In response to the decision by Baker & Taylor to cease serving retail booksellers, Simon & Schuster has launched Indie Quick Start, designed to make it easier for indie stores that do not have accounts with S&S to set up accounts. The program is valid for all S&S titles, as well as titles from its many distribution clients, which include Andrews McMeel, Baen, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Gallup, Hazelden Publishing, Inner Traditions, Insight Editions, Kaplan Publishing, little bee books, North South, Open Road, Post Hill Press, Regan Arts, Reader's Digest, Ripley Publishing, Skyhorse, Viz Media, WeldonOwen and the World Almanac, among others.
As part of the program, S&S is offering to independent bookstores without a current account, or accounts that have been inactive for a year: expedited application and credit approval process; quick initial order processing and no minimum for new customer initial orders; and its previously announced promotional terms for new store openings. The new or renewed account and first order must be set up and made by August 30.
"Simon & Schuster values and is committed to our independent bookstore partners and the overall health of the retail marketplace," said Gary Urda, senior v-p, sales. "With this Indie Quick Start program we hope to both ease and speed the path to direct ordering for new customers, creating and building new relationships in this important bookselling channel. We are also working closely with all of our demand wholesale partners to insure that they, too, are fully prepared to supply this important marketplace with our titles. In short, we are open for business, ready to welcome new indie accounts, and look forward to providing them with our world-class customer service."
S&S has assigned a dedicated customer service representative to handle the Indie Quick Start process, and has set up a dedicated phone line and email inbox. For more information, booksellers should contact 800-976-1725 or IndieBiz@simonandschuster.com.