Book Sense
Encyclopedia
Book Sense was a marketing
and brand
ing program of the American Booksellers Association
, in which many independent bookstore
s across North America
participated in order to better compete with the large book chains. Bookstores participating in the Book Sense program were expected to display the Book Sense logo and take part in at least some of the available components of the program. In 2008, Book Sense was replaced by IndieBound.
and others. Two factors contribute to the differences. First, The New York Times lists include all book sales, including grocery stores, gift shops, independent bookstores, large chains, big box stores, and drug stores; where the Book Sense lists consider only sales from independent bookstores. Second, The New York Times lists include reports from publishers, which can "double-count" a book (the sale is reported once by the publisher and once by the retailer) and generate artificially high sales of popular new books when retailers and distributors purchase large numbers of books that may later be returned unsold to the publishers.
Book Sense publishes regular weekly lists for hardcover
fiction, hardcover nonfiction, trade paperback fiction, trade paperback nonfiction, mass market paperback, "children's interest," children's illustrated, and children's fiction series. Category lists, which focus on a particular genre, are published less frequently.
.
. The individual Web sites share a central database administered by the ABA
, although each store may set its own pricing. The sites can be constructed with a template system
or custom-built.
-style community feature was launched on the website on September 11, 2008.
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
and brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
ing program of the American Booksellers Association
American Booksellers Association
The American Booksellers Association is a non-profit industryassociation founded in 1900 that promotes independent bookstores in the United States and Canada. The ABA and its members support freedom of speech, literacy, and programs that encourage reading...
, in which many independent bookstore
Independent bookstore
An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned.-Literary and countercultural history:Author events at independent bookstores sometimes take the role of literary salons. The bookstores themselves, "have historically supported and cultivated the work of independent...
s across North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
participated in order to better compete with the large book chains. Bookstores participating in the Book Sense program were expected to display the Book Sense logo and take part in at least some of the available components of the program. In 2008, Book Sense was replaced by IndieBound.
Book Sense bestseller lists
The Book Sense bestseller program was developed to provide a method of calculating bestsellers better suited to independent bookstores than the lists provided by The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and others. Two factors contribute to the differences. First, The New York Times lists include all book sales, including grocery stores, gift shops, independent bookstores, large chains, big box stores, and drug stores; where the Book Sense lists consider only sales from independent bookstores. Second, The New York Times lists include reports from publishers, which can "double-count" a book (the sale is reported once by the publisher and once by the retailer) and generate artificially high sales of popular new books when retailers and distributors purchase large numbers of books that may later be returned unsold to the publishers.
Book Sense publishes regular weekly lists for hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
fiction, hardcover nonfiction, trade paperback fiction, trade paperback nonfiction, mass market paperback, "children's interest," children's illustrated, and children's fiction series. Category lists, which focus on a particular genre, are published less frequently.
Book Sense picks
Before a major new book is published, the publisher will often send out Advance Reader Copies (ARCs--also known as uncorrected proofs) to booksellers to generate interest in the book. Owners and employees of Book Sense member stores review these ARCs, along with brand-new books when they are released, and nominate their favorites as "Book Sense picks." The American Booksellers Association handles nominations and voting, and releases monthly lists of what member stores have selected. There are also special pick lists from time to time.Book Sense Book of the Year Awards
Each year, owners and employees of each Book Sense member store have the opportunity to vote for The Book Sense Book of the Year, which is issued in four different categories. The winning authors are honored at a banquet at BookExpo AmericaBookExpo America
BookExpo America is the largest annual book trade fair in the United States. BEA is almost always held in a major city over four days in late May and/or early June...
.
- 2008 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards2008 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards-Adult Fiction Honor Books:*The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon*Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo*Away by Amy Bloom*Run by Ann Patchett-Adult Nonfiction Winner:...
- 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards-Adult Fiction Honor Books:*The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier*The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai*The Road by Cormac McCarthy*Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky-Adult Nonfiction Winner:...
- 2006 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards2006 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards-Adult Fiction Honor Books:*Kafka on the Shore: A Novel by Haruki Murakami *The March: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow *Saturday: A Novel by Ian McEwan *Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel by Lisa See...
- 2005 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards2005 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards-Adult Fiction Honor Books:*Eventide by Kent Haruf *The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant *The Plot Against America by Philip Roth *The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon -Adult Nonfiction Winner:...
Book Sense gift cards
As of early 2006, approximately 400 bookstores participated in the Book Sense gift card program, which allows shoppers to buy a gift card in one member store and redeem it in another. The gift card program is administered by Givex corporation, and replaces an earlier Book Sense program that used paper gift certificates. Many participating stores experienced significant sales increases when switching from paper gift certificates to the Book Sense gift card program.BookSense.com
The BookSense.com Web site has a large database of books (over 2 million titles). Shoppers who visit BookSense.com are directed to the Web site of the nearest participating member bookseller, calculated by ZIP codeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
. The individual Web sites share a central database administered by the ABA
American Booksellers Association
The American Booksellers Association is a non-profit industryassociation founded in 1900 that promotes independent bookstores in the United States and Canada. The ABA and its members support freedom of speech, literacy, and programs that encourage reading...
, although each store may set its own pricing. The sites can be constructed with a template system
Web template system
A Web template system describes the software and methodologies used to produce web pages and for deployment on websites and delivery over the Internet. Such systems process web templates, using a template engine...
or custom-built.
IndieBound.org
In June 2008, Book Sense was replaced by IndieBound, a new program and website. After a period of beta testing, a social networkSocial network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
-style community feature was launched on the website on September 11, 2008.