Independent Bookstore Day: How to Make it Work for Your Store
A March Madness Event
March 4: Octavia Books in New Orleans LA
The team from Octavia will share how they plan for Independent Bookstore Day (IBD), including working together with other local stores, creating a special social media campaign, taking advantage of special terms for exclusives and featured books, and in-store activities to increase foot traffic. Attendees will be invited to share their IBD plans, too.
"Independent Bookstore Day is a joyous event we already work collaboratively on in our community. We want to talk about how we can make it better and better," says store owner Tom Lowenburg. "We are thrilled with the idea of being able to exchange ideas that will lift the boat for all independent booksellers and excited to open our doors to everyone participating."
At lunch, booksellers will meet Toya Boudy, Pamela Colloff, and Emma C. Wells.
Chef Toya Boudy is a New Orleans local and the author of Cooking for the Culture. She was crowned Best Home Cook by Hallmark’s Home & Family Channel in 2017, and she has appeared on Today, TLC, CBS, and the Food Network.
Pamela Colloff is a reporter at ProPublica and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. She was the recipient of a National Magazine Award for Reporting in 2020 and for Feature Writing in 2013. Her work has been anthologized in Best American Magazine Writing, Best American Crime Reporting, and Next Wave: America’s New Generation of Great Literary Journalists. Colloff holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Brown University. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and their two children.
Emma C. Wells is the USA Today bestselling author of The Girl's a Killer (2024 Sourcebooks). She loves anti-heroes, dark humor, witty banter, and ride-or-die friendships. Twisty relationships are her kryptonite (or catnip—depending on how you look at it). She lives in Louisiana.
The Important Stuff:
If you want to make a trip of it: Apply for a Travel Scholarship
Hotels close to Octavia Books:
Closest hotel is The Alder. It is not in a tourist area, but is conveniently located about 1.5 miles from Octavia Books and near good restaurants. Their prices are generally very reasonable (when there isn't a special event happening at Tulane University), and they offer free parking. The Hampton Inn - Garden District is also not far away.