04.30.26 CALIBA Publisher News & Information

Publisher Newsletter,

$100 Off CALIBA Banner Promotions
CALIBA Publisher Newsletter Banner

IN THIS ISSUE

PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

*JUST LAUNCHED* Digital Promotions Submission Process

*DUE MAY 5TH* Summer Shelf Insider Titles

*DUE MAY 15TH* 2026 Winter Catalog Cover Contest

*DUE MAY 15TH* Social Media Promotions: Juneteenth Titles (6/19)

*CLOSES MAY 31ST* 2026 Tri-West Summer School Sponsorships

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS
*SUMMER TITLES DUE APRIL 30TH* 2026 Golden Poppy Book Submissions

2026 Pasadena Owners' Retreat & Spring Forum

*SUBMISSIONS OPEN* 2026 Fall Fest

INDUSTRY NEWS

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Dates and Deadlines

Bookseller Shoutouts

In the News

Fundraisers

Scholarships & Grants

Classifieds

CALIBA's Currently Reading

Resources

Housekeeping

CALIBA Bookstore Map

CALIBA Staff

BESTSELLERS LISTS

The Los Angeles Times & Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

The San Francisco Chronicle & Northern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Have more promotion ideas or special events booksellers would find useful? Send in your ideas here.

UPDATES TO OUR DIGITAL PROMOTIONS' SUBMISSION PROCESS - JUST LAUNCHED!

CALIBA is updating the digital promotions submission and payment process. Starting in May creative materials should be submitted as follows: 

  1. Schedule your promotion on Schedulista (no change from past process)
  2. 7-10 business days before your scheduled advertisement, visit our Promotional Opportunities portal to select your promotion type
  3. Upon selecting your promotion, complete the submission form to send your creative materials (image, URL, alt text, etc.) to the CALIBA team 
  4. Input your promo code when you're in the cart (Newsletter Top/Homepage Banners are $100 off with code: SPRING26BANNER; exp: May 31, 2026)
  5. Select payment: Invoice, Credit, or ACH
  6. Alecia will follow up via email when your promotion is scheduled

*Social Media and Shelf Insider Newsletter promotions excluded from process update

**You will need an account login connected to your company to use promo codes and select invoicing for payments

Shelf Insider Newsletter

SUMMER SHELF INSIDER:
SUBMISSIONS DUE BY MAY 5TH

Want to maximize visibility for your latest titles? Our seasonal newsletters offer prime space to showcase your books to our engaged booksellers and their audiences. Your book will be included in an email listing with cover art, blurb, and a contact link for ARCs or galley requests. Reach 1k+ booksellers. Click here to purchase your spot in the May 12th Summer Shelf Insider Newsletter.

2025 Winter Catalog

*CATALOG COVER CONTEST CLOSES MAY 15TH * 2026 WINTER CATALOG AD RESERVATIONS

Thank you for submitting your summer catalog titles to our 2026 Summer Reading Guide. Winter Catalog Cover Contest & Ad Spaces are open now! Click here for more info about RAMP.

JUNE SOCIAL MEDIA - BOOK SUBMISSIONS DUE MAY 15TH

Booksellers have voted - and they would like to promote Juneteenth (6/19) . Submit your Juneteenth-related titles for our social media assets by May 15th. Limit to 1 title per publisher. Spaces limited. Price: $100

*CALL FOR SPONSORS CLOSES MAY 31ST* 2026 TRI-WEST SUMMER SCHOOL

Bookseller Summer School, presented by CALIBA, MPIBA, and PNBA – and open to all booksellers from any region – is a series of FREE, virtual summertime sessions offering professional development and networking opportunities all summer long, no travel required! 

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Golden Poppy 2026: Book Submissions

2026 GOLDEN POPPY AWARDS: SUBMIT YOUR TITLES BY CALIFORNIA AUTHORS TODAY!

We are specifically requesting the following category submissions. Click here for more info.

WE SUGGEST PUBLISHERS SEND REVIEW COPIES:

  • Winter/Spring and Summer titles by today, April 30th
  • Fall titles & final submissions by June 19th

MEMBER CORNER

Welcome to CALIBA,Sweet Reads Book Truck! Owner: Sloane Kearney Location: Oceanside Established: June 7th, 2026 About Our New Member: I’m a theater educator who loves going on adventures, both in real life and in books! Sweet Reads specializes in highly curated children’s and young adult books, contemporary fiction with bold female voices, and timeless pre-loved classics. We're here to remind everyone that great books—like great desserts—are meant to be shared.

Welcome to CALIBA,Sweet Reads Book Truck!

Owner: Sloane Kearney

Location: Oceanside

Established: June 7th, 2026

About Our New Member: I’m a theater educator who loves going on adventures, both in real life and in books! Sweet Reads specializes in highly curated children’s and young adult books, contemporary fiction with bold female voices, and timeless pre-loved classics. We're here to remind everyone that great books—like great desserts—are meant to be shared.

CALIBA Spring Forum Pasadena Conference Schedule

2026 PASADENA OWNERS' RETREAT & SPRING FORUM SCHEDULE

CALIBA is meeting at the Pasadena Hilton for a day of lively conversation, education, rep picks, and networking at the Owners' Retreat, on Wednesday, May 27th, and the Spring Forum, on Thursday, May 28th.

*SUBMISSIONS OPEN* EXHIBITOR INTEREST FORM, REP PICKS INTEREST FORM, CALL FOR AUTHORS, SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

CALIBA is meeting at the DoubleTree by Hilton Mission Valley San Diego for two days of lively conversation, education, rep picks, and networking on Monday-Tuesday, September 14th-15th.

Click here for more details.

Fall Fest 2026 Bookstore Tour

*SAVE THE DATE* FALL FEST BOOKSTORE TOUR

We will have a bookstore tour on Sunday, September 13th. There will be a select number of seats available for vendors and publishers to purchase. Special invites will be sent to our participating vendors and publishers closer to the event. Guarantee your spot by becoming a Bookstore Tour Sponsor today!

INDUSTRY NEWS

Batch for Books logo

BATCH FOR BOOKS IS PARTNERING WITH W.W. NORTON & COMPANY

“We’re excited to welcome W.W. Norton & Company to Batch,” said Fraser Tanner, Batch for Books Inc. C.E.O. “Each new publisher partnership strengthens the overall network, creating greater efficiency and value for bookstores and publishers alike. Norton’s participation reflects a shared commitment to improving workflows and supporting a healthier and sustainable bookselling ecosystem, and we know our indie bookstore partners will be thrilled to see them join the Batch network.”

Click here to read the press release.

Agate Publishing Academy

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Proud Member of CALIBA window decal

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

Click here for more details.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

May: National Small Business Month / Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month / Jewish American Heritage Month / Short Story Month

May 3-9: National Small Business Week

May 5-11: Children's Book Week

May 10: Mother's Day

May 27-28: SoCal Owners' Retreat & Spring Forum

June: Pride Month / Audiobook Appreciation Month

June 19: Juneteenth

June 21: Father's Day

June 26-29: ABA Children's Institute

CALIBA Bookseller Shoutouts
CALIBA Bookseller Shoutouts - April 30, 2026

1 - Builders Booksource, in Berkeley, is celebrating 44 years of being an independent bookstore.

2 - The Love Potion Library, in San Francisco, had their grand opening on Indie Bookstore Day.

3 - Tía Chucha's Centro Cultural, in Sylmar, has a selection of Palestinian authors worth reading.l1

4 - Petunia’s Place, in Fresno, welcomed The Very Hungry Caterpillar for storytime.

Indie Bookstore Day

In the News

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

FUNDRAISERS

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

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

CLASSIFIEDS

  • *NEW* Editor - Silver Dolphin & Studio Fun, San Diego
  • *NEW* Designer - Silver Dolphin & Studio Fun, San Diego
  • *NEW* Copy Editor - VIZ Media, San Francisco
  • Licensed Publishing Director - Chronicle Books, San Francisco or New York

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

CALIBA'S CURRENTLY READING

Alecia

Supporting Staff

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not A Villain Anymore Emily Krempholtz 9780593954300

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not A Villain Anymore

Emily Krempholtz

9780593954300

Hannah

Executive Director

Wild Seed Octavia E. Butler 9781538751480

Wild Seed

Octavia E. Butler

9781538751480

Valentina

Operations Manager

Play Nice Rachel Harrison 9780593642573

Play Nice

Rachel Harrison

9780593642573

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

CALIBA Bookstore Map

CALIBA BOOKSTORE MAP

This map shows our current

bookstore members.

CALIBA Merchandise

CALIBA STAFF

Hannah Walcher

Executive Director

hannah@caliballiance.org

Valentina Moberg

Operations Manager

valentina@caliballiance.org

Alecia Reddick

Supporting Staff

alecia@caliballiance.org

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