul of The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back by Andrew Sullivan (HarperCollins, $25.95, 0060188774) has turned out to be inverted. That is to say that a production error caused half of the fifth chapter of the blogger and political commentator's new book to be inserted in the middle of the sixth chapter, the New York Times said today. As a result, the print run of 26,500 has been recalled and pub date has been delayed to October 10 from October 3.

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Campus Marketplace has an update on congressional efforts to make textbooks more affordable for college students, including a report on recent testimony before the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, a nonpartisan panel appointed by Congress that, among other things, is conducting a study on textbook affordability.

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Publishers Group West, distributor of Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men--One Message by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Press, $24.95, 1933914025), is moving up the laydown date of the book by a day, to Monday, October 9, from Tuesday, October 10. The authors' appearances on the Today Show and Larry King Live led to the change, which may help all concerned become a bit richer.

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Barbara Lilie has been promoted to marketing director for HarperMedia, responsible for all audiobook, downloadable audiobook and e-book marketing campaigns. Lilie joined HarperCollins in 2002 as a marketing manager, and later joined the audio department. 

During a keynote session that ranged over a variety of bookselling topics and highlighted an effective and endearing bookstore partnership, Chris Kerr of Parson Weems Publisher Services interviewed Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade, longtime owners of Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.

Early on Meade emphasized that Cohen had founded the store and decided on its name, focus and location--and hired her originally as a manager because Cohen had no book retailing experience. The name of the store, incidentally, comes from an old song, Politics and Poker, from the Broadway musical Fiorello! (Cohen said that wanting to focus on her interests--politics, history and fiction--she sought a store name that emphasized the business of Washington, but did not want something like Government & Prose.)

The store opened in 1984, a time when Crown Books had begun to make its mark. "We started knowing there was discounting," Cohen commented, saying that Politics & Prose's niche was different from a discount store. Crown, she continued, was "not Barnes & Noble. It was not that formidable a competitor."

The store was financed in part by Cohen's "friends and relatives," who lent her amounts that "if God forbid they lost, it wouldn't hurt." She raised $60,000, which, of course, bought more in 1984 than today. From the beginning, Politics & Prose staged author events. "Luckily our neighbors were other stores' touring authors," Cohen said. "We had a wealth of authors." Politics & Prose also has always had a strong book group program. Meade noted that the store even had an anarchists book group, "but they couldn't hold it together."

Over the years, including a major move and expansions, the trials of running a coffee shop and many personnel changes, the pair has had to make many decisions. Their advice on the subject, as Meade put it: "For booksellers, there is so much stuff coming at you and you have to make decisions. Maybe you make some wrong decisions, but it's better to make a decision than not." Concerning the coffee shop in particular, which the store has sublet to a series of people, Meade added, "Our motto is optimism is the triumph of hope over experience."

Another lesson they offered had to do with the store's messages to customers and potential customers. "I used to think that we had to say something only once or twice" and people would understand, Cohen said. "But in the book business, I've learned you have to tell people things again and again. You have to remind them of what you're doing." One prime example: the fact that customers can order books on Politics & Prose's Web site. (Many customers have politely said they support the store but sometimes order from Amazon--when Politics & Prose is closed. Cohen's response: "But we're open 24 hours a day.")

Like a long-married couple, occasionally the pair interrupted one another and politely disagreed about events in the past. The two complement each other well: Meade has an air of studied reserve while Cohen can talk passionately on any subject. At one point, Cohen delightedly noted that she is a graduate of Antioch College and Meade a graduate of Vassar College, adding, "That tells you all you need to know about us!"

Moderator Ron Rice, sales manager at Bookazine, promoted the concept of cross merchandising and approvingly said many booksellers in the region are using their imaginations in creating interesting displays. "They're not just putting books on the shelves and walking away," he said.

Rice recommended that bookstores "take a cue from Starbucks" and sell a lifestyle. At Starbucks, he said, customers can buy "companion packages"; besides coffee, the stores offer books, coffee beans, coffee makers and music. "You can buy a little bit of a getaway weekend for yourself." He mentioned Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Del., which has a variety of "spa" items in addition to books, including towels, candles and oils. Voices & Visions in Philadelphia combines books with art pieces and music. The Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem, Pa., has strong gardening and cooking sections and sells cookware, gardening tools, gardening gloves and other merchandise with them. Such merchandise should sell, he said. "Everything should bring money into the store."

In the same vein, Tim Hepp, a rep with S&S, said that the Booksmith in Vineland, N.J., partners regularly with local business to set up themed displays. For example, for a travel book display, the store borrowed a motorcycle from a motorcycle shop. He also urged booksellers to keep publishers informed about events they stage and to make proposals for events. "It's important to toot your own horn," he said.

Lillian Penchansky of Random House emphasized Hepp's point, saying that new stores that have trouble getting national authors should do "local authors and costume events." Then, she said, "You have a record showing that you're willing to support them."

Harvey Finkel, owner of the Clinton Book Shop, Clinton, N.J., discussed several of his store's events and programs, the kinds of things that "show you have activity," and included:

• Mother-daughter evenings, featuring several authors, which have drawn more than 100 people.
• Girls' night out, "two hours on Friday night when women can leave the kids with their father," which included five romance authors, chocolate and gift certificates from other stores in Clinton.
• A local potter, who helped customers make pottery in the room.
• A calligrapher, who showed customers how to write with "old-fashioned ink and pens."

Joe Drabyak of Chester County Book & Music Co., West Chester, Pa., and Susan Weis of breathe books, Baltimore, Md., shared handselling tips and tales from the perspectives of both a large and small store. Drabyak's rules for good handselling included:

• Be prepared. "You've got to read," he said, whether blads, galleys, ARCs, bound galleys. "You need to be aware of books that are coming out, and when reading, consider whether to adopt it as a personal favorite. Some you will like. Some you will dislike. Some you will be so astounded by that you can't wait to tell everyone about them." Once he's adopted a book, Drabyak said, he gets everyone on staff to look at it. He urged booksellers to study publishers' catalogues for information about authors and learn to describe a book in 50 words or less.
• Research. Because "customers want booksellers to be an authority for books," Drabyak recommended booksellers read publishers' Web sites, bookselling and publishing blogs, and other sites "where people talk about books they like"--even magazines on any subject since most have book reviews.
• Shelf Talkers. These are a way to continue to have a dialogue with customers "when you're not available in the store." Shelf talkers should be handwritten with the bookseller's name on it to help develop a base of loyalty. Sometimes customers can write shelf talkers, too, something that "can bind them to you." In addition, Book Sense shelf talkers going back to the beginning of the program are available for downloading.
• Encountering the customer. "Be respectful and never be dismissive about a book."
• Drabyak emphasized that handselling "can't be done alone." Booksellers should work with colleagues and learn their areas of personal interest and expertise so that a bookseller can turn a customer over to someone who knows even more about that customer's concern.
• Be helpful. "Sometimes I find myself in the role of research assistant," Drabyak said. "Maybe that won't result in a sale, but you've tried to help them and they'll remember that and come back and rely on you in the future."

Weis said she emphasizes her personal literary favorites by putting them in a special "Susan's Favorites" display near the register. Many of which are paperbacks, remainders or overstocks with nice margins.

She also gives ARCs to customers who are interested in certain topics, a form of "handselling by proxy," she said. "You can find these people among your customers."

As a form of shelf talkers, Weis has many handwritten notes around the store. For example, some included pictures of products she bought earlier this year in India and Bhutan and the vendors from whom she bought them. In addition, she sometimes uses bookmarks as shelf talkers.

When asked by customers for comments about books she hasn't read or whose gist she has momentarily forgotten, while talking with cutomers she reads the cover of the book and flips through it to remind herself. She noted, too, that many customers "want to engage with you" about a book they're interested in. She described a kind of dance, whereby the customer brings her a book and asks about it. Weis likes to take the book and respond. "Then they want it back," she continued, "and once it's back in their hands, they never want to let go of it again."

This morning on the Early Show: Stedman Graham, author of Diversity: A New Plan for the 21st Century (Free Press, $25, 0743234375). He also appears on Larry King Live tonight.

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This morning on the Today Show: Evelyn H. Lauder, author of In Great Taste: Fresh, Simple Recipes for Eating and Living Well (Rodale, $29.95, 1594865531).

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This morning on WAMU's Diane Rehm Show: Rajiv Chandrasekaran, journalist and author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone (Knopf, $25.95, 1400044871).

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Today on NPR's Morning Edition: Adam Roberts, author of The Wonga Coup: Guns, Thugs and a Ruthless Determination to Create Mayhem in an Oil-Rich Corner of Africa (PublicAffairs, $26, 1586483714).

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Today Oprah welcomes the encyclopedic A.J. Jacobs, author of The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (S&S, $14, 0743250621).

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Tonight on ABC's 20/20: Fox's Bill O'Reilly, author of Culture Warrior (Broadway, $26, 0767920929).

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On 60 Minutes on Sunday: Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan and author of In the Line of Fire: A Memoir (Fireside, $28, 0743283449).

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Sunday on ABC with George Stephanopolous and CNBC's Tim Russert: Frank Rich, the New York Times columnist whose new book is The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina (Penguin, $25.95, 159420098X).

The following were the bestselling titles at New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association member stores during the week ended Sunday, September 17, as reported to Book Sense:

Hardcover Fiction

1. After This by Alice McDermott (FSG, $24, 0374168091)
2. Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen (Random House, $24.95, 0375502246)
3. The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud (Knopf, $25, 030726419X)
4. The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer (Warner, $25.99, 0446530999)
5. All Aunt Hagar's Children by Edward P. Jones (Amistad, $25.95, 0060557567)
6. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Algonquin, $23.95, 1565124995)
7. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (Knopf, $25, 1400044731)
8. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl (Viking, $25.95, 067003777X)
9. A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (Doubleday, $24.95, 0385520514)
10. Gallatin Canyon by Thomas McGuane (Knopf, $24, 1400041562)
11. The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth (Putnam, $26.95, 0399153942)
12. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami (Knopf, $24.95, 1400044618)
13. The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld (Holt, $26, 0805080988)
14. The One from the Other by Philip Kerr (Putnam, $26.95, 0399152997)
15. Judge and Jury by James Patterson and Andrew Gross (Little, Brown, $27.99, 0316013935)

Hardcover Nonfiction

1. The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright (Knopf, $27.95, 037541486X)
2. I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron (Knopf, $19.95, 0307264556)
3. Marley & Me by John Grogan (Morrow, $21.95, 0060817089)
4. Hubris by Michael Isikoff and David Corn (Crown, $25.95, 0307346811)
5. Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose (HarperCollins, $23.95, 0060777044)
6. Fiasco by Thomas E. Ricks (Penguin Press, $27.95, 159420103X)
7. The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman (FSG, $30, 0374292795)
8. Guinness World Records 2007 (Guinness Media, $28.95, 1904994121)
9. La Bella Figura by Beppe Severgnini (Broadway, $23.95, 0767914392)
10. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Viking, $24.95, 0670034711)
11. The Creation by Edward O. Wilson (Norton, $21.95, 0393062171)
12. You: The Owner's Manual by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060765313)
13. Redemption by Nicholas Lemann (FSG, $24, 0374248559)
14. The Way We Were by Paul Burrell (Morrow, $25.95, 0061138959)
15. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (Morrow, $25.95, 006073132X)

Trade Paperback Fiction

1. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (Penguin, $14, 0143037145)
2. On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Penguin, $15, 0143037749)
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, $14, 1594480001)
4. The Sea by John Banville (Vintage, $12.95, 1400097029)
5. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Random House, $13.95, 0812968069)
6. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square, $14, 0743454537)
7. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Vintage, $14, 1400078776)
8. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (Penguin, $14, 0143036696)
9. The March by E.L. Doctorow (Random House, $14.95, 0812976150)
10. March by Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, $14, 0143036661)
11. The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory (Touchstone, $16, 0743272498)
12. History of Love by Nicole Krauss (Norton, $13.95, 0393328627)
13. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (HarperSanFrancisco, $13.95, 0061122416)
14. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith (Anchor, $12.95, 1400077109)
15. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Picador, $14, 031242440X)

Trade Paperback Nonfiction

1. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Scribner, $14, 074324754X)
2. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (Picador, $14, 0312425414)
3. An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore (Rodale, $21.95, 1594865671)
4. The Old Farmer's Almanac (Old Farmer's Almanac, $6.95, 1571983902)
5. The Places in Between by Rory Stewart (Harvest, $14, 0156031566)
6. The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer (Hyperion, $14.95, 0786888768)
7. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (Vintage, $14.95, 0375725601)
8. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Back Bay, $14.95, 0316346624)
9. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell (Back Bay, $13.99, 0316013269)
10. What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi E.Murkoff, et al. (Workman, $13.95, 0761121323)
11. The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon (Hill & Wang, $16.95, 0809057395)
12. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda (Random House Trade, $13.95, 0812974409)
13. 1776 by David McCullough (S&S, $18, 0743226720)
14. The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT (The College Board, $19.95, 0874477182)
15. Zagat Survey: New York City Restaurants (Zagat, $13.95, 1570067457)

Mass Market

1. The Camel Club by David Baldacci (Warner, $7.99, 0446615625)
2. Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts (Jove, $7.99, 0515141658)
3. Lifeguard by James Patterson and Andrew Gross (Warner, $9.99, 044661761X)
4. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (Warner, $7.99, 0446616451)
5. The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard (HarperTorch, $9.99, 0060724234)
6. The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy (Warner, $7.50, 0446618128)
7. Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary (Merriam-Webster, $6.50, 0877799164)
8. Without Mercy by Jack Higgins (Berkley, $9.99, 042521253X)
9. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (Anchor, $7.99, 0307275558)
10. Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn (Pocket Star, $9.99, 1416505016)

Children's Titles

1. The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, #5) by Eoin Colfer (Miramax Books, $16.95, 0786849568)
2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd (HarperCollins, $7.99, 0694003611)
3. Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic, $4.99, 0439376149)
4. Pirateology by Captain William Lubber (Candlewick, $19.99, 0763631434)
5. Is There Really a Human Race? by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell (Joanna Cotler, $16.99, 0060753463)
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic Paperbacks, $9.99, 0439785960)
7. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist (HarperCollins, $19.99, 0060586583)
8. Dial L for Loser (The Clique #6) by Lisi Harrison (Little, Brown, $9.99, 0316115045)
9. Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (Yearling, $6.50, 0440421705)
10. Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt (Golden, $9.99, 0307120007)
11. Tails by Matthew Van Fleet (Red Wagon, $13.95, 0152167730)
12. Warriors: The New Prophecy #5: Twilight by Erin W. Hunter (HarperCollins, $15.99, 0060827645)
13. Dragonology by Ernest Drake, illustrated by Helen Ward and Douglas Carrel (Candlewick, $19.99, 0763623296)
14. Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Disney, $7.99, 078684907X)
15. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak (Tanglewood, $16.95, 1933718005)

[Many thanks to Book Sense and NAIBA!]