Ann Arbor, MI – ABRAMS is launching #HELPABOOKSELLER, a fundraising challenge to benefit BINC (Book Industry Charitable Foundation), a nonprofit organization dedicated to booksellers in need, in order to raise more than $100K to help booksellers during this critical time as our country is affected by the detrimental impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Booksellers have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Many have been laid off with inadequate severance to sustain them through the duration of this crisis, and many without extended health-care benefits. ABRAMS’ and BINC’s primary goal at this time is to get funds to those booksellers in order to support them in their struggles to pay rent and care for themselves.
“As a company, we’ve been focused and committed to taking care of one another during this extraordinary time. We realized that what we possess at ABRAMS is a will and a drive to make a difference. So, we decided to raise funds to help booksellers in a way that brought our larger, interconnected book community together around this goal. ABRAMS’ corporate donation to BINC will comprise at least half of the $100,000, and we are encouraging our authors, vendors, partners, and our own staff to help fulfill our publishing mission and join us in raising this amount or more for the people that we rely on so greatly—the frontline booksellers.”
ABRAMS President and CEO, Michael Jacobs.
Among the lineup of stellar authors, illustrators, and artists who have already joined the campaign at ABRAMS are children’s authors Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Henry Winkler (Alien Superstar), and Andrea Beaty (The Questioneers series including Rosie Revere, Engineer), and adult authors Gaby Dalkin (What’s Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want) and Laura Prepon (You & I, as Mothers).
“As brick-and-mortar stores shutter to slow the spread of the virus, booksellers are suffering in a very real way. The term “nonessential business” is part of our vernacular now, but this crisis has caused us to reflect on just how essential bookstores, and their knowledgeable staffs, are to the community. We need to ensure that booksellers can make ends meet during this uncertain and difficult time. I’m proud to work with my publisher, ABRAMS, in this effort,” says Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Contributions can be made using this link: https://secure.donationpay.org/bincfoundation/covid.php?source=abrams.
“This has been the most extraordinary week in the history of the Foundation. The requests for assistance are coming in every hour, and the need is like nothing we have ever seen. What gives us hope is the equally extraordinary response we have seen from our book-loving community. Publishers like ABRAMS have answered the concerns and fears of booksellers with the strongest possible message of support and solidarity. Through their incredible donation, they are saying, We believe in the importance of booksellers and we believe in the power of this community.”
Pamela French
This is the second time ABRAMS has teamed up with BINC. Just recently, in partnership with Humble Bundle, ABRAMS created a Get Crafty e-book, with more than $36,000 of charitable proceeds directly helping independent bookstores.
Founded in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in publishing art and illustrated books. The company continues to publish critically acclaimed and bestselling works in the areas of art, photography, cooking, craft, comics, interior and garden design, entertainment, fashion, and popular culture as well as narrative non-fiction and new works of fiction for adults; children’s books ranging from middle grade to young adult fiction to picture books to board books. ABRAMS creates and distributes brilliantly designed books with the highest production values under the following imprints: Abrams; Abrams ComicArts; Abrams Image; Abrams Press; The Overlook Press; Abrams Books for Young Readers; Amulet Books; Abrams Appleseed; and a gift and stationery line, Abrams Noterie. ABRAMS also distributes books for Booth-Clibborn Editions, Cameron + Company, Alain Ducasse Édition, Getty Publications, Ludion, Lucky Spool, The Museum of Modern Art, Obvious State, SelfMadeHero, Tate Publishing, V&A Publishing, and The Vendome Press.