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Reinventing the Community Bookstore
Is there a future for independent bookstores in general and Kepler’s Books in particular? That was the question posed by Future Search leaders Sandra Janoff and Michael Pann-witz to nearly 80 booksellers, publishers, distributors, authors, and community supporters who gathered at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, Calif., for a three-day workshop late last month. The short answer is: yes.
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Partners & Crime to Close Next Month
After 18 years, Partners & Crime Mystery Booksellers in NYC will close its doors on September 20. “We’ve had a wonderful, wonderful ride,” says partner Maggie Topkis.
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Workshop for New Bookstore Owners
The Bookstore Training Group of Paz & Associates will run an intensive training program, sponsored by the ABA, for new and prospective bookstore owners.
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This Week's Bestsellers: July 16-22, 2012
Analysis and commentary of this week's PW Bestsellers lists.
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Cookbooks Light It Up at QVC
Turn on QVC this season to see "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro, "Cupcake Diaries" authors Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne, and QVC host David Venable.
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NYC’s Forbidden Planet Upgrades to New, Bigger Retail Space
After more than fifteen years at the intersection of 13th Street and Broadway in downtown Manhattan, Forbidden Planet USA, the American arm of the Forbidden Planet International chain and one of the city’s biggest and most popular comic book stores, has moved a few doors down the street to a larger space at 832 Broadway.
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Word Up Gets One More Month
Word Up, the Washington Heights volunteer bookstore collective, announced a one-month reprieve before it must vacate its year-long home. It now has until August 31.
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Bookseller Groups Disappointed by DoJ Response
Both the ABA and NACS, representing 4,500 trade and collegiate booksellers, expressed their disappointment and astonishment over the Department of Justice’s response.
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This Week's Bestsellers: July 9-16, 2012
Analysis and commentary on this week's PW bestsellers lists.
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Selling ‘The Night Circus'
When Erin Morgenstern’s first novel, The Night Circus, debuted last September, PW predicted in a starred review that this magical tale was destined for bestsellerdom. The hardcover went on to sell 167,000 copies through the outlets tracked by Nielsen BookScan, and the paperback, which was released at the beginning of the month, looks like it’s in for a long run on the New York Times list: it sold 11,000 copies its first week out. Anchor Books moved the pub date from May to accommodate Target, where it has been a book club pick for the month of July. It’s also the lead title in Costco’s current assortment and has front-of-store displays at Barnes & Noble and many independents. There are 210,000 copies of the paperback in print.
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ABFFE Calling for Banned Book Week Videos
The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) is asking booksellers to conribute videos in support of the upcoming Banned Books Week, which runs September 29-October 6.
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Andersons Withdraw Offer for Books-A-Million
The Anderson family has withdrawn its offer to acquire all the shares in Books-A-Million that were not already owned by the family. In its announcement, BAM said the offer was withdrawn after discussing the matter with the two-person special committee that had been established by the BAM board to review the bid.
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May Bookstore Sales Rise 5.7%
Bookstore sales had their strongest month of 2012 in May, rising 5.7%, to $1.09 billion, according to preliminary estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The increase followed a 4% gain in April and pulled bookstore sales in 2012 even with sales in 2011 for the first five months of the year.
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This Week's Bestsellers: July 1-8, 2012
Commentary and analysis of this week's bestsellers lists.
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The Bestselling Books of 2012 (So Far)
The bestselling print books and e-books halfway through 2012 look nearly uniform on top (50 Shades and Hunger Games reign across all lists). After that, differences begin to creep in.
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Children’s Books Taking College Campuses by Storm
At a time when the amount of space devoted to trade books on college campuses is shrinking and many campus stores have dropped “book” from their name to reflect a greater breadth of products and services, children’s books are proving to be a bright spot.
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What's Selling at Cavalier House Books
Good weather in Denham Springs, La., has helped boost customer traffic at Cavalier House Books this summer, and Michelle Cavalier, who owns the store with her husband John, sends word of several books that she’s especially pleased to be selling.
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RILA Backs Fairness Act
Retail Industry Leaders Association, whose members account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, is the latest to weigh in on leveling the playing field and the Marketplace Fairness Act.
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Outdoor Reading Series Launches in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Monday night marked the inaugural reading of an open air literary series, Books Beneath the Bridge, which features six readings, each curated by a different bookstore in Brooklyn, N.Y.
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Prairie Lights Opens New Division in Cedar Rapids
New Bo Books, which opened in the historic New Bohemia neighborhood of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will operate much like a franchise, but is a division of Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City.



