AFATS08: Authors Feast & Trade Show: October 18, 2008

Have lunch with Jamie Lee Curtis (Big Words for Little People) and dinner with David Benioff (City of Thieves), plus rub elbows with the likes of Dean Koontz, Robert Crais, Joseph Wambaugh, Leonard Maltin and scores more! Tons of exhibitors and cool educational workshops (see below) that will help you sell more books! Join SCIBA on its return trip to the Millennium Biltmore Hotel for the 2008 Authors Feast & Trade Show, Saturday, October 18. Register now!

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Special Invitation for Your Teacher & Librarian Customers!
Don't forget to let teachers and librarians you know that they're invited to join us for special 2008 SCIBA Authors Feast educational seminars and the Authors Luncheon, featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, Dorothea Benton Frank, Brandon Sanderson and Loren Long! Please forward this Librarians/Teachers Registration Form.

AFATS Attendee Code of Conduct

No galleys, books or display copies may be removed from the exhibitor tables without the expressed permission from the exhibitor.
Promotional copies are not to be sold online or in your stores.
No carts, luggage on wheels or empty strollers or carriages are allowed in the exhibit areas during regular show hours. If you have a medical reason to need a cart, please contact the SCIBA office prior to the show to obtain permission.
ANY VIOLATOR WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE TRADE SHOW FLOOR.

AFATS Schedule

8:30-10 a.m. Children's Reps Pick of the List & Continental Breakfast

9-10:15 a.m. Business to Business: 10 Great Ideas You Can Implement at Your Store. Moderated by Terry Gilman (Mysterious Galaxy); Tyson Cornell (Book Soup); Deb Lewis (Mgr., B2B Trade & Hardcover Sales Representative, Penguin Group); Jack Covert and Todd Satersten (800CEOREAD). In today's business environment, you can no longer depend solely on your customer's purchases to ensure the success of your bookstore. Our panel of experts will help you find other sales opportunities outside your store to help you supplement and support your business. Two booksellers will share practical programs they have implemented in their communities that have brought in additional income. One publisher will tell you about their Business to Business opportunities. And the president of 800CEORead will talk about the market for business books in your community and how you can take advantage of it. We can guarantee that you will take at least one great idea back to your store that will help you increase revenue and raise the visibility of your store in your community.

10-11 a.m. Getting the Most Out of Your Children's Section. Moderated by Kristen McLean (Executive Director, American Booksellers for Children). Children's books are one of the brightest spots for growth in the book industry, but managing this category for healthy sales requires a challenging and strategic approach. This session will look at four important areas you need to address to successfully grow your children's book business: building a kid-friendly environment, picking the right books, finding and training charismatic kid's book specialists, and developing stellar events. It will also tackle the most frequently encountered problems in selling children's books, including damages, shelving, and customer safety.

10:30-11:45 a.m. Connecting to Your Customers and Community with IndieBound! Presented by ABA staff. There is a clear sentiment in favor of localism that is revolutionizing consumer behavior. People are renewing their ties to friends, neighbors, and institutions in their cities and towns, choosing Main Street over malls, and embracing localism and sustainability movements of all types. This presents an extraordinary opportunity for independent booksellers and other independent retailers. IndieBound taps into this growing movement, creating new and interesting ways for independent booksellers and other independent businesses to better communicate their core strengths -- independence, passion, community -- to their customers. Share what you have done in your store with IndieBound promotional material, ways that you have connected with other independent businesses in your community, and hear about creative ways your colleagues have used IndieBound.

11:10-12:10 p.m. Graphic Novels for Children: The History, Use in the Classroom and Why They Matter. Presented by Kristen McLean (Executive Director, ABC); Jennifer L. Holmes and Matthew Holmes (authors/illustrator, Babymouse series, Random House); Steve "Mr. Steve" Ross (Vroman's Bookstore). "Graphic novel" seems to be the buzzword in bookselling these days, and it's not hard to understand why. Total sales of graphic novels have quadrupled since 2001, and sales are still experiencing double-digit growth each year (2006 sales were 12% greater than 2005, according to industry analyst icv2.com). You may be thinking about creating a kids/YA graphic novel section, or perhaps you've started a small section but need advice on how to expand. This workshop will give you all the nuts and bolts you need to create an exciting, up-to-date section, including core lists, a discussion of the various genres within the category, and tips on shelving and merchandising a kids Graphic Novel section. Bring your questions, large and small, and we will help you find the answers.

Noon-1:30 p.m. Bookseller Luncheon/4 Authors Speaking! Mary E. Pearson, MC, Adoration of Jenna Fox, Henry Holt

Jamie Lee Curtis, Big Words for Little People, Joanna Cotler
Dorothea Benton Frank, The Christmas Pearl, William Morrow
Brandon Sanderson, Alcatraz Versus The Scrivener's Bones, Scholastic Press
Loren Long, Drummer Boy, Philomel

1:30-7:30 p.m. Trade Show/Author Autographs

4-6 p.m. Sales Rep Pick of the List

6-7:30 p.m. Authors Feast Reception

7:30-9:30 p.m. Authors Feast Dinner/SCIBA Book Awards

Trade Show Exhibitors; Reservations Still Being Taken!
Exhibitors, get your forms in now! Other important deadlines: