Whether you are contemplating working in a bookshop, planning to open your own bookshop, or are in the process of buying an existing business, listed below are the key organisations you should know about, as well as links to a range of useful resources.

Book Industry News & Publications

-The Bookseller
- BookBrunch
- Bookselling Essentials

Our newsletter Bookselling Essentials and Annual Report together with our member benefits booklet Getting The Most From Your BA Membership, and our BA Learning overview give a good overview and insight to the BA services and those provided through our sister companies National Book Tokens and Batch.

The weekly trade magazine, The Bookseller, is where you will find all the latest industry news.

Bookshops for sale are often advertised in the local press, in The Bookseller and sometimes notified to the BA to communicate to prospective enquirers – email [email protected] to check.

Bookshop Marketing & Social Media
 
- National Book Tokens
- Caboodle
- Find Your Local Bookshop
- Independent Bookshop Week
- Christmas Books
- Summer Books
- Bookshop Day & BAMB Readers Awards
- Indie Book of the Month
- Irish Book Week
- World Book Day
- Embargoed Titles
- Social Media for Bookshops 
- Bookshop.org
- Booktime Magazine
 

Keep in touch with us online:

The Booksellers Association
- Twitter
- Facebook
- YouTube

Bookselling Ireland
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Instagram
- Facebook (closed group for Bookselling Ireland members)

Books Are My Bag
- Twitter
- Facebook
- YouTube
- Instagram

The Booksellers Network
- Facebook (closed group for BA members)

Don’t forget to find out about using social media as part of your marketing to promote your business and connect with potential and existing customers. The BA can give members a free workshop to help you get set up on Twitter and Facebook, as well as providing a free social media guide. 

Campaigns such as Bookshop Day, the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, Independent Bookshop Week, Indie Book Awards, Irish Book Week and Indie Book of the Month, and services such as Caboodle are all provided by the BA to help members promote their business.

Bookshop Supply Chain & Equipment

- Batch Payments and Returns
- Book Industry Communication
- BA Retail Directory
 

Stock management and websites 

- BatchLine POS
- E-commerce Solutions

Employment
 
- BA Jobs Board
- The Bookseller
- Bookcareers.com
- Guardian Jobs
- Working, jobs and pensions
- Apprenticeships

For those considering opening a bookshop and keen to find out what the job of a bookshop owner involves on a day-today basis, the BA can arrange a one-day work experience placement in an independent bookshop. These placements don’t run during the summer months, but will resume in September, when full details will be posted on this page.

 
If you’re looking to gain some initial work experience, or would like to update your bookselling skills to re-enter the market, check out the job section in the local/national/trade press and also www.bookcareers.com.

Training & Networking
 
- BA Skills Hub
- BA Conferences
- BA Bookshop Socials
- BA Special Interest Groups
- BA Welcome How to Start and Run a Bookshop
- Transfer of Ownership - Top Tips for Buying an Existing Bookshop
- BA’s Guide to Creating a Community Bookshop
- BA Welcome Introduction to Bookselling Course
- London Book Fair Bookseller Seminars
- The York Antiquarian Book Seminar
 
Our publication How to Start and Run a Bookshop is essential reading for all aspiring booksellers, existing and new bookshop managers, staff, and owners.

Contact Kate Gunning to register your interest for future dates for the BA’s Introduction to Bookselling course which runs once or twice a year.

Publisher Contacts

- Publishers Publicity Circle and the Publishers Publicity Circle Directory
- Harper Collins' Indie Thinking
- Penguin Random House's All About Indies newsletter

Trade Organisations
 
- European & International Booksellers Federation
- The Publishers Association
- The Independent Publishers Guild
- The Book Marketing Society
- Publishing Ireland
- Publishing Scotland
- Society of Authors
- The Reading Agency
- Reading Groups
 
Industry organisations such as The PA, IPG and The Society of Authors provide much valuable information for new booksellers.

Financial & Commercial Business Resources

- GOV.UK Advice for Starting a Business (regulations, writing a business plan, registering with Companies House, registering with HMRC, finding an accountant, starting a social enterprise, etc)
- British Chambers of Commerce
- Write A Business Plan
- Businesses & Self-Employed
- mentorsme.co.uk
- RICS Small Business Property Guide

Funding and Grants

- GOV.UK Advice on Funding for New and Existing Businesses
- GOV.UK Guidance on Government Grants
- Crowdfunding
- Business Finance & Support Finder
- UK Business Angels Association
- British Venture Capital Association
- UK Rural Development Grants
- GOV.SCOT Supporting Business Finance 
- Business Wales: Starting Up and Business Planning
- Northern Ireland: Support for Business

For Irish Booksellers:
 
- Local Enterprise Office (LEO) is a network of 31 offices throughout Ireland and is usually the first place to go if you need support starting or growing a business in Ireland

• - Private support for startups – NDRC, Dublin BIC, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
• - Support for Women Entrepreneurs: Women-Founded High Potential Start-Ups (HPSU), Going For Growth, Rubicon, Women Entrepreneurship, SheGenerate
• - Support for startups moving to Ireland: Enterprise Ireland, Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), Startup             
•    Entrepreneur Programme (STEP), Back For Business.
• - Government Support for Starting a Business in Ireland:  Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA), Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA)

If you have any questions, or would like further information on how our membership products and services can help to make a difference to your business, please contact Pippa Halpin.

NB: If you’re already trading, or opening soon, you can apply for BA membership now online.