The Booksellers Association is proud to have launched last week at London Book Fair the BA Guide to Running Bookshop Events, a comprehensive toolkit for running bookshop events - designed for new and more established booksellers. Alongside this, the BA announced a complementary grant-giving project, which will enable booksellers to secure funding to source essential events equipment for their bookshops. The grants available will range from £250 to £500, and the opening date for applications will be 1st April. 

The project was coordinated by former Dulwich Books owner and current  Project Manager (BA Learning) Sheila O’Reilly, with editorial support from Head of Membership Development Kate Gunning.  Aimed equally at booksellers new to events and those experienced in events who might lack confidence, the ‘BA Guide to Running Bookshop Events’ is designed to walk booksellers through best practice, and is a combination of advice, practical suggestions and case studies from real life situations. 

The ‘BA Guide to Running Bookshop Events’ is the latest offering from ‘BA Learning’, an expansive and growing selection of courses, videos, podcasts and downloadable training modules that are both responsive - and tailored – to the evolving needs of booksellers, and which are regularly updated and adjusted based upon the feedback received from BA members.

The genesis of the ‘BA Guide to Running Bookshop Events’ was in response to recent challenges occurring within the bookshop events space as highlighted by BA members, including the disruption of the book events ecosystem by new entrants into this space, uncertainty and opaqueness on how best to pitch for events, bestselling authors migrating to new partners for large-scale events and a shift in support and funding for bookshop events from publishing houses.  The guide was created to make booksellers feel more certain, supported and assured in an area which has become crucial to the viability of their businesses, the support of their communities and the vital role they play in the promotion of authors of all shapes and sizes.
Available on the ‘BA Skills Hub’ - as well as being downloadable as a PDF document - the ‘BA Guide to Running Bookshop Events’ brings together experience and expertise from across the book trade. Contributors include established event booksellers, and BA representatives, such as Sheryl Shurville (BA council member and owner of Chorleywood Bookshop) and Fleur Sinclair (BA President and owner of Sevenoaks Bookshop) and experienced event publicists such as Alison Barrow (PR Director at Transworld) and Anna Frame (Communications Director at Canongate). The guide is the ultimate distillation of as much bookselling and publicist wisdom as could be gathered and curated.

Meryl Halls - Managing Director, Booksellers Association said:
'Alongside celebrating the unique economic, cultural and community value of bookshops to consumers, and advocating to governments the urgent policy issues impacting them, the Booksellers Association is always searching for new ways to practically support its member bookshops to enhance their businesses and diversify their sources of revenue. Having witnessed first-hand - and had affirmed by funded research - the impressive and diverse range of events that experienced bookshops host across the UK and Ireland, and that both support the national book trade ecosystem and extend the reach of creative industries into local communities, the BA wanted to educate, support and guide newer booksellers on how they too can get involved. We are proud to have launched at London Book Fair our Guide To Bookshop Events, an informed, comprehensive and accessible toolkit, curated using in-house experience and crafted with the help of external expertise. It guides booksellers every step of the way, from the initial publisher pitch through to the event itself and beyond. We hope it will prove to be a huge support to booksellers of all experience levels, and we will be happy to take suggestions from members as to how to add to, update and improve the guide as we go along.’

Shelia O'Reilly - Project Manager (BA Learning Skills Hub), Booksellers Association said: 
'Having owned and run bookshops for more than 20 years, I have had first-hand experience of both the immense rewards and the unforeseen challenges involved in running an author events programme.
More than ever, events are an invaluable tool for bookshops to build community engagement, book trade awareness and revenue streams. Booksellers, particularly those new to the trade, are often left feeling in equal parts excited, daunted and unsure of where to start. Feelings I myself experienced when I first started doing events in my shop. I was delighted to work with a group of highly experienced book trade figures who brought invaluable insights to what we hope will be the definitive guide to bookshop events.'

Anna Frame - Communications Director, Canongate said:
‘Bookshops are at the very heart of the literary ecosystem, and events a vital (and often incredibly enjoyable) way for authors to reach readers directly – and yet running a good event isn’t always straightforward or easy. From pitching to promoting, the BA guide is packed full of helpful suggestions and ideas from both experienced booksellers and publicists on ensuring things run smoothly.  I couldn’t be more delighted that it exists.’

Alison Barrow - PR Director, Transworld said:  
‘Connecting writers with readers is essential lifeblood for the industry. This is where the magic begins! But it's also potentially daunting for teams to consider planning and platforming successful author events. So much to think about! It's brilliant then that the BA have worked so hard to provide this essential guide and toolkit to support bookshops running their own programme of events. I can't wait to see it put into action!’

Sheryl Shurville - Owner. Chorleywood Bookshop said:
‘The Booksellers Association Guide to running and organising events is THE definitive guide to organising an event. So clearly explained, it’s a must have guide not only for beginners but also for booksellers who have run events in the past. There are lots of useful tips and tricks!

The Booksellers Association is proud to have launched last week at London Book Fair the ‘BA Guide to Running Bookshop Events’, a comprehensive toolkit for running bookshop events - designed for new and more established booksellers. Alongside this, the BA announced a complementary grant-giving project, which will enable booksellers to secure funding to source essential events equipment for their bookshops. The grants available will range from £250 to £500, and the opening date for applications will be 1st April. 

Read the BA Guide to Running Bookshop Events.