Making Waves Newsletter 2/14/26

2/14/2026

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GLIBA Regional Newsletter: February 13, 2026

REGIONAL BESTSELLERS

PUBLISHER PROMOTIONS

ARC PREFERENCE FORM

JOIN OR RENEW MEMBERSHIP

IMPORTANT DATES

2/28: ABA'S INDIE CHOICE LONGLIST VOTING CLOSES

3/9: DEADLINE TO SUBMIT AUTHOR PITCHES FOR GLIBA SPRING FORUM

3/15: DEADLINE TO PLACE ORDERS FOR THE SUMMER CATALOG

3/31: INDIE BOOKSTORE DAY 2026 PARTICIPATION FORM CLOSES

RECOMMEND TITLES FOR THE SUMMER CATALOG!

Submit frontlist titles for the catalog!

Want to see a particular favorite frontlist or upcoming summer title in our catalog? Recommend it! Your recommendations matter and we want to know what you want to sell. Also, order your 2026 Indie Summer Reading Guide today.

Publishers, you can reserve ad spaces now.

SAVE THE DATE FOR GLIBA SPRING FORUM!

We are thrilled to host Spring Forum at the indomitable Loganberry Books in Cleveland, OH on April 15th & 16th. All participating authors are welcome to join us for the bookstore tour & reception on the 15th, lunch on the 16th, and the author reception directly following the author events. Registration info to come soon!

□PUBLISHERS□

Author pitches are now open for Spring Forum! Click here for the pitch form and to view all author and publisher sponsorship opportunities. The deadline to submit pitches is Friday, March 9, 2026.

AUTHOR PITCH FORM

PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

INDUSTRY NEWS

ABA's Indie Choice Book Awards

ABA's Indies Choice Book Awards Are Back and Voting is Open Now!

The American Booksellers Association is thrilled to present the return of the independent booksellers literary prize program, the Indies Choice Book Awards! These awards celebrate the best Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children's Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Debut Adult and Debut Children's voted by indie booksellers. The winning titles from each category will receive $2,000. Vote here.

IPC Display Contest

IPC invites independent bookstores nationwide to participate in an in-store display contest and a social media campaign to take place throughout the month of March.

Through the Indie-to-Indie program, IPC will award $2,000 in cash prizes–including $500 to the bookstore with the winning display, and $100 to runner ups. Sign-ups will be accepted through February 27, 2026, the final day of Winter Institute. Full contest guidelines are available on the sign-up page. Winners and runners-up of the display contest will be announced in Shelf Awareness.

The Indie Bookstore Day Planning Guide Is Here!

This guide, provided by the ABA, is full of ideas for Indie Bookstore Day on April 25, 2026, including tips on how to celebrate, marketing strategies, and important information on ordering exclusives.

Key IBD 2026 Dates & Deadlines:

March 31, 2026: Indie Bookstore Day 2026 General Participation Form closes
April 3, 2026: Indie Bookstore Day Searchable Map goes live on IndieBound
Mid-April, 2026: All exclusives ship to bookstores
April 20–24, 2026: Indie Bookstore Day Spirit Week
April 25, 2026, the last Saturday in April: Independent Bookstore Day

FEBRUARY BOOK LISTS

Black History:

Independent Publishers Caucus: Black History Month Playlist

Macmillan: Celebrating Black Authors & Creators

Astra Publishing House: Books for Kids Ideal for Black History Month

The Children's Book Council: Celebrating Black Joy

Simon & Schuster: Black History Month Recs New Releases

CLMP: Reading List for Black History Month

Ramadan:

Barefoot Books: Muslim Interest Titles

Valentine's Day:

ABRAMS: Find Love

Ingram: Happy (and Angsty) Valentine Gifts

Simon & Schuster: Celebrate Romance

Macmillan: Love is in the Air

Lunar New Year:

Macmillan: Lunar New Year 2026

Self Care:

Libro.fm: Bookseller Picks: Stories for Care

Indie-to-Indie Playlist for February: Black History Month

Publisher members of the Independent Publishers Caucus have curated a pair of playlists to help populate and distinguish displays. The theme for February is Black History Month. Click for the link to these playlists as Edelweiss collections!