10.28.2010

There's Going to Be a Baby--and a picture book giveaway!



John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury are beloved British children's book authors and illustrators who happen to be married. Over the course of their marriage, however, they have never collaborated on a book--until now. There's Going to Be a Baby, which Burningham wrote and Oxenbury illustrated, is a narrative of the wait for a new baby to be born. A mother and son carry on a conversation over the months before his new brother or sister arrives, as both wonder what the baby might be like. Will it be a chef? A banker? Will it make messes on the rug? Imagining all sorts of scenarios, the little boy wonders if he might not want a new baby after all. When the time comes to see the baby for the first time, though, he is full of excitement and curiosity. The old-fashioned color palette and funny illustrations of the baby performing in various imagined careers make this a special book to share with all expectant families.

Now, it just so happens that there IS going to be a baby at The Galaxy Bookshop! For those of you who haven't heard yet, Sandy is expecting a baby in March. After taking some time off to spend at home, she plans to be back with baby in tow.

In honor of this announcement (and thanks to Candlewick Publishers--one of our favorite children's publishers) we have a copy  of There's Going to Be a Baby to give away! To enter to win, leave a comment on this post--we'll choose a winner at random next Friday, November 5.

Read a Q&A with Burningham and Oxenbury.

10.22.2010

2010 Read-a-Thon!

A night of reading, among readers--it's time again for Read-a-Thon!
In its first year, The Galaxy Bookshop's Read-a-Thon raised over $800 for Hardwick Head Start and Early Head Start. Last year, we doubled that figure and brought in $1,660--money that went towards supplying books to students in the early education programs.

[caption id="attachment_993" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Readers get comfortable and settle in with some good books for the night."][/caption]

This year's Read-a-Thon is an overnight event, running from 5 p.m. on Friday, November 5 through 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 6. Participants spend the night at The Galaxy Bookshop, where they will have hours to read, plus have the option to participate in a variety of book related activities.


Not sure what Read-a-Thon is all about? Just like any fundraising marathon, Read-a-Thon participants sign up in advance to receive a form for collecting pledges that will go to Hardwick Head Start and Early Head Start. Donors can choose to sponsor a reader by the hour, by the page, or with a set donation.

We are looking for participants and for volunteers to assist with setup, food donation, overnight supervision, activities, and cleanup.
Click on the links below to download forms to register as a participant or to be a volunteer.

Forms are due back at The Galaxy Bookshop Friday, October 29.

2010 Registration Packet


2010 Volunteer form


10.14.2010

Books, books everywhere, and not a minute to read--the NEIBA trade show (part 2)

(Sorry for the delay on this post. I was held up by the fact that I kept forgetting to upload the remainder of my photos from my camera. ~S)

So, there were lots of great learning opportunities at NEIBA, but there was also plenty of social time, which is often just as important. You might think that all of these bookstores would be in competition with one another, but we often think of one another as collaborators. Trade shows and conferences allow us to put our heads together to share ideas--what's worked, what hasn't--and work out solutions to problems that face all of us, whether it's staffing, inventory management, or understanding new technologies. For example, one idea that I brought back from this show was to host a reception for some of the local authors we haven't been able to schedule for readings during the summer. (That will be happening November 16--stay tuned for details!)

 

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="Our friend Hiata, from Bridgeside Books in Waterbury, shows off some of her swag."][/caption]

 

Of course, one of the big draws of any trade show are the freebies, right? There are two types of booksellers at these shows: the ones who admit up front that they're going to pick up too many books, and the ones who claim they're going to show some restraint, then take home a lot more books than they were planning, even knowing that there are stacks of ARCs already waiting back at the store. (I'm in the latter category.)

It starts at the lunches, dinners, and breakfasts, where the featured author's books are given away to attendees. It continues at the author reception, which this year featured 16 New England authors, including our own Rowan Jacobsen. Long lines formed as booksellers awaited a chance to talk to some of their favorite authors and get autographed books. The reception took place on the trade show floor, so booksellers were able to take a peek at publisher displays before the official opening of the show.

After the reception, Linda headed off for a bicycling adventure, and I made plans for dinner with Claire and Jane from Bear Pond Books, Barb from White Birch Books, and Hiata from Bridgeside Books. We had an absolutely delicious meal at Red Stripe, then walked next door to Books on the Square, where the staff was hosting a reception for all of the NEIBA booksellers. For most booksellers, a visit to another bookstore is irresistible, even on vacation. It's a treat to see familiar books in a new setting, discover new books, and geekily "ooh and ahh" over things like signage and display racks.


The next day was Trade Show day, which meant dropping off orders with various sales reps, more socializing, and the inevitable gathering of many pounds of books--I can tell you that trade shows are a real work out. I would guess I walked out of there with at least fifteen pounds of books hanging from each shoulder, and that's a relatively modest amount.

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="384" caption="One bookseller organizes her book collection before going to pick up more."][/caption]

 

 


The NEIBA show is pretty manageable and, in my opinion, more enjoyable than BEA (Book Expo America, the national show), which can be a sensory overload. Still, even at the smaller show, there is a lot to take in. Publishers know this and try to lure tired booksellers in with everything from lollipops to homemade cookies. Of course, they also have plenty of bookish bait, as well. Racks and stacks of books of all kinds are on every side. One of my favorite tables was Random House, where they had a "staff picks" section, just like you might find at the bookstore. Each book had a handwritten recommendation from one of the reps or publicists to let you know why you would love it. It's a nice personal touch that helped showcase their books. I received plenty of great recommendations from reps at other publishers, too. I'm currently enjoying Cecil Castellucci's new YA novel, Rose Sees Red, which Nikki at Scholastic raved about (Cecil was at the show to sign bookplates--it would have been books, but the shipment was waylaid--and I got to meet her and tell her how much I've loved her books); and I'm looking forward to reading Tom Franklin's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (an IndieBound pick this month), and Scarlett Thomas's Our Tragic Universe among many other intriguing titles stacked next to my night stand.

Finally, it was time to head back to Vermont with Hiata, who had generously offered to drive to and from Providence. The valets at our hotel were fairly kind in not giving us a hard time over the 15 bags (mostly books) they helped us load into the car.

For some other perspectives on NEIBA, check out Publisher's Weekly, Shelf Talker, Shelf Awareness, and Boston Bibliophile.

10.05.2010

Where Were Linda and Sandy? A look at the NEIBA trade show (Part 1)

Last week, Linda and I traveled to Providence, RI, to attend the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) trade show. I've been to a few of these shows, while Linda has seen about 20 or so during her life as a bookseller. This is the regional trade show--as opposed to Book Expo America (BEA), which is the national trade show that takes place in late May--tailored to bookstores across New England. Though there are certainly larger urban bookstores among us, many of us share similar experiences as small stores in rural areas. At the trade show, we get together to discuss challenges and successes; exchange ideas for merchandising, marketing, and events; and most of all, to talk about books.

Like many conferences, NEIBA is a place where you find yourself among your People, the ones who get excited about the same things that you do, who really get you, and give you permission to embrace your inner nerd. Our favorite authors and illustrators get to feel like rock stars as we gush over their work and ask for autographs. (My favorite souvenir of the weekend: City Dog, Country Frog, personally signed by Jon Muth!)

The three day event started out with the New England Booksellers Awards Luncheon, to honor the winners of said awards. These authors and their books were chosen democratically, with NEIBA members sending in nominations, then voting on the top choices in each category.

Gail Caldwell, whose memoir Let's Take the Long Way Home has received national attention, was awarded the prize for non-fiction. She spoke movingly about the opportunity that writing this book gave her to spend two years with the friend she'd lost.



The children's award winner was the aforementioned City Dog, Country Frog, written by Mo Willems and illustrated by Jon Muth. Since Willems wasn't able to attend, Muth accepted for both of them, as well as for Willems' dog Nelson, who had prepared a very funny acceptance speech for the occasion.

Finally, Lily King accepted the award for fiction, given to her novel Father of the Rain. She spoke of her passion for writing--spurred at an early age by a Judy Blume book her mother bought for her--and gave encouragement to any aspiring writer, saying that she wrote her novel at an average of two pages a day, and that is something that anyone can accomplish. She also shared some funny stories from her days as a bookseller, which were greatly appreciated by this crowd. (Example: "Do you have War and Peace by Tolstoy?" "No, I'm sorry, we're out." "Oh. Do you have it by anyone else?")

Our trade organizations, NEIBA and the American Bookseller's Association (ABA) both work year round to put together great educational sessions for trade shows and other events. This year, I attended panel discussions on Large Scale Events (though I may never organize an event that draws over 500 people, there were still great tips on communicating with publicists and putting together event proposals), We Love Our Reps! (more tips on effective communication, this time with your sales reps, and on how to use the online catalogs that more publishers are beginning to use), More Than a Bookstore (how to branch out your business, whether through digital media or by adding new products and services), and a presentation on Google Editions (the e-book format that we hope will be available to our customers through galaxybookshop.com before Christmas!) As always, I got more information out of some sessions than others, but the discussions generated during and after each were valuable.

To Be Continued...

Next post: More awards, more authors, more booksellers, and the Actual Trade Show.