Midwest Indie Bookstore Roadmap

Pick up a roadmap in one of our member bookstores. If you live outside of our region and would like to special order roadmaps, contact us. 

Now in its sixth year, The Midwest Indie Bookstore Roadmap is a promotional tool that both celebrates the thriving independent bookstores in our region and sends customers through their doors.

  • The artist Kevin Cannon creates a custom image of each of our member stores and features them on a beautiful roadmap-inspired drawing of our region
  • On the back of the map, we feature promotions from our industry partners as well as a bookstore directory
  • We send 100,000 copies to our bookstores for free to distribute to their customers for free on Independent Bookstore Day and thereafter as long as supplies last
  • We host a contest to give away cash prizes to customers. See their posts on social at the hashtag #bookstoreroadmap

2023 Map Art Side

2023 Roadmap

2023 Bookstore Directory and Roadmap Partners

View our 2023 roadmap partners


Purchase your ads

With your buy-in as a Roadmap Partner, we're able to offer this amazing resource to bookstores and their customers for free. Your partnership covers a portion of the program, while we supplement printing and shipping costs with our own funds.

It's a win-win!

  • You help us proudly celebrate indie bookstores in our region and get more customers through their doors
  • We help you get your message into the hands of the most dedicated book-buying population in the Midwest: 100,000 indie bookstore customers

Your partnership includes:

  • The satisfaction that you helped spread 100,000 print roadmaps across the Midwest and beyond (anyone living outside of the Midwest can request a map)
  • Print ad in in 100,000 print roadmaps
  • Books featured in print ads are pulled into an Edelweiss collection and sent to our 270+ bookstores as an ordering tool
  • Dedicated social media posts across our most popular channels
  • Permanent placement on our Roadmap Partner page

View #BookstoreRoadmap on Instagram to see the roadmap in our bookstores' customers' hands


"We keep the roadmap up on the wall next to our cash register and customers are always drawn to it! Kids (and adults) love to find their hometowns and favorite bookstores. Book lovers are delighted to be able to take a copy of the map.
I always tell them it's the best way to travel and they agree. Customers often tell us they found us from the map."

--Gwen Danfelt, Drury Lane Books (Grand Marais, MN)

"The roadmap is the perfect way to promote independent bookstores in the region and we have run out of them each year. Our customers say they love seeing how many stores they can visit, and we’ve heard that some have it up on their walls. We had to put our framed map away when we ran out since customers were asking for a copy! I also love to use the graphics from the map, especially the custom graphic of our store, which we use in a lot of different, unique promotions."

--Carol Blizzard Dunn, Northwind Book & Fiber (Spooner, WI)

Independent bookstores put their towns on the map. The shelves of a bookstore are a destination, and each purchase is a new journey. That's the magic of a bookstore. It celebrates where it is while taking you anywhere you want to go.

Enter our consumer roadmap contest in two easy steps:
  1. Post a picture of yourself on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook inside or in front of any bookstore featured on this map. If you are shopping at one of our pop-up or online bookstores, post a picture of your visit and/or your purchase. 
  2. Use the hashtag #BookstoreRoadmap and tag us using the handles listed below, and tag the bookstore.

social media handles

We’ll randomly select one entry each month to win a $50 gift card at the member bookstore of your choice. On next year’s Indie Bookstore Day (April 27, 2024), we’ll randomly select one winner from all of the year’s entries to win a $500 gift card. The more stores you shop at and tag, the more likely you are to win the grand prize.

Book guy with pizza slice




Whichever bookstore gets tagged the most on social media between now and Indie Bookstore Day 2024 will win a staff pizza party on us.

Booksellers, you know what to do! Spread indie bookstore love and encourage your customers to participate in the roadmap contest. Help promote the contest in your store and across your online channels by using these pre-built graphics. Two layouts let you customize the message with your own store artwork.

Roadmaps and store art are free to all current bookstore members

Join MIBA January 22 to get your custom store art, a spot on the map,

and free maps shipped to your store

Getting started

  • When you join our association, your store is automatically put into a queue for our artist Kevin Cannon to draw. There's no need to do anything since he works with images of your store online, but if you want to share any special images or info to assist him, you can do so via the link you receive in your membership welcome e-mail. (Contact us if you need the link re-sent to you.)
  • We produce and print the roadmap to be shipped to your store the week before Independent Bookstore Day, which is celebrated on April 29. Early in the year, we give you an opportunity to request how many free copies you'd like (typically 200, 400, or 600). We also release each year's new art to owners before IBD, so you will be able to use it in your promos and help drive traffic to your store. 
  • Give away the roadmaps to your customers for free starting on Independent Bookstore Day! (Or whenever you receive them. That's up to you.)

Once you have your art

When your art is complete, you will get a free png. In addition, you can request two upgrades to the basic art.

  • Order a vector package
  • Order a designed badge with additional features
  • Both are available here

Promote the roadmap all year long

The info below is for 2023. New assets for 2024 will be posted when available.

  • New this year is a robust offering of assets based on this year's design. Click the button below to access all files (please note this is a member only page).
  • If you post your promotion on social media be sure to tag us!
  • View the ads to order the products advertised on the back of the map.