02.19.26 CALIBA Publisher News & Information

February 19, 2026

in Publisher Newsletter,

CALIBA WILL BE WORKING LIMITED HOURS NEXT WEEK

LOOK FOR HANNAH & VALENTINA AT WINTER INSTITUTE

IN THIS ISSUE

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

*DEADLINE EXTENDED* 2026 Spring Forums: Sponsorship & Promotional Opportunities

*SCHEDULE IN PROGRESS* 2026 Oakland Spring Forum

2026 Golden Poppy Book Awards - Submit Your Titles by CA Authors

MEET HANNAH AT WINTER INSTITUTE 2026

PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

*DUE TOMORROW* March Social - International Women's Day Titles

*$100 OFF* CALIBA Banner Promotions - Now through April

*DUE MAR. 15* 2026 Summer Reading Guide Ad Reservations

*DUE MAR. 20* April Social - Indie Bookstore Day Titles

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Dates and Deadlines

Bookseller Shoutouts & In the News

Fundraisers

Scholarships & Grants

Classifieds

CALIBA's Currently Reading

RESOURCES

CALIBA BOOKSTORE MAP

CALIBA STAFF

BESTSELLER LISTS

The Los Angeles Times & Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

The San Francisco Chronicle & Northern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

TOP 5 BESTSELLERS

FLYING OFF THE SHELVES AT...

Once Upon a Time in Montrose

1 - Decoy Saves Opening Day by Shohei Ohtani, Michael Blank, and Illustrated by Fanny Liem

2 - The Lions' Run by Sara Pennypacker and Illustrated by Jon Klassen

3 - Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Illustrated by Jon Klassen

4 - Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and Illustrated by Marla Frazee

5 - Your Truck: (A Board Book with Minimalist Illustrations That Explores Ownership, Imagination, and Perspective) by Jon Klassen

REP DIRECTORY

It's that time of year again! The directory is alphabetized by publisher/rep group and remains keyword searchable. Please take a look and email Valentina if any corrections are necessary!

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Sponsorships & Promotions Deadline Extended

2026 SPRING FORUMS: SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES - DEADLINE EXTENDED

Help us make the Spring Forums a unique book industry celebration AND more affordable for booksellers!

Become a Sponsor and receive credit towards future CALIBA digital promotions and a free welcome bag insert at the show.

Get your books in front of the most reliable influencers: California's Independent Booksellers.

Share your titles on our Spring Forum Galley Tables:
Golden Poppy submissions, California-focused titles,
California-based authors, and more.

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Bookseller Sponsorships

Owners' Retreat Sponsorships

Event Sponsorships

Promotional Opportunities:

Welcome Bag Inserts

Galley Placement

SPONSORSHIPS & PROMOTIONS

2026 OAKLAND SPRING FORUM: SCHEDULE IN PROGRESS

Oakland invites are in the process of being confirmed. Pasadena invitations will be sent out in March.

EVENT CALENDAR

2026 GOLDEN POPPY BOOK AWARDS - SUBMIT YOUR TITLES BY CA AUTHORS

CALIBA presents the 2026 Golden Poppy Awards in recognition of the most distinguished books written and illustrated by creators who have made California their home.

Committees for each category are made up of booksellers throughout the state tasked with developing a list of five finalists and one winner. Click here for more details.

SUBMIT YOUR TITLES NOW

If you're interested in sponsoring the Golden Poppy Display Contest prize, please email Hannah.

OFFICE HOURS WITH HANNAH

Winter Institute 2026 program announced. Click he re t o view the full schedule.

Will you be attending the Winter Institute? Schedule a 1-on-1 meeting with Hannah here. Note: switch the time zone from Pacific Time to Eastern Time when reviewing the available times.

PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World by Vashti Harrison

MARCH SOCIAL MEDIA - BOOK SUBMISSIONS DUE TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 20TH

Booksellers have voted - and they would like to promote International Women's Day (3/8/2026). Submit your International Women's Day titles for our social media assets by Feb. 20th. Limit to 1 title per publisher. Spaces limited. Price: $100

SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION

PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES (CONT'D)

2026 Indie Summer Reading Guide Cover Reveal

SUMMER READING GUIDE - AD RESERVATIONS DUE MARCH 15TH

Curated Print & Digital Catalogs

The essential summer catalog (print and digital) for indie readers from Memorial Day to Labor Day, showcasing new releases and timeless favorites. Carefully curated titles, limited space—reserve now! Bonus: all print ads include free digital catalog ads.

Questions? Contact Suzanne Shoger

Cover illustration from The Worried Book / Howard Pearlstein, James Munro (Illustrated by) / Red Comet Press

RESERVE YOUR SUMMER READING GUIDE AD TODAY

APRIL SOCIAL MEDIA - BOOK SUBMISSIONS DUE MARCH 20TH

Booksellers have voted - and they would like to promote Indie Bookstore Day (4/25). Submit your Bookstore-related titles for our social media assets by Mar. 20th. Limit to 1 title per publisher. Spaces limited. Price: $100

SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION

Have more marketing ideas or special events members would find useful? Send in your ideas here.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Publishers, Sales Reps & Book Industry Professionals (Non-voting)

Individual: $150

Small House & Commission Groups: $250 (up to 3 sales reps)

Large House: $550 (up to 6 sales reps)

Membership Perks:

Discounted admission/exhibit space to our annual Fall Fest
Free or discounted rates at education and member programs
Subscription to our weekly e-newsletter & bestseller list
Stay up-to-date with industry, association and bookstore news
Access to our online Rep Directory
Post your job openings in our classifieds

JOIN CALIBA NOW

Click here for more details.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

February: Black History Month

February 22-26: IGNITE and Winter Institute

February 28: 2026 Golden Poppy Award Submissions - Winter/Spring Titles Due

March: Women's History Month / National Reading Month / Indie Press Month / Ramadan (Feb 17-Mar 19)

March 15: 2026 Summer Reading Guide Ad Reservations Close - Book Now!

1 - Casita Bookstore, in Long Beach, celebrated their first day at their new shop location. It looks great!

2 - Pages a Bookstore, in Manhattan Beach, closed their doors and counted ALL of the books for inventory 2026!

3 - Banter Bookshop, in Fremont, welcomed Robbie Arnett for a book signing of his new picture book, Thwistle Ping !

4 - The Spine & Vine Bookstore, in Temecula, showed off their peaceful vibes.

5 - Black History Month

Bookshop Benicia | Pegasus Books (Berkeley) | Mysterious Galaxy (San Diego)

6 - Benito Bowl

Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary & Garden Arts (Berkeley) | Word Horde Emporium (Petaluma)

7 - Valentine’s Day

Judging by the Cover (Fresno) | The Book Jewel (Los Angeles) | Alibi Bookshop (Vallejo)

Pleasant Pheasant Books (Woodland) | Camino Books (Del Mar) | Book Soup (West Hollywood)

La Playa Books (San Diego) | Wild Sisters Book Co. (Sacramento)

8 - Lunar New Year

Bookshop Santa Cruz | Noe Valley Books (San Francisco) | Flintridge Bookstore (La Cañada Flintridge)

In the News

Don't forget to follow CALIBA (@caliba_20)!

FUNDRAISERS

Get Lit Books & Things - GoFundMe
Dandar's Games and Books - Give a Hand | GoFundMe
Northtown Books - Give a Hand
2025 LA Fires Resources Page

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

Black Bookstore Heritage Grant

Have a grant or scholarship listing for booksellers? Email Alecia to be listed on our site.

CLASSIFIEDS

*NEW* Summer Camp Writing Instructor - Book Passage, Corte Madera
Associate Editor - Chronicle Books, San Francisco
Editorial Freelancers - Chronicle Books, San Francisco
Bookstore for Sale - Camino Books, Del Mar

VIEW MORE LISTINGS

Have a classified listing for booksellers? Email Alecia to be listed on our site.

CALIBA'S CURRENTLY READING

Alecia

Supporting Staff

I, Medusa

Ayana Gray

9780593733769

Hannah

Executive Director

The Fox Wife

Yangsze Choo

9781250266033

Valentina

Operations Manager

Don’t Fear the Reaper

Stephen Graham Jones

9781982186609

Check out CALIBA’s 2026 Reading List!

RESOURCES

Click here for a complete list.

HOUSEKEEPING

ADDRESS CHANGE AND BANK UPDATE

California Independent Booksellers Alliance (CALIBA), has changed our address and bank. We request that all ACH payments be deposited in our new account. For our updated W-9 and ACH instructions, please email Valentina Moberg at valentina@caliballiance.org.

CALIBA

266 Wood St Unit 404

Livermore, CA 94550