Schedule

HEARTLAND FALL FORUM
  • Attend
    • Scholarships
  • Schedule
  • Events
    • Photos 2022
    • Author Events 2022
    • Education 2022
    • Rep Picks 2022
    • Shelfseeing Tours
    • Event Tickets
    • Quiz Bowl
  • Awards
    • Heartland Booksellers Award >
      • 2021 Heartland Booksellers Award
      • 2020 Heartland Bookseller Award
    • Voice of the Heartland >
      • Past Winners
  • Exhibitors
  • 10 Years
  • About
    • Heartland 2020
    • Heartland 2021
  • Covid 19 Liability and Waiver
  • Merch
Heartland 2022 Mobile Program

Wednesday, October 12

PictureTicket sales are closed

​11:00 am–3:00 pm: St. Louis Shelfseeing Tour
Meet at the Heartland bus sign in the main lobby at 10:45 am

Open to attendees who purchased tickets in advance.​Three bus tours featuring three bookstores each will create a choose-your-own adventure for the day. See this page for details, maps, and suggested lunch options.

3:30–4:00 pm: Orientation / Gateway East
At last count, this year's show has 131 first-time attendees! Enjoy a special welcome moment for all newcomers and anyone else who would like to get a refresher on how to navigate the show. Hosted by Lynn Mooney (Women and Children First) and Kristin Sandstrom (Apostle Islands Booksellers). 

4:00–5:00 pm: Book Awards Celebration / Grand FGH
Doors and bar open at 3:00 pm. Please plan ahead and be in your seat by program start time of 4:00 pm.
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. View this year's book awards winners. 
Picture
5:00–6:30 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 16  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 independent press partners and hosted at The Novel Neighbor in the Webster Groves neighborhood of St. Louis. A bus will continually shuttle back and forth between Hyatt and Novel Neighbor. The first departure from the Hyatt is at 7:30 pm and the last departure from Novel Neighbor is at 11:00 pm.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Belt out a ballad with your fellow booksellers!
There’s nothing like singing your heart out, especially amongst kindred book and music lovers in celebration of Heartland's 10th anniversary. Joining the set list for the festivities at The Novel Neighbor, we're excited to welcome a local karaoke DJ, sponsored by Independent Publishers Group (IPG). Delectable snacks and desserts, made by a favorite St. Louis bakery, straight from the recipe pages of the forthcoming Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book - 100th Anniversary Edition (9781957317007, out Oct. 25; dist. by IPG) will be provided along with finished copies of the book (while supplies last so come early!). Book banter, baked goods, and iconic performances guaranteed.


Thursday, October 13

7:00–8:00 am: Friends of Bill (private meeting) / Gateway East
​
Picture
PictureTicket sales are closed
8:30–9:50 am: Marquee keynote author breakfast / Grand FGH
​Our opening keynote event features Sidney Keys, authors of Books N Bros, in conversation with Ty Allan Jackson, author of Make Your Own Money. (We offer a distanced COVID-safe breakfast from 8:00-8:30 am for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)


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; Lecia Michelle (author of White Allies Handbook); Ymani Wince of The Noir Bookshop, MO. Moderator: 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; Danny Caine of The Raven Book Store, KS; Emily Schroen of Main Street Books, MO; debut romance author Melissa Baron ​(Twice in a Lifetime, Alcove Press/PRH)
​

Let's explore the category of Romance from bookseller, author, and publisher perspectives. This wide-ranging discussion will attempt to answer 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 it before?​

Sidelines and Merchandising ​/​​ Room: Mills 8 (4th floor)
Educators: Cynthia Compton of 4 Kids Books & Toys and MacArthur Books, IN; Debra Cotterman, Buyer at Delaware North/CBR Partners, MSP International Airport; Jody Everett of Beanbag Books, OH; Melia Wolf, Cover to Cover Children's Books, OH.
Moderator: Kathy Burnette, Brain Lair Books, IN
​

This session will cover a wide array of topics around sidelines and merchandising--specifically, general planning and timing of selling sidelines, an overview of top-performing vendors, how higher margins reflect on the bottom line, the art and science of merchandising, and phasing out sidelines. We'll end with an open discussion.

11:00 am–11:50 am
Alternative Model Bookstores and Non-Profit Subsidiaries / Room: Mills 6 (4th floor)
Educators: Danny Caine of The Raven Book Store, KS; Kris Kleindienst of Left Bank Books, MO; Noor Shawaf of Seminary Co-op, IL; Barbara Cerda & Valeria Cerda of La Revo Books, WI. Moderator: Gary Lovely of Prologue Bookshop, OH
​ 

We are seeing a proliferation of new bookstore models: mission driven, non-profit subsidiaries, bookseller-owned, pop-ups, and much more. The bookstore business model has evolved and changed to complement current industry and community realities. 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 Bettie's Pages, MI
​

The popularity of 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, creating 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?

Schools + Bookstores = Helping Build Strong Communities / ​​Room: Gateway West (18th floor)
Educators: Maryan Liban of Cover to 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.

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 [download handout]

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; Shelly McClone-Carriere of Lion's Tooth, WI; Graham Overby of Next Chapter, MN

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 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: Ill Nippashi of Graywolf Press; Jim Plank of Haymarket Press; Joe Biel of Microcosm (in person) and Yanna Demkiewicz of Milkweed Editions 
​
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 FGH
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. (We offer a distanced COVID-safe lunch is from 12:30-1:00 pm for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)
​
Booksellers: Report to the room assignment on your Rep Picks event ticket.
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 and Alonzo Fuller
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 
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
Jen Allen
Anne Hellman
Riley Jay Davis
Stefan Moorehead
Sarah Herbik
Margaret Coffee
Matt Smiley
Lanora Jennings
Kristin Gilpatrick
Grand G
Blackstone Publishing
HarperCollins Publishers
Ingram Publisher Services
IPG
​Two Rivers Distribution
Microcosm Publishing
Milkweed Editions
Orca Book Publishers
Penguin Random House
Simon & Schuster
​Brad Simpson
Leslie Greenfield
Johanna Hynes
Chris Conti
​Johanna Hynes
Joe Biel
Yanna Demkiewicz
Bronte Germain
John Dennany
Leah Hays
Grand H

2:30–5:30 pm: Trade show floor is open
Grand Ballroom ABCDE

Be sure to stop by the Book Industry Charitable Foundation's booth at #101 & 200 to bid on the silent auction.
​
Auction items are donated by exhibitors and all proceeds go Binc as they help the employees and owners of bookstores and comic shops with unforeseen emergency financial, medical, and mental health service needs.

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. 
Picture
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. If you just want to hang out in the stunning setting, that's OK too. 

New this year! The winning team will awarded 2022
commemorative pins to show off their Quiz Bowl victory! Attach them to your badge and let the bookselling world know you are the undisputed literary champ. The winning team will provide the quiz for the following year and also be immortalized on the Heartland Fall Forum website and archived with all future winning teams. ​


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

7:00–8:00 am: Friends of Bill (private meeting)  / Gateway East
Picture
PictureTicket sales are closed
8:00–9:30 am: Multi-Author Keynote Breakfast / Grand FGH
​Our opening keynote event features a series of presentations by five compelling authors with books sure to do well in indie bookstores. (We offer a distanced COVID-safe breakfast from 7:30-8:00 am for those who prefer not to eat in a group.)


​9:30 am–12:30 pm: Trade show floor is open
Grand Ballroom ABCDE

​
***12:00 PM IS LAST CALL FOR BINC AUCTION BIDS***
Be sure to stop by the Book Industry Charitable Foundation's booth at #101 & 200 to bid on the silent auction.
​
Auction items are donated by exhibitors and all proceeds go Binc as they help the employees and owners of bookstores and comic shops with unforeseen emergency financial, medical, and mental health service needs.

PictureTicket sales are closed
12:30–2:00 pm: The Moveable Feast / Grand FGH
Enjoy our time-honored tradition of feasting with your friends while 38 of the seasons most charismatic authors visit your table in a speed-dating style event. (We offer a distanced COVID-safe lunch from 12:00-12:30 pm for those who prefer not to eat in a group.) See all the Moveable Feast authors here.

Picture

​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 Grand FGH and bring your favorite book of the show.
Picture
© COPYRIGHT 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Attend
    • Scholarships
  • Schedule
  • Events
    • Photos 2022
    • Author Events 2022
    • Education 2022
    • Rep Picks 2022
    • Shelfseeing Tours
    • Event Tickets
    • Quiz Bowl
  • Awards
    • Heartland Booksellers Award >
      • 2021 Heartland Booksellers Award
      • 2020 Heartland Bookseller Award
    • Voice of the Heartland >
      • Past Winners
  • Exhibitors
  • 10 Years
  • About
    • Heartland 2020
    • Heartland 2021
  • Covid 19 Liability and Waiver
  • Merch