IndieBound UK

IndieBound is the BA’s marketing campaign for independent booksellers, encompassing Independent Booksellers Week.  Its prime purpose is to promote the benefits of independent bookshops to consumers (and within the book trade), and to help booksellers continue a conversation with customers about the importance of healthy high streets, the positive consequences of shopping locally and independently and an active sense of community.
 
Supporting local, independent businesses means that pounds, jobs, diversity and choices stay local, creating strong, unique communities and happier citizens.  IndieBound strives to promote this message, via booksellers, to the wider world.
 
IndieBound is was originally begun by the American Booksellers Association and in the US, it continues to bring together booksellers, readers, indie retailers, local business alliances, and anyone else with a passionate belief that healthy local economies help communities thrive.  The ABA designed IndieBound in June 2008, and the BA's Independent Booksellers Forum (IBF), seeing what had happened in the US, and keen to create strong, positive messages about independence and the high street in the UK, adopted the programme on behalf of its independent members in November 2009, taking the first step in making IndieBound global.

BA members who join the IndieBound campaign have access to POS, to campaign materials, to seasonal POS and to marketing materials, including the IndieBound Collection, which showcases 20 top titles for indies, and has a Spring and Summer Collection.  The BA's Christmas Books Catalogue is also an IndieBound product.

We are also offering out to BA members an annual Point of Sale Pack with 12 occasion posters and bookmarks.  For £70 booksellers will receive a year's worth of seasonal point of sale.  Click here to see the order form and poster images and contact meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk to express interest in the Pack.



The UK site www.indiebound.org.uk is primarily a booksellers site, though it does have some information for book-loving consumers too!  On the site we have Booksellers Resources, links to useful organisations, bookseller DIY Point of Sale and a bookshop search so you can find your local IndieBound bookseller.  Over time we will add more bookshops, more information on those bookshops and also book information, bringing books, readers and independent booksellers together on the site.  The US campaign is already very well established, and you can see what they are up to by viewing www.indiebound.org

As you may have heard, a new consumer-facing IndieBound website has been launched.
 
Extending the reach of IndieBound’s current trade-focused campaign, the site is uniquely positioned as the antidote to algorithm-based, chart-led, celebrity-endorsed book recommendations; a forum where book lovers can share their passion for books and use the expertise of real booksellers to discover inspiring new reads. This is strongly supported by social media activity, predominantly on Facebook, where readers can ask for personalised recommendations from booksellers.
 
Booksellers are encouraged to continue submitting recommendations throughout the year, and help answer requests for advice on Facebook.
 
Visit the site www.indiebound.co.uk or the Facebook page to take partwww.facebook.com/IndieboundUK

Also you can interact with and follow the site on Twitter @IndieBoundbooks 
 
Not only is this a great opportunity to promote your bookshop (as each shop will be credited for its recommendation), it’s a fantastic chance to demonstrate your expert knowledge!
 
Booksellers can submit as many recommendations as they wish online atwww.indiebound.co.uk. For more information about IndieBound, and to get involved with recommending books on Facebook, please emailindiebound@booksellers.org.uk
 

For further information about IndieBound, please contact meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk or sharon.down@booksellers.org.uk