We’re delighted to launch our brand new Independent Bookshop Initiative 2017 – a three-pronged campaign to support new and existing independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland. The initiative was announced by Group Sales Director, Oliver Wright at HarperCollins’ Indie Thinking Evening on 13th October at The News Building.
Created by the team here at Indie Thinking, the Independent Bookshop Initiative 2017 comprises:
The Indie Start-Up Grant
This will provide incremental support at launch to new and growing independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland, offering an additional 10% discount on all store opening orders, and 90 days payment terms on all qualifying orders. A ‘growing’ bookshop in this case is defined as one which is increasing its bookselling space by at least 25%. The opening order period is defined as orders placed direct with HarperCollins in the first 8 weeks.
The Indie Development Fund
The Indie Development Fund offers independent bookshops the chance to receive funding for projects that grow community access to books and reading. Ten individual awards of £2,000 each will be available in 2017. Independent bookshops are the lifeblood of books and reading for many local communities, and we’d particularly like to encourage applications from those with ambitions to help bring more readers into their bookshop (or to help take the bookshop to more readers), and forge and enhance relationships with reading in the community. HarperCollins authors Jon McGregor and Joanna Cannon, alongside Oliver Wright and Michael Jones from the HarperCollins sales team, will judge the entries.
The Booksellers Network
HarperCollins’ announcement of the Independent Bookshop Initiative 2017 comes after the launch in September 2016 of The Booksellers Network, a Booksellers Association-led initiative, co-founded by HarperCollins and The Bookseller, designed to bring together shop-floor booksellers for mutual support, social events, networking, mentoring and personal development. HarperCollins have proudly sponsored the British Book Industry Young Retailer of the Year award for nearly ten years, and as a founding partner of The Booksellers Network, we’re delighted to offer a new opportunity to the UK and Ireland’s bookselling talent in 2017.
Oliver Wright said:
“At HarperCollins we believe in the power of local independent bookshops and how they connect books with readers through outstanding curation and shop-floor selling, making tangible and lasting positive impacts on their local communities. I’m therefore delighted to be launching HarperCollins’ Independent Bookshop Initiative, which will help new and existing independent bookshops to grow and succeed in 2017.â€
How To Get Involved
Applications are now open for the Indie Start-Up Grant and Indie Development Fund – independent bookshops can email independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk to request more information, plus an application form and terms and conditions. Applications for the Indie Development Fund must be received by 31st January 2017. You can also email us to find out more about The Booksellers Network, and don’t forget to follow them on Twitter @Booksellers_Nwk.
