Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Launches The Okra Picks
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance is launching a book program called the Okra Picks. The Okra Picks will focus on Southern books. 12 new books will promoted at the organization's 250 member stores each quarter.
SIBA has developed the Okra Picks program in response to feedback from its bookseller members who wanted the opportunity to promote current and upcoming southern titles.
The SIBA Book Awards are designed to give longer legs to books that have already been published. SIBA’s Indie Stores and SIBA want to recognize those authors and thank them for the books that have added to the bottom line and to see those titles continue to grow in popularity and readership.
The Okra Picks are a whole new crop just hitting bookshelves that SIBA stores know their customers are going to love. The first dozen Okra Picks will be for the fall and will be displayed at the SIBA Trade Show in Greenville, SC, for the first time.
The Washington Post says Oprah's Book Club did help SIBA think of the name.
I spoke with Wanda Jewell, executive director of SIBA, and asked her how she'd cooked up this plan.
"I've had the title in mind for a long time," she said, "trying to figure out how I could use it." In fact, she's been cultivating Okra Picks since she first heard of Oprah's Book Club. "With a good name and good tag line, you can go far."
How does a book get on this new list?
It sounds like it could benefit some authors of southern books who get on the list. The first nomination period is between now and September 1st. SIBA will be soliciting publishers for galley offers and "advanced access" requests which it will then forward on to SIBA bookstores. You can find out more details here.
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