October 12-14, 2022
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch
315 Chestnut St
St. Louis, MO 63102
All times are Central
Wednesday, October 12
Ticket sales are closed
11:00 am–3:00 pm: St. Louis Shelfseeing Tour / Meet at the Heartland bus sign in the main lobby
All attendees are encouraged to join us! Three bus tours featuring three bookstores each will create a choose-your-own adventure for the day.
3:30 pm–4:00 pm: Orientation / Mills 3
Join us for a special welcome moment for all new Heartland attendees and anyone else who would like to get a refresher on how to navigate the show.
4:00 pm–5:00 pm: Book Awards Celebration / Grand FGH
Join us to celebrate the award-winning authors of the Heartland Booksellers Award as well as the Voice of the Heartland award and MIBA's Midwest Bookseller of the Year award. This event is hosted by emcee extraordinaire Isaac Fitzgerald and along with co-host Saeed Jones.
Join us for a special welcome moment for all new Heartland attendees and anyone else who would like to get a refresher on how to navigate the show.
4:00 pm–5:00 pm: Book Awards Celebration / Grand FGH
Join us to celebrate the award-winning authors of the Heartland Booksellers Award as well as the Voice of the Heartland award and MIBA's Midwest Bookseller of the Year award. This event is hosted by emcee extraordinaire Isaac Fitzgerald and along with co-host Saeed Jones.
5:00 pm–6:30 pm: Opening reception / Park View
As the grand finale to the Book Awards Celebration, all of the award-winning authors will be joined by an additional twenty authors to sign copies of their forthcoming books. Bring your tote bags.
See the opening reception authors here.
8:00 pm: Anniversary party at The Novel Neighbor / Meet at the Heartland bus sign in the main lobby
Heartland's 10th anniversary party is sponsored by 10 independent presses and hosted at The Novel Neighbor in the Webster Groves neighborhood of St. Louis. A shuttle will be provided. More details to come.
As the grand finale to the Book Awards Celebration, all of the award-winning authors will be joined by an additional twenty authors to sign copies of their forthcoming books. Bring your tote bags.
See the opening reception authors here.
8:00 pm: Anniversary party at The Novel Neighbor / Meet at the Heartland bus sign in the main lobby
Heartland's 10th anniversary party is sponsored by 10 independent presses and hosted at The Novel Neighbor in the Webster Groves neighborhood of St. Louis. A shuttle will be provided. More details to come.
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Thursday, October 13
7:00–8:00 am: Friends of Bill (private meeting) / Gateway East
Ticket sales are closed
8:30–9:50 am: Marquee keynote author breakfast / Grand FG
Our opening keynote event features Sidney Keys, authors of Books N Bros, in conversation with Ty Allan Jackson, author of Make Your Own Money. (Distanced COVID-safe breakfast is from 8:00-8:30 am for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)
Our opening keynote event features Sidney Keys, authors of Books N Bros, in conversation with Ty Allan Jackson, author of Make Your Own Money. (Distanced COVID-safe breakfast is from 8:00-8:30 am for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)
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10:00 am–1:50 pm: Heartland Education
10:00–10:50 am
Belonging: Bringing Anti-racism to Your Bookstore
Room: Gateway East (18th floor)
Educators: Grace Hagen of Novel Neighbor, MO; Jeffrey Blair of EyeSeeMe, MO; Author Lecia Michelle (White Allies Handbook); Ymani Wince of The Noir Bookshop, MO
Moderated by: Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books, MO
Are you taking steps to make your bookstore more equitable? Do you want to start the process of you or your staff becoming anti-racist? Are you wondering how you can make your bookshelves represent the diverse community you want to serve? Do you want to find ways to reduce the occurrences of micro-aggressions against staff and customers or to know how to better respond in those instances? This panel of experts will help show you how you can make belonging an important part of your bookstore. Anti-racism has a place in every bookstore and you can be a part of it. This panel will address individual as well as institutional aspects for strategies for becoming anti-racist.
Room: Gateway East (18th floor)
Educators: Grace Hagen of Novel Neighbor, MO; Jeffrey Blair of EyeSeeMe, MO; Author Lecia Michelle (White Allies Handbook); Ymani Wince of The Noir Bookshop, MO
Moderated by: Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books, MO
Are you taking steps to make your bookstore more equitable? Do you want to start the process of you or your staff becoming anti-racist? Are you wondering how you can make your bookshelves represent the diverse community you want to serve? Do you want to find ways to reduce the occurrences of micro-aggressions against staff and customers or to know how to better respond in those instances? This panel of experts will help show you how you can make belonging an important part of your bookstore. Anti-racism has a place in every bookstore and you can be a part of it. This panel will address individual as well as institutional aspects for strategies for becoming anti-racist.
Romance!
Room: Mills 6 (4th floor)
Educators: Broche Fabian of River Dog Book Co, WI and Sourcebooks, IL. Chris Conti of Independent Publishers Group, Author Danny Caine of The Raven Bookstore, KS; Emily Schroen of Main Street Books, MO; Debut Romance Author Melissa Baron
Let's explore Romance from bookseller, author, and publisher perspectives! This wide-ranging discussion will attempt answers at the following questions, and much more: is Romance having a renaissance, or are indie booksellers just finally paying attention? Who are some exciting new voices to watch in Romance-land? How can booksellers and publishers work together to sell more Romance? And how do I start a Romance section if I've never sold Romance before?
Room: Mills 6 (4th floor)
Educators: Broche Fabian of River Dog Book Co, WI and Sourcebooks, IL. Chris Conti of Independent Publishers Group, Author Danny Caine of The Raven Bookstore, KS; Emily Schroen of Main Street Books, MO; Debut Romance Author Melissa Baron
Let's explore Romance from bookseller, author, and publisher perspectives! This wide-ranging discussion will attempt answers at the following questions, and much more: is Romance having a renaissance, or are indie booksellers just finally paying attention? Who are some exciting new voices to watch in Romance-land? How can booksellers and publishers work together to sell more Romance? And how do I start a Romance section if I've never sold Romance before?
Sidelines and Merchandising
Room: Mills 8 (4th floor)
Panel Leads: Kathy Burnette of Brain Lair Books, South Bend, IN; Melia Wolf of Cover to Cover Children's Books, Columbus, OH
Description coming soon...
Room: Mills 8 (4th floor)
Panel Leads: Kathy Burnette of Brain Lair Books, South Bend, IN; Melia Wolf of Cover to Cover Children's Books, Columbus, OH
Description coming soon...
11:00 am - 11:50 am
Alternative Model Bookstores and Non-Profit Subsidiaries
Room: Mills 6 (4th floor)
Panel Leads: Author Danny Caine of The Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS; Gary Lovely of Prologue Bookshop, Columbus, OH; Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
From mission driven, to non-profit subsidiaries, to bookseller owned, to pop-ups, to much more; the bookstore business model has evolved and changed to better suit current industry and community. Join this session for a conversation about alternative bookstore business models, how those models work and tips for keeping the business healthy.
Room: Mills 6 (4th floor)
Panel Leads: Author Danny Caine of The Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS; Gary Lovely of Prologue Bookshop, Columbus, OH; Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
From mission driven, to non-profit subsidiaries, to bookseller owned, to pop-ups, to much more; the bookstore business model has evolved and changed to better suit current industry and community. Join this session for a conversation about alternative bookstore business models, how those models work and tips for keeping the business healthy.
TikTok For Booksellers
Room: Gateway East (18th floor)
Educators: Alana Haley of Schuler Books, MI; Dashurie Tahiri of Women & Children First, IL; Kassie King of The Novel Neighbor, MO Nicole Lintemuth of Betties Pages, MI
BookTok has proven the ability for TikTok to sell books and get customers into stores. This session will cover best practices for getting into TikTok, marketing strategies, best practices for selling books, in-store displays, utilizing staff and more.
Room: Gateway East (18th floor)
Educators: Alana Haley of Schuler Books, MI; Dashurie Tahiri of Women & Children First, IL; Kassie King of The Novel Neighbor, MO Nicole Lintemuth of Betties Pages, MI
BookTok has proven the ability for TikTok to sell books and get customers into stores. This session will cover best practices for getting into TikTok, marketing strategies, best practices for selling books, in-store displays, utilizing staff and more.
Ask a Publisher
Room: Mills 8 (4th floor)
Educators: Alyson Turner of Source Booksellers, MI; Brad Simpson of Blackstone Publishing, Broche Fabian of River Dog Book Co, WI and Sourcebooks, IL; Matthew Nichols of Bloomsbury; Melissa Weisberg of Macmillan; Traci Cothran of Wayne State University Press; Sarah Herbik of Scholastic; Robin Smith of HarperCollins
We've come through various lock-downs and COVID remains a reality. In the changing landscape of 2022 and beyond, just how DO publishers and independent bookstores work together these days? What opportunities and programs do publishers have for independent bookstores? What asks do publishers have of indies in this brave new world, and most importantly, what questions do indie booksellers have about working with publishers?
Room: Mills 8 (4th floor)
Educators: Alyson Turner of Source Booksellers, MI; Brad Simpson of Blackstone Publishing, Broche Fabian of River Dog Book Co, WI and Sourcebooks, IL; Matthew Nichols of Bloomsbury; Melissa Weisberg of Macmillan; Traci Cothran of Wayne State University Press; Sarah Herbik of Scholastic; Robin Smith of HarperCollins
We've come through various lock-downs and COVID remains a reality. In the changing landscape of 2022 and beyond, just how DO publishers and independent bookstores work together these days? What opportunities and programs do publishers have for independent bookstores? What asks do publishers have of indies in this brave new world, and most importantly, what questions do indie booksellers have about working with publishers?
Schools + Bookstores = Helping Build Strong Communities
Room: Gateway West (18th floor)
Educators: Maryan Liban of Cover Children's Books, OH, Kathy Burnette of Brain Lair Books, IN; Melia Wolf of Cover to Cover Children's Books, OH
Moderator: Kristen Sandstrom of Apostle Islands Booksellers, WI
In this session you will learn about a variety of possible opportunities to improve your relationships with schools. Ranging from bulk orders to book fairs, small rural communities to larger urban areas, and from under-represented populations to private schools. We hope to encourage an open conversation with a plethora of ideas for all!
Room: Gateway West (18th floor)
Educators: Maryan Liban of Cover Children's Books, OH, Kathy Burnette of Brain Lair Books, IN; Melia Wolf of Cover to Cover Children's Books, OH
Moderator: Kristen Sandstrom of Apostle Islands Booksellers, WI
In this session you will learn about a variety of possible opportunities to improve your relationships with schools. Ranging from bulk orders to book fairs, small rural communities to larger urban areas, and from under-represented populations to private schools. We hope to encourage an open conversation with a plethora of ideas for all!
12:00–12:50 pm
Decoding the P&L for Booksellers, Managers, and Owners
Room: Gateway West (18th floor)
Educators: Kim Hooyboer, Director of Education at ABA and Allison Hill, CEO at ABA
A bookstore’s profit and loss statement (P&L) is a critical tool for evaluating a store’s overall performance. Join ABA staff on a walk-through of a bookstore P&L statement as we lay a groundwork for understanding bookstore financials, decode individual line items to identify opportunities for improved profitability, discuss how to use ABA’s ABACUS Report, and consider ways to share financials with staff in a meaningful and cooperative manner.
Room: Gateway West (18th floor)
Educators: Kim Hooyboer, Director of Education at ABA and Allison Hill, CEO at ABA
A bookstore’s profit and loss statement (P&L) is a critical tool for evaluating a store’s overall performance. Join ABA staff on a walk-through of a bookstore P&L statement as we lay a groundwork for understanding bookstore financials, decode individual line items to identify opportunities for improved profitability, discuss how to use ABA’s ABACUS Report, and consider ways to share financials with staff in a meaningful and cooperative manner.
Accessibility: More Than Just a Ramp
Room: Gateway East (18th floor)
Educators: Alyson Turner, Source Booksellers, MI; Gary Lovely, Prologue Bookshop, OH; Magan Harms, Art and Culture Director for MindsEye, Nicole Smith, Adult Education Supervisor at Missouri Botanical Garden, Rush Wilkerson, Paraquad
Moderator: Shane Mullen, Left Bank Books, MO
Have you ever walked around your bookstore with a yardstick to make sure a wheelchair can fit down your aisles? Do you know the difference between live captioning and closed captioning? Do virtual events or hybrid events help make your event series more accessible for audiences? Are you providing services with audiobooks or large print books? Have you been thinking about all forms of accessibility in the pandemic era to make sure that your bookstore can be more than just wheelchair accessible? Explore the aspects of accessibility for your store with this panel.
Room: Gateway East (18th floor)
Educators: Alyson Turner, Source Booksellers, MI; Gary Lovely, Prologue Bookshop, OH; Magan Harms, Art and Culture Director for MindsEye, Nicole Smith, Adult Education Supervisor at Missouri Botanical Garden, Rush Wilkerson, Paraquad
Moderator: Shane Mullen, Left Bank Books, MO
Have you ever walked around your bookstore with a yardstick to make sure a wheelchair can fit down your aisles? Do you know the difference between live captioning and closed captioning? Do virtual events or hybrid events help make your event series more accessible for audiences? Are you providing services with audiobooks or large print books? Have you been thinking about all forms of accessibility in the pandemic era to make sure that your bookstore can be more than just wheelchair accessible? Explore the aspects of accessibility for your store with this panel.
Manga & Graphic Novels at Indie Book Stores
Room: Mills 6 (4th floor)
Educators: Chris Conti of Independent Publishers Group, Cris Siqueira of Lion’s Tooth, WI; Graham Overby of Next Chapter, MN; Shelly McClone-Carriere of Lion’s Tooth, WI
During the pandemic manga, anime and graphic novels have had a resurgence and boom in sales. Join this session to learn best practices to harness that trend and best practices to sell graphic novels and manga. We’ll discuss where to shelve these books, different genres, how to hand-sell these books and trends in publishing.
Room: Mills 6 (4th floor)
Educators: Chris Conti of Independent Publishers Group, Cris Siqueira of Lion’s Tooth, WI; Graham Overby of Next Chapter, MN; Shelly McClone-Carriere of Lion’s Tooth, WI
During the pandemic manga, anime and graphic novels have had a resurgence and boom in sales. Join this session to learn best practices to harness that trend and best practices to sell graphic novels and manga. We’ll discuss where to shelve these books, different genres, how to hand-sell these books and trends in publishing.
Strengths of Non-Profit Mission Driven Presses
Room: Mills 8 (4th floor)
Educators: Joanna Demkiewicz, Milkweed Publishing
Join us for a conversation to discuss the strengths of non-profit presses. Hear from indie presses regarding how their missions and publishing programs are used to serve society and their communities.
Room: Mills 8 (4th floor)
Educators: Joanna Demkiewicz, Milkweed Publishing
Join us for a conversation to discuss the strengths of non-profit presses. Hear from indie presses regarding how their missions and publishing programs are used to serve society and their communities.
1:00–2:30 pm: Rep Picks Lunch
Rooms: Grand F, G, H
Enjoy lunch with fellow booksellers while publishing industry sales reps pitch their most exciting forthcoming titles. Reps will present their featured titles from the stage while booksellers dine at their seats. There will be three sessions going concurrently, booksellers and reps will be assigned to their room.
(Distanced COVID-safe lunch is from 12:30-1:00 pm for those who prefer not to eat in a group)
Rooms: Grand F, G, H
Enjoy lunch with fellow booksellers while publishing industry sales reps pitch their most exciting forthcoming titles. Reps will present their featured titles from the stage while booksellers dine at their seats. There will be three sessions going concurrently, booksellers and reps will be assigned to their room.
(Distanced COVID-safe lunch is from 12:30-1:00 pm for those who prefer not to eat in a group)
Publisher |
Rep |
Room Assignment |
Andrews McMeel Publishing Coffee House Press Fujii Associates Holiday House, Peachtree, Pixel+Ink Miller Trade Book Marketing Penguin Random House Publishers Group West Sourcebooks Southern Illinois University Press University of Notre Dame Press W.W. Norton & Company |
Olivia Hansen Marit Swanson Eric Heidemann Alison Tarnofsky Steve Semken Bridget Piekarz Betty Redmond Valerie Pierce Chelsey Harris Michelle Sybert David Mallmann |
Grand F |
Arcadia Publishing Consortium Book Sales & Distribution Fujii Associates Macmillan Publishers Minnesota Historical Society Press Penguin Random House Scholastic Inc. Sourcebooks University of Minnesota Press University Press Sales Associates Wisconsin Historical Society Press |
Megan Petrie Ruth Berger Adrienne Franceschi Anne Hellman Riley Jay Davis Stefan Moorehead Sarah Herbik Caitlin Lawler Matt Smiley Lanora Jennings Kristin Gilpatrick |
Grand G |
Blackstone Publishing HarperCollins Publishers Ingram Publisher Services IPG Microcosm Publishing Milkweed Editions Orca Book Publishers Penguin Random House Simon & Schuster Two Rivers Distribution University Press Sales Associates |
Brad Simpson Leslie Greenfield Johanna Hynes Chris Conti Kalen Landow Yanna Demkiewicz Bronte Germain John Dennany Leah Hays John Tewsley Lanora Jennings |
Grand H |
2:30–5:30 pm: Trade show floor is open
Grand Ballroom ABCDE
Grand Ballroom ABCDE
5:30–6:30 pm: Merchandise Ball: A celebration of indie bookstore merch / Park View
When you pack for Heartland this year, don’t forget to bring a creative sampling of your custom bookstore merch and your best merch outfit. At the Merchandise Ball, we'll mingle and network while handing out free samples of our custom products. Shirts, hats, stickers, mugs, totes, tattoos—you name it. Give away free items while taking home free items from other booksellers. Also, be sure to come dressed in your most creative expression of indie bookstore love—accessorize, tie, cut, and generally festoon your indie bookstore merch in a creative way and come dressed to impress. A celebrity panel of judges will cast a vote for “best dressed” attendee of the evening. The winner receives an all-expense paid trip to next year’s show.
9:30 pm: Quiz Bowl / Gateway East
Our legendary quiz tournament will be held in the stunning indoor/outdoor Gateway Terrace on the 18th floor overlooking the Mississippi River and the The Gateway Arch. Join your friends to mount a vertiable summit of formidable literary trivia at our annual competition. Quiz Bowl consists of 8 rounds of literary questions. Join a team of up to 6 at the event or prepare your perfect team ahead of time. All are invited to join and no registration is not required. The winning team will provide the quiz for the following year.
When you pack for Heartland this year, don’t forget to bring a creative sampling of your custom bookstore merch and your best merch outfit. At the Merchandise Ball, we'll mingle and network while handing out free samples of our custom products. Shirts, hats, stickers, mugs, totes, tattoos—you name it. Give away free items while taking home free items from other booksellers. Also, be sure to come dressed in your most creative expression of indie bookstore love—accessorize, tie, cut, and generally festoon your indie bookstore merch in a creative way and come dressed to impress. A celebrity panel of judges will cast a vote for “best dressed” attendee of the evening. The winner receives an all-expense paid trip to next year’s show.
9:30 pm: Quiz Bowl / Gateway East
Our legendary quiz tournament will be held in the stunning indoor/outdoor Gateway Terrace on the 18th floor overlooking the Mississippi River and the The Gateway Arch. Join your friends to mount a vertiable summit of formidable literary trivia at our annual competition. Quiz Bowl consists of 8 rounds of literary questions. Join a team of up to 6 at the event or prepare your perfect team ahead of time. All are invited to join and no registration is not required. The winning team will provide the quiz for the following year.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14
7:00–8:00 am: Friends of Bill (private meeting) / Gateway East
Ticket sales are closed
8:00–9:30 am: Multi-author keynote breakfast / Grand FG
Our opening keynote event features five compelling authors with books sure to do well in indie bookstores.
(Distanced COVID-safe breakfast is from 7:30-8:00 am for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)
Our opening keynote event features five compelling authors with books sure to do well in indie bookstores.
(Distanced COVID-safe breakfast is from 7:30-8:00 am for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)
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9:30 am–12:30 pm: Trade show floor is open
Grand Ballroom ABCDE
Ticket sales are closed
12:30–2:00 pm: The Moveable Feast / Grand FG
Enjoy our time-honored tradition of feasting with your friends while 40 of the seasons most charismatic authors visit your table in a speed-dating style event. (Distanced COVID-safe lunch is from 12:00-12:30 pm for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)
See the moveable feast authors here.
Enjoy our time-honored tradition of feasting with your friends while 40 of the seasons most charismatic authors visit your table in a speed-dating style event. (Distanced COVID-safe lunch is from 12:00-12:30 pm for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)
See the moveable feast authors here.
GROUP PHOTO at 2:30 pm!
To celebrate the end of the show, we'll take a fabulous group photo as a keepsake until we can meet again. Meet at 2:30 pm in Gateway East and bring your favorite book of the show.
