The Booksellers Association Membership Benefits
For Irish Members
The BA is here to help you run your business and we provide a wide range of products
and services designed for members. Over the years many booksellers have been able to
save money and time by taking advantage of the numerous products and services
available to them. We also keep a close eye on developments in technology and
government legislation and have a raft of advice and information on all the structures
that underpin the modern day book trade and your life as a bookseller.
National Book Tokens www.nationalbooktokens.com is one of the UK and Ireland’s
leading multi retail gift card schemes. They are sold in thousands of retail outlets across
the country and accepted exclusively in BA member bookshops.
National Book Tokens deliver profitable business to booksellers and encourage footfall
through high profile consumer marketing and trade initiatives. They make gift-giving to
book-lovers of all ages easier.
Contact: Jenny Sheils, Marketing Manager, T. 020 7421 4652
jenny.sheils@booktokens.co.uk
Jane Gregory, Senior Sales & Product Executive, T. 020 7421 4651 j
jane.gregory@booktokens.co.uk
Jules Lyne, Customer Service Executive, T. 020 7421 4653 jules.lyne@booktokens.co.uk
Batch is the online payment system that saves time and money – and it’s FREE to
members. Booksellers can take advantage of several services that will help with invoice
systems: the Batch invoice payment system, the manual Booksellers’ Clearing House
(BCH), Batch Integration Software (BIS) and the Batch Returns system.
Register with Batch and all your accounts with suppliers can be paid in a single monthly
payment, reducing banking costs and time spent on managing your accounts. All
invoices, credit and delivery notes from suppliers can be viewed online, and copies
printed if required. Members can also become part of the Booksellers’ Clearing House
(BCH), a manual system that allows shops to make payments to 300 smaller suppliers
with one payment.
Batch Integration Software (BIS)
BIS is a program that allows invoices and credit notes to be downloaded from your
Batch account to your PC. The transactions are then imported into Sage Line 50
Accounts or Instant Accounts and each transaction is applied to the appropriate supplier
record in the purchase ledger.
When payment is made to suppliers via your Batch account, the payment is downloaded
to your PC, payment is applied to the cash book and the appropriate payment amount
goes to the purchase ledger of each individual supplier.
Contact Batch for cost details, mail@batch.co.uk
N.B. Batch operate in sterling and Euros
Batch Returns Initiative
FREE to BA members, Batch Returns is an easy-to-use web interface developed
specifically to streamline the returns process. Instead of waiting for a publisher’s rep to
authorise returns, simply send a list electronically from the Batch Returns website and
get an answer within a few hours. Then print out a bar-coded label. Further information
on Batch and an online registration form is available on the website www.batch.co.uk
Contact for all Batch Services:
Fraser Tanner, Managing Director
Eileen Kelly, Administration Manager
Simon Parker, Business Development Manager
Antonio Marchesini, Administration Assistant
Linda Bowles, Administration Assistant
T. 020 7421 4660 or mail@batch.co.uk
SAVING MONEY
Property Advice and Help
CRC North has been appointed to offer Property Advice to BA members and offer a FREE
initial telephone consultation to all BA members via a Property Helpdesk, as well as 10%
discount on any future work.
Typical property related issues that may affect BA members could include:
Rent Reviews
Lease Renewals
Acquisitions and Disposals
Dilapidations and Schedules of Condition
Property Audits
Service Charge Audits
Call 0845 600 5530 for your FREE initial consultation, or email Chris Renshaw on
helpdesk@crcnorth.com
BA Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Anna Clarke, Marketing and Membership Executive, T. 020 7421 4691
anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
Poster Printing Made Easy
The BA is delighted to announce a service for short run print jobs.
www.smallofficeathome.co.uk offers BA members 20% discount on poster printing and
can print in a variety of sizes, and with next day delivery. A4 posters start at 39p, with
A2 posters at £9.60 and A1 posters costing around £16.
The service was started as part of the IndieBound Point of Sale service, but is available
to all BA members for all short run print work. All you have to do is register on the site,
upload your PDFs, specify your size and place the order online.
BA Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Anna Clarke, Marketing and Membership Executive, T. 020 7421 4691
anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
Commercial & Money Saving Benefits for Members from LogBuy
Discounts on household names and consumables, such as Apple, HP, Laithwaites and BT
– are available at discount to you as a BA member.
Members can also source stationery deals from Staples and Viking by using the LogBuy
website.
Contact: www.memberbenefits.co.uk/?pwd=bo7584
BA Contact:Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Anna Clarke, Marketing and Membership Executive, T. 020 7421 4691
anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
Carrier & Paper Bags
A choice of plastic recycled carrier bags and brown kraft recycled bags is available.
Please contact us for further details.
Contact: Sue Vickers, T. 020 7421 4687 sue.vickers@booksellers.org.uk
Anna Clarke, Marketing and Membership Executive, T. 020 7421 4691
anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
Display Materials – Special BA Members’ Price from Pennant
BA members can get special members’ prices on the Bookshop Basics range of acrylic
display holders from Pennant. Items range from book easels, display cubes and leaflet
holders to specially-designed book holders for multiple copies.
Contact:Pennant Shop Equipment Limited, Unit 1, Mile Oak Industrial Estate, Oswestry,
Shropshire, SY10 8GA T. 01691 670191; F. 01691 670192 info@pennant.co.uk
www.pennant.co.uk
BA Contact:Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Anna Clarke, Marketing and Membership Executive, T. 020 7421 4691
anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
Point of Sale
The BA produces a range of Point of Sale items for occasions and events, as diverse as
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Easter, Valentines and Christmas to National Poetry Day
and Roald Dahl Day. The Point of Sale is available to download from
www.indiebound.org.uk
Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Sharon Down, Marketing & Groups Manager, T. 020 7421 4694
sharon.down@booksellers.org.uk
Preferential rates on AbeBooks for BA Members
AbeBooks offer BA members a premium package, with a free two-month trial period, a
dedicated account manager and BA branding on the Abe website, helping you stand out
from the crowd online.
Contact: Catherine Smith, AbeBooks, T. 00 49 211 711 7069 57 csmith@abebooks.com
BA Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Anna Clarke, Marketing and Membership Executive, T. 020 7421 4691
anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
IndieBound
IndieBound is the BA’s marketing campaign for independent
bookshop and helps booksellers celebrate the independent on the
high street, providings lively and engaging point of sale for the shop,
to start conversations with customers and to forge connections with
other local independent businesses. Included in the Point of Sale pack
are posters, bookmarks, a window sticker, resource materials, palm cards and paper
bags. The IndieBound campaign now also includes the IndieBound Collection, book
marketing leaflets for Spring & Summer, which include 20 ‘great reads from booksellers
you trust’. Supplementing the Collection, the BA Christmas Books Catalogue is also
produced under the IndieBound brand, and provides a key selling tool at Christmas.
All IndieBound materials and information, including over 100 POS items for download,
are available from www.indiebound.org.uk
Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Sharon Down, Marketing & Groups Manager, T. 020 7421 4694
sharon.down@booksellers.org.uk
Independent Booksellers Week
A week of celebration focussed on independents on the high street,
which we have run for the last four years, IBW runs under the
IndieBound brand, and will take place from 30th June to 7th July 2012.
IBW will again include a National Reading Group Day on Saturday 30th
June, a campaign to create energy and focus to reading group activity
in bookshops and libraries, and promoted jointly with The Reading
Agency. IBW is also a focus for the IBW Book Award. IBW provides
general focus for author events, bookshop activity in and out the shop
and some great customer interaction – a round up of 2011 can be seen
on www.independentbooksellersweek.org.uk
New for 2012 is IBW Collectibles, a range of carefully selected products exclusively
available for independent booksellers taking part in IBW.
Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Sharon Down, Marketing & Groups Manager, T. 020 7421 4694
sharon.down@booksellers.org.uk
Christmas Books Catalogue
The Christmas Books Catalogue is the primary marketing tool for
independent booksellers during this crucial sales period. Published
to a high standard on behalf of the Independent Booksellers Forum,
Christmas Books is the only Christmas catalogue whose titles are
selected by independent booksellers for independent booksellers.
Christmas Books is also unique in that it comes with a full marketing
support package plus subsidies for advertising and door-to-door
distribution.
The Christmas Books Catalogue has also been available in a digital
edition since 2010. It is produced as part of the IndieBound
campaign, using IndieBound-inspired designs and full IndieBound messages as part of
the Catalogue. We also produce Christmas Books Extra, a consumer-facing section of the
IndieBound website with extra information on some of the Catalogue titles, provided by
publishers.
Contact: Alan Staton, Head of BA Marketing, T. 020 7421 4690
alan.staton@booksellers.org.uk
Sharon Down, Marketing & Groups Manager, T. 020 7421 4694
sharon.down@booksellers.org.uk
World Book Day
World Book Day is the annual celebration of reading run by the Booksellers Association
and the Publishers Association. This event involves giving 14,000,000 National Book
Tokens to children and is aimed at encouraging more children and teenagers to read
books and to visit bookshops – so as to see the wide variety of children’s books
available.
Since 1998 over 14 million school children each year have received special €1.50 tokens
that they can take into bookshops to exchange for either a specially-commissioned €1.50
book or redeem against a full-price purchase. World Book Day also supports the Quick
Reads series of books for adults who find reading a challenge. www.worldbookday.com
Contact: Alan Staton, Head of BA Marketing, T. 020 7421 4690
alan.staton@booksellers.org.uk
Sharon Down, Marketing & Groups Manager, T. 020 7421 4694
sharon.down@booksellers.org.uk
World Book Night
World Book Night will take place on April 23rd, 2012 when 25 titles will be given away
by 20,000 givers.
www.worldbooknight.org has full details of World Book Night 2012 including the 25
titles chosen and how booksellers and the public can get involved.
Contact: Julia Kingsford, World Book Night Julia@worldbooknight.org
AuthorBoundUK
AuthorBoundUK is a service from the BA that allows booksellers to search and contact
authors for bookshop and other events.
Over 250 authors are currently listed on AuthorBoundUK. Publishers add enhanced
title information about new and newsworthy titles and are also using AuthorBoundUK
to promote titles featured in Christmas Books 2011 to both booksellers and consumers
through IndieBound.
For further details about AuthorBoundUK
Contact: Alan Staton, Head of BA Marketing, T. 020 7421 4690
alan.staton@booksellers.org.uk
Alison Pinder, Company Secretary, T. 020 7421 4670 alison.pinder@booksellers.org.uk
Anna Clarke, Marketing and Membership Executive, T. 020 7421 4691
anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
Costa Book Award Promotion
The BA administers The Costa Book Awards - one of the most prestigious and popular
literary prizes in the UK. The Awards has five categories:
First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's
Book, and is the only prize which places children's books alongside adult books in this
way. Advance notice of the Costa Book Awards category shortlists and category
winners are available on request to all members of the BA.
Contact: Naomi Gane, Conference & Events Manager, T. 020 7421 4693
naomi.gane@booksellers.org.uk
Alan Staton, Head of BA Marketing, T. 020 7421 4690 alan.staton@booksellers.org.uk
EVENTS & FORUMS
The Annual BA Conference
The BA conference is a well established event in the book trade’s calendar and in 2012
will take place on 16th and 17th September, at Warwick University.
It offers a unique opportunity to bring all elements of the book industry together in a
creative and thought provoking environment. The content and format has evolved to
meet the current climate yet it remains, and is perhaps now more than ever, a crucial
gathering for the book trade.
Contact: Naomi Gane, Conference & Events Manager, T. 020 7421 4690
naomi.gane@booksellers.org.uk
Alan Staton, Head of BA Marketing, T. 020 7802 0816 alan.staton@booksellers.org.uk
Independent Booksellers Forum
The Independent Booksellers Forum is the BA’s independent booksellers group, run by
the BA and advised by a Panel of 10 independent booksellers.
The IBF runs events for independent booksellers, encouraging the exchange of best
practice, as well as developing services and campaigns to help independents improve
their business performance and increase their community involvement. These projects
include the IBF Bookseller Fitness Programme (a benchmarking tool, especially for
independent booksellers), Independent Booksellers Week and IndieBound (marketing
campaigns promoting indies) as well as a series of FREE events where booksellers and
professional expert speakers give booksellers advice and support.
Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Naomi Gane, Conference & Events Manager, T. 020 7421 4693
naomi.gane@booksellers.org.uk
Special Interest Groups
The BA’s specialist groups represent the interests of those selling within each sector,
particularly in their relations with publishers, suppliers and other key organisations.
The groups also act as sounding boards and knowledge centres for both booksellers and
the wider trade.
The BA Groups are: the Academic, Professional & Specialist Bookselling Group,
Children’s Bookselling Group, Christian Booksellers Group and the Schools Suppliers
Group. Each Group has a Committee which meets regularly, often at the BA and
sometimes at external locations such as publishing houses by invitation.
Any BA member with a special interest in any of these areas can ask to join the Group.
Each group has an AGM which all members are welcome to attend.
Contact: Sharon Down, Marketing & Groups Manager, T. 020 7421 4694
sharon.down@booksellers.org.uk
Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk (Christian Group, Children’s Group)
Alan Staton, Head of BA Marketing, T. 020 7421 4690 alan.staton@booksellers.org.uk
(Academic Group, School Suppliers Group)
The London Book Fair
The London Book Fair is the leading English language book fair, and the BA, in
conjunction with the Fair organisers, has developed a programme of events to make the
Fair extremely valuable for booksellers. These include a series of Publisher
Presentations and a full range of bookseller seminars.
The BA hosts the Bookseller Centre, for booksellers to use as their base during the Fair,
and BA members are also entitled to FREE entry, a FREE show catalogue, and FREE
entry to all BA presentations and seminars. The BA and LBF also offer a Hosted
Bookseller Programme, offering subsidised accommodation to first time and new
visitors to the Fair. You can pre-register online at www.londonbookfair.co.uk
Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Naomi Gane, Conference & Events Manager, T. 020 7421 4693
naomi.gane@booksellers.org.uk
REPRESENTATION
Book Industry Liaison
The BA has a network of relationships with book industry organisations.
Key to this is the liaison with the Publishers Association with whom we work closely on
matters of common interest affecting the book industry. Currently, the BA is urging
publishers individually to review their trading models with booksellers, so that
increased support is given especially to high street and campus booksellers.
The BA and PA have formed a company with charitable status, World Book Day, to run
the biggest WBD promotion in the world. The two associations also support another
charity, World Book Night, aimed at encouraging more adults to read.
The BA is also part owner of Book Industry Communication (BIC), the cross-industry
standards body for product data, e-commerce, the supply chain and digital publishing.
BIC is a member of EDItEUR, the pan-European book industry standards body, and has
various free guides and award schemes for both publishers and booksellers.
The BA also liaises with many other industry bodies and maintains close ties with the
trade and national press to promote the BA’s views.
Contact: Sydney Davies, Head of Trade & Industry, T. 020 7421 4671
sydney.davies@booksellers.org.uk
Environmental Action Group
The Environmental Action Group was formed by the BA and PA to encourage the book
industry to reduce its carbon emissions, operate more sustainably and reduce the
impact of book publishing and bookselling on the environment. There are many ways in
which the industry can do this – from using paper from sustainable sources and
reducing plastic bag usage, to examining the supply chain. The EAG has a dedicated
website – www.green4books.org.uk – to help members reduce carbon emissions, from
the use of packaging and plastic bags to energy consumption, transport costs and
returns, recycling and sourcing environmentally friendly paper and other products.
The BA has developed for the EAG a Carbon Reporting tool, enabling BA members to
measure their own Green House Gas Emissions in a format acceptable to Defra. This is a
free tool designed for book trade companies, saving members from paying outside
consultants to carry out the calculations.
Contact: Sydney Davies, Head of Trade & Industry, T. 020 7421 4671
sydney.davies@booksellers.org.uk
Representing Booksellers to the Wider World
The BA maintains close co-operation, carries out direct lobbying and scrutinises a huge
amount of UK & EU legislation and initiatives that we believe may well have an impact
on our members.
With national government, the BA has recently pressed for no VAT to be levied on
printed books, and has secured a commitment from the Coalition Government that zero
rating will continue for the lifetime of the Coalition. The Government has been pressed
to give reduced business rates, to support public libraries - but to ensure sensible ebook lending, to support Copyright, especially in the digital world; and to modify the
Digital Economy Act, the Defamation Act, the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy
Simplification Scheme and the procurement arrangements for Systematic Synthetic
Phonics.
Local government has been urged to support libraries and to spend more money on
book funds, to reduce business rates for cultural establishments, and to introduce
improved parking strategies.
Representations have been made to our competition authorities re proposed mergers
that we believe will lead to unfair competition and anti-competitive practices.
And discussions have been held directly with the European Commission and with MEPs
in Brussels over the Commission’s Digital Agenda, the importance of copyright and the
need to establish balance in the handling of Orphan Works. The BA continues to work
with publishers, Google, Anobii and others to ensure booksellers are an integral part of
the digital supply-chain.
The BA is a leading member of the European Booksellers Federation (EBF) and also
liaises with other bookselling organisations around the world, especially the American
Booksellers Association. The BA is also a member of the UK’s British Retail Consortium
(BRC).
Contact: Tim Godfray, Chief Executive, T. 020 7421 4672
tim.godfray@booksellers.org.uk
Sydney Davies, Head of Trade & Industry, T. 020 7421 4671
sydney.davies@booksellers.org.uk
PUBLICATIONS
Trade Directories
The BA publishes three directories:



The BA Directory of Members – a comprehensive guide to the booksellers of the
UK & Ireland, price €48 (FREE to BA members).
The BA Directory of UK & Irish Publishers (www.ukpublishers.net) – an online
directory priced at €30 +VAT to members.
The BA Guide to Retail Services & Accessories
(www.booksellers.org.uk/products/retail_directory.asp) is a directory of service
providers for booksellers, ranging from card suppliers, to display material
manufacturers, from bookshop consultants to ecommerce providers – the
directory is FREE to BA members.
Contact: Susanne Vangnoo, Membership and Database Manager, T. 020 7421
4695 susanne.vangnoo@booksellers.org.uk
Anna Clarke, Marketing and Membership Executive, T. 020 7421 4691
anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
Starting & Running a Bookshop
The BA publishes a comprehensive guide to planning a bookshop business and running
a bookshop. There will be a new edition, updated and rewritten, during 2012, price on
application.
Contact: Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, T. 020 7421 4692
meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
2012 MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION SCALES
Retail Category Subscription Scales
This category applies to all members with more than 75% of their business
(conventional and internet) going to the end consumer
New book turnover (NBT)
Multiplier (Multiplier x NBT = Subs due)
€0 - €5.040m
0.060% (*starting at a minimum of €155 +VAT)
€5.040m - €28.8m
0.050%
€28.8m - €72m
0.045%
€72m - €108m
0.040%
€108m - €144m
0.035%
€144m - €216m
0.030%
€216m - €288m
0.025%
€288m - €360m
0.020%
€360m - €432m
0.015%
€432m - €576m
0.014%
€576m - €720m
0.013%
€720m - €1080m
0.012%
€1080m - €1440m
0.011%
€1440m plus
0.010%
*Any member with a turnover
up to and including €300,000
will pay the minimum sub of
€155 +VAT
Non-Retail Category Subscription Scales
This category applies to all members with more than 75% of their business
(conventional and internet) going to resellers or institutional customers (e.g.
wholesalers, library suppliers, school suppliers, institutional suppliers)
Turnover
Up to €360,000
Fixed Fee
€186 +VAT
€360,000 - €720,000
€259 +VAT
€720,000 - €1.44m
€360 +VAT
€1.44m - €7.2m
€576 +VAT
€7.2m - €28.8m
€1188 +VAT
Over €28.8m
€1872 +VAT
VAT For EU (non UK) businesses for whom we hold a valid VAT number, this service is outside the scope of UK VAT under Article 44 of
the EU Council VAT Directive and you will not be charged VAT on your subscription. You are required to account for local VAT under the
reverse charge procedure.
CONTACTS
Anna Clarke, Marketing & Membership Executive
T. 020 7421 4691
E. anna.clarke@booksellers.org.uk
Eileen Kelly, Batch Administration Manager
T. 020 7421 4662
E. mail@batch.co.uk
Jenny Sheils, Marketing Manager - National Book Tokens
T. 020 7421 4652
E. jenny.sheils@booktokens.co.uk
Jules Lyne, National Book Tokens Customer Services
T. 020 7421 4653
E. jules.lyne@booktokens.co.uk
Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services
T. 020 7421 4692
E. meryl.halls@booksellers.org.uk
Naomi Gane, Events Manager
T. 020 7421 4693
E. naomi.gane@booksellers.org.uk
Sharon Down, Marketing & Groups Manager
T. 020 7421 4694
E. sharon.down@booksellers.org.uk
Sue Vickers, Orders
T. 020 7421 4687
E. sue.vickers@booksellers.org.uk
Susanne Vangnoo, Membership & Database Manager
T. 020 7421 4695
E. susanne.vangnoo@booksellers.org.uk
Syd Davies, Head of Trade & Industry
T. 020 7421 4671
E. sydney.davies@booksellers.org.uk
Uzo Onuora, Customer Relationship Manager
T. 020 7421 4654
E. uzo.onuora@booksellers.org.uk
BA Group, 6 Bell Yard, London, WC2A 2JR T: 020 7421 4640 F: 020 7421 4641E:
mail@booksellers.org.uk
www.booksellers.org.uk
www.nationalbooktokens.co.uk
www.batch.co.uk
Social Media
http://www.facebook.com/thebooksellersassociation
www.twitter.com/BAbooksellers
www.linkedin.com/company/the-booksellers-association