Spring 2019 Programming

This year, we're offering a few new twists on our traditional spring programming. See the information below for an overview, and please save the date! We will be following up with registration, lodging options, and complete schedule details soon.
Publicists: View our call for authors and our spring archive for information and inspiration

Spring Meeting

March 25, 2019
​Decorah, Iowa
9:30-5:00 pm

The booksellers at Dragonfly Books are inviting you to beautiful downtown Decorah, Iowa to immerse yourself in all things independent business. Please join us for education and networking with your fellow independent booksellers as well as a reception with a group of the season's new titles and authors. 

Hosted at Dragonfly Books and Hotel Winneshiek, both located in the heart of Decorah’s vibrant downtown retail district, this event will educate and inspire booksellers of every level. 

Morning education (with catered lunch)
Decorah, Iowa, rich with independent business, has one of the most vibrant downtown areas in the country. Enjoy an educational session about strengthening your store by building alliances with other businesses, working with your chamber of commerce, building a Shop Local campaign, and the like. The presentation, which includes guest speakers and a field trip to other independent businesses, will be followed by a break-out conversation with attendees. This education will be uniquely tailored to capitalize on Decorah's inspiring downtown setting. 

Afternoon reception
The second part of the day is dedicated to meeting a group of authors whose books will feature well in independent bookstores, and likely be available for events in the upcoming season. Authors will individually present their new books, and we will follow up the presentations with a book signing and free galleys. The reception includes time for authors and booksellers to mingle together at Dragonfly Books. 

Pre-event fun March 24
For those booksellers arriving in Decorah on March 24, Dragonfly is hosting a Literary Open Mic Night at Pulpit Rock Brewing Co, a popular bar that regularly hosts poetry slams and other spoken word events. This free event will feature some of Decorah’s writing talent as well as give traveling booksellers and authors an excuse take to the mic.

Bookseller Bootcamp

April 7-8, 2019
​Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Estimated schedule of 9 am-5 pm each day

Due to popular demand, we're developing a new educational and networking event geared specifically for frontline booksellers. Staff, this one's all about you! Join us for "bookseller basic training" that covers many of the topics you need to become and exceptional bookstore employee.

While all of the education offered at this event will be applicable to booksellers who don't own or manage a store, owners and managers are enthusiastically encouraged to attend. You can enjoy some of the same programming; we will be hosting education from ABA; and depending on turnout, we may create a sideline of networking specifically for you during the frontline training.

Sample of possible education sessions
  • Overview of the industry: Publishers and sales reps and distributors, oh my! What you need to know about how it all fits together.
  • How to be an exceptional handseller: Customer service, fielding title requests, turning questions into sales.
  • Putting your bookstore on the map: How to read like a bookseller, write blurbs, and put your blurbs where publishers will see them.
  • Tools of the trade: Edelweiss, Indiebound, POS systems, Batch. What are the technologies you'll be depending on as a bookseller? When do you use them and why?
  • Keynote authors. To round out our depth of understanding of the industry, we'll host keynote authors, as hearing seasoned authors discuss their books is a crucial element of knowing how to highlight the hooks of a book and sell them to interested customers.
  • Moveable Feast: Meeting authors is one of the best ways to get excited about new books and sell them in your store. As you enjoy drinks or snacks, multiple rounds of authors will visit your table to talk about their new titles, and all attendees will receive a copy of each author's book. 
  • ABA lunch and open forum. Crucial to understanding the industry and supporting your store within the publishing ecosystem, you understanding of ABA and the education their offer will help you and your store thrive.​
  • MIBA and what we offer. How to use our programs like Midwest Connections, Heartland Fall Forum, and the winter catalog to boost bookstore sales.