With a trio of talks that booksellers described as “inspiring” and “funny,” the American Booksellers Association’s 7th annual Winter Institute officially got underway in the Big Easy on Wednesday morning at the Astor Crowne Plaza. ABA CEO Oren Teicher set the tone in his opening remarks about the vitality and viability of independent bookstores. “In 2011, we proved that the independent bookstore renaissance was no illusion,” he said. “Contrary to the predictions of some, 2011 wasn’t a year of attrition or loss for indies. For many stores, it was the best year in a long while.” Among the statistics Teicher cited were that between Small Business Saturday and Christmas unit book sales increased more than 15% for indie stores reporting to BookScan. In December the average gross sales online increased 26%. And e-book sales were 5.2% of all IndieCommerce sales for the year. “I am confident that the years of decline in our membership are over,” said Teicher pointing to yet another sign of strength.

Skip Prichard, president and CEO of the Ingram Content Group, added to the buoyant mood in the packed ballroom with stories like one about a talking dog who successfully negotiates a trip to the butcher shop by bus only to reach home with his purchase and be beaten by his owner for forgetting his key. He reminded booksellers that achievements can be viewed in a different light depending on expectations and offered five bookselling “ifs.” They include the need for a broad enough mission to encompass changing times. “If selling books is your purpose, your store will fail,” said Prichard, pointing to the now defunct Smith Corona’s overly narrow goal of selling typewriters. He also advised, “If you think it’s impossible to compete in today’s market, it isn’t. If you’re doing the same thing you did yesterday, you may be in trouble. If you want help it’s within reach.” Then in a nod to author Ann Patchett, whose opening of Parnassus Books in Nashville in November gave independent booksellers nationwide a boost, he added, “if all else fails, get a number one, New York Times bestselling author to be your partner.”

Long an indie writing favorite, Patchett has come to symbolize the determination independent booksellers since she announced that she would open a bookstore with publishing veteran Karen Hayes while on book tour for State of Wonder. “Who knew,” quipped Patchett, “that opening a bookstore was the way for an author to get on the front page of The New York Times.” She continued to keep booksellers laughing with her recollections of her first book tour in 1992 for The Patron Saint of Liars: driving to 26 cities, sleeping in her car, and changing into her pink dress at McDonald’s for a book signing that very few people attended. Afterwards, she carefully put the dress back into the trunk for the next stop. Her instructions from her publicists were to sign stock at every store, and to "make nice with the girl behind the cash register," who would, hopefully, handsell the book afterwards.

As a journalist for magazines like Bridal Guide and Elle, Patchett attributed the media attention to her new bookstore to the fact that “the story you take and the story you write is the one you want to read. They are as sick as we are of this constant barrage that books are dead.” Although Patchett readily acknowledged that she hadn’t thought through all the aspects of what it would mean to be a bookseller before she jumped into it, she said, “the thrill of forcing people to read the books I like is enough.” Before she only had family and friends. "Now it's limitless," she added. A current handselling favorite at Parnassus Books is Jeannette Haien’s The All of It, which Patchett persuaded Harper to reissue.

“A trend is whatever you tell people it is. This is the new trend, local independent bookselling. If you keep saying it’s true, it will be true,” said Patchett, who closed her talk to a standing ovation.