You may have heard that the event previously known as Authors for Indies Day has been adopted by the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and will be re-branded as Canadian Independent Bookstore Day (CIBD). This year's event will take place across the country at indie bookstores on Saturday, April 28.
CIBD is a celebration of independent bookstores across the country, with games, events, and prizes. It's a day for communities to appreciate and show off these unique businesses that help spread art, culture, and literature across Canada. It's also a day for authors to give back to the indie bookstores and booksellers who support their work every day.
For the past three years, Authors for Indies (AFI) has grown and become a huge success thanks to the participation of independent bookstores, authors, publishers, and patrons. You can read about last year's event here. CIBD would love to make this year's event even bigger, but it can't be done without your help and participation. Head to the new CIBD website in order to learn more and register as a participating author, bookseller, or publisher. (Though, if you've registered for AFI in the past, you will already be in the database for CIBD so there's no need to register again.)
We're excited to support the RCC in this initiative, and we're working to provide data that will aid them in their promotional efforts and with tracking the impact of the day on indie bookstore sales.
You can sign up for the new CIBD mailing list or follow them on Twitter to stay informed, and we'll be sharing information on the event in the coming weeks through our own channels as well. You can also contact them with any questions you might have regarding the event or, if you need assistance, at canadianbookstoreday@gmail.com.
