The Christmas Books catalogue offers independent booksellers a truly independent focused marketing and selling tool at a crucial
 time of year.Christmas Books provides the most effective sell-through with a full marketing support package, supported by
 National Book Tokens.
 It is the only catalogue to offer:

 - Free front and back cover customisation
 - 300 copies minimum order for overprinting 
 - A subsidy for door drops
 - A subsidy for local media advertising
 - Free Christmas Books social assets for you to use to promote your shop and the catalogue
 - Free catalogue dispenser
 - Free digital edition of the catalogue through the Book2Look widget advanced marketing tool
 - Separate Children's catalogue
 - Fully supported by Gardners Books

Christmas Books is also the only catalogue with titles chosen by independent booksellers for independent booksellers and their customers. Download the Christmas Books 2020 order form here. Non-overprinted copies of the Catalogue can be obtained from Gardners Books. Hilary Mantel has written the introduction in the main Christmas Books catalogue for us this year and Cressida Cowell writing the introduction to the separate Children’s catalogue.

Wrapping paper

The BA is pleased to be able to to offer wrapping paper which complements both designs of our Christmas Books catalogues for this year. 

       

The paper comes in sets of 25 rolled sheets at 700mm x 500mm, singled  sided, 100gsm recycled silk paper.  Each tube of 25 sheets is priced at £5.50  which includes VAT and delivery. If you would like to order please complete and return the editable form to sharon.benton@booksellers.org.uk 
 

Jólabókaflóð

In the catalogue this year we also mention Jólabókaflóð (Icelandic for “Christmas Book Flood” and pronounced yo-la-bok-a-flot) which is a beautiful Icelandic tradition of gifting books to each other on Christmas Eve and spending the rest of the night reading. We’re sure you agree that this is a perfect initiative to adopt in UK and Irish bookshops and we’ll be encouraging book lovers to ask their local bookseller to recommend some books to gift during Jólabókaflóð this year. We'll have a downloadable poster and social media assets available for members to use in the coming weeks. 

Here are some suggestions on how booksellers can get involved:

​- Put up posters, chalkboards, window displays or any other signage to promote Jólabókaflóð on the run up to Christmas 
- Encourage your customers to buy their Jólabókaflóð books both in advance and on Christmas Eve to take advantage of this gifting opportunity throughout the festive period
- Create magical and festive window displays featuring cosy winter reads 
- Curate an Icelandic/Nordic Noir display in-store with your top book recommendations 
- Show off your top Jólabókaflóð recommendations on a table display
- Create a Jólabókaflóð lucky dip/blind date with a book (top tip: use this year's Christmas Books catalogue wrapping paper!)
- Offer gift wrapping to your customers
- Sell book plates for your customers to personalise their books for their loved ones 
- Create Jólabókaflóð care packages for your customers to purchase - these could include extra gifting products such as chocolate, tea, biscuits, Christmas cards, candles & more!
- Create a cosy corner in your bookshop for customers to discover reads for Jólabókaflóð
- Promote your top Jólabókaflóð reads on social media where possible (if you have time to create a social media book-a-day advent calendar, even better!)
- Mention Jólabókaflóð in your emails, in-store and on social media to spread the message far and wide
 
... and make sure you tag @booksaremybag and #ChooseBookshops! 
 
We hope you will have customers flooding your bookshop for Jólabókaflóð recommendations this Christmas! 

For further information on the Christmas Books catalogue, please contact:
 Sharon Benton
 Email: sharon.benton@booksellers.org.uk 
 Telephone: 0207 421 4694

 Emma Bradshaw
 Email: emma.bradshaw@booksellers.org.uk
 Telephone: 0207 421 4656