What Is Book Sense? Book Sense® is the national marketing program developed by ABA in 2000 to strengthen the competitive position of independent storefront booksellers. More than 1,200 bookstores in 50 states participate in the program, which is comprised of four key components: The Book Sense Picks: Bookseller recommendations from around the country, distributed as printed consumer fliers to participating stores. The Picks include monthly adult lists, thrice yearly children�s lists, annual summer paperback and reading group suggestions, and seasonal specialty top ten lists. The Book Sense Notables are 20 additional titles chosen each month based on bookseller recommendations and are available in various formats. The Book Sense Bestseller List: Weekly national and regional rankings of books in various categories, based on reporting from independent bookstores with Book Sense. The Book Sense Gift Card Program: A national, electronic gift card plan that allows independent bookstores with various inventory control systems to offer for a competitive cost gift cards which are redeemable at other participating stores with Book Sense and on BookSense.com websites. BookSense.com: An e-commerce tool developed especially for independent bookstores, which includes a state-of-the-art search engine and a 2.5 million title database. The Book Sense marketing program is free to all ABA core member, storefront location bookstores that sell predominantly new trade books. Participating stores receive publisher-supported promotional and marketing materials via the monthly �Red Box� and �White Box� mailing. Stores can choose to participate in the Book Sense Gift Card Program and in BookSense.com, for which certain administrative fees apply. The goal of each of the four pillars of the Book Sense program is to offer a unique way for stores to market themselves to their customers. The Book Sense Picks represent the intellectual currency of independent booksellers through a national �staff picks list.� The Book Sense Bestseller List is the timely reflection of the taste and trends among independent bookstore customers. The Book Sense Gift Card Program allows member stores to offer the increasingly important gift card as part of their inventory mix. BookSense.com is an affordable way to offer consumers easy online book browsing and purchasing capabilities, to sell gift cards, and to promote in-store events, staff recommendations, the Book Sense Picks, and more. Each year the Book Sense Book of the Year Awards are presented at BookExpo America at the Celebration of Bookselling, a much-anticipated industry event. The Awards are the result of balloting by ABA member booksellers, and they celebrate the titles booksellers most enjoyed handselling during the preceding year. Book Sense has raised the visibility of independent bookstores in numerous ways, including the ability of ABA to partner with both hundreds of book publishers and such well-recognized companies as The History Channel, A&E, and Levenger. Book Sense has increased consumer awareness of independent bookstores and has provided participating stores with benefits rarely available to a network of independent businesses. General Questions Jill Perlstein, ext. 6642; [email protected] Book Sense Bestseller List General questions: Meg Smith, ext. 6641; [email protected] Media or reprint questions: Meg Smith, ext. 6641; [email protected] Technical questions: [email protected] Publisher Partner Programs Mark Nichols, ext. 6640; [email protected] Book Sense Picks Dan Cullen, ext. 6660; [email protected] BookSense.com Len Vlahos, ext. 6650; [email protected] BookSense.com Customer Service Questions Select Option #2 from the main menu; [email protected] Book Sense Gift Card Program Linda Ford, ext. 6644, [email protected] Book Sense Gift Certificate Reimbursement Questions Ed Rush, ext. 6620; [email protected] To Reorder Book Sense Supplies and to Request Additional Materials Peter Reynolds, ext. 6635; [email protected] Tina Pallogudis, ext. 6636; [email protected] To Reorder Book Sense Paper or Plastic Bags Atlas Paper Company, (800) 874-8873 or (781) 729-8750, ext. 119 or 130; [email protected] Updated 08/10/06