Independent Publishers of New England

Please read all instructions for your event(s) carefully. Note relevant deadlines. If you have any questions contact us or call the IPNE number 781-214-0980.

2026 events:

Sept 16th: NEIBA (New England Independent Booksellers Conference) Details page
Sept 19th: Arlington Town Day. Details page
October 17: Boston Book Festival. Details page
October 25-27 NELA (New England Library Association) Details page

1. How to send us your books to exhibit: If you are not attending the event your book(s) must be received by us no later than one week prior to the event. Mail your books to the following address.
Scott Channell
230 Independence Way, STE 1 – 1128
Danvers MA 01923-3692

If you will be attending bring your books with you.
2. Providing us your book description and cover for the catalog: Use this form. Please send this info asap.
3. If your book cover will be in an IPNE ad: Provide us your cover using the form above or send your book cover graphic to president@ipne.org. Send this immediately.
4. If you have any questions contact us or call 781-214-0980

1. NEIBA: Exhibition day is Wednesday Sept 16. Exhibit hours are 10 – 4.
2. IMPORTANT: DO NOT CALL NEIBA OR APPROACH THEIR REGISTRATION TABLE ON
EXHIBITION DAY. NO EXCEPTIONS. Scott Channell and Shirley skyers-Thomas, the NEIBA
coordinator will have your exhibit hall access badges and be available to answer your questions. You will have their cell numbers to get your access badges and for questions that day. IPNE is a unique exhibitor as we are the only cooperative booth and in past years the many IPNE members attending have overwhelmed the NEIBA staff. NEIBA breaks their workflow to accommodate IPNE and it is a requirement of our continued participation that we adhere to these rules.

We appreciate your cooperation.

3. If you are attending, Scott or Shirley will have your access badges and be found in the area of the
registration table. You will have their cell numbers to find them if necessary. One of us will be in the registration area from 9 – 10 AM. If you arrive after 10 AM or can’t find us. Call our cell phones and we will find us. Do not communicate with NEIBA.

Reminder: Provide us your book description and cover for the catalog: Use this form. Please send this info asap.

Exhibition Day: Saturday, September 19

Exhibit Hours: 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM

IPNE Show Coordinator: Charlotte Pierce | charlotte@piercepress.com | 781-258-9608

Location: 730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02176 (10×10 booth with a red & white top, usually located across from Town Hall)

Pre-Event Onboarding & Requirements:

Onboarding Video Call: Saturday, September 5 at 10:00 AM. (Notes will be available if you are unable to attend.)

Payment Preparation: Bring a price sheet and a displayable QR code (Venmo/PayPal preferred) linking directly to your sales page, plus clear cash/check payment instructions.

What to Bring (and Leave Behind): Book racks, tablecloths, and folding chairs are provided. Bring ONLY your books and up to 50 4×9 rack cards. Please keep business cards, other literature, and swag on your person. No extra supplies or containers can be stored inside the booth; there is only minimal unsecured space behind it for a single plastic bin.

How to Get Your Name Badge & Assistance: Your IPNE coordinator, Charlotte, will direct setup, handle all questions, and distribute name badges at our booth. Suggestions are welcome, but Charlotte will make the final call on display.

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM (Recommended): Setup & Badge Pickup. The Arlington Town Day info table will have the IPNE booth number and location. Charlotte will be at the booth to hand out name badges. We strongly recommend arriving early to avoid vendor setup traffic.

Arriving after 10:00 AM (Not Recommended): Come directly to the booth, and we will try to accommodate your books.

Booth Capacity & Member Roles:

Inside the Booth: Only two members will be allowed in the booth at any one time. We will take turns behind the table promoting the books displayed.

Support & Roaming Team: Members not currently in the booth should stand out front without impeding booth access, or roam the event to show and hand out catalogs, engage attendees, and direct people back to our booth.

Promotional Tip: Feel free to insert your own literature into the IPNE catalog while you roam or stand in front!

This page is still being developed. As we update these instructions, members will be notified of new information via the email address they used to register.

Exhibition Day: Saturday, October 17 RAIN OR SHINE
Exhibit Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
IPNE Coordinator: Ann Goltz | ann@quietpublications.com | 978-528-3044
If you have any questions, DO NOT CONTACT Boston Book Festival directly. Please direct all questions to Ann at the email address or the phone number above.
Location: Copley Square, Boston, MA (exact location TBD)

Know Up Front

Space is limited. Because of that, members will be assigned certain times that they may be in the booth. Members are not allowed in the booth outside of their assigned times. Your books, however, may be on display at all times. Also, ONLY members are allowed in the booth—sorry, we don’t have room for helpful assistants. No exceptions. (You may have people help you bring your books before the festival and pick them up after the festival, but they cannot be at the booth during the festival.)

Pre-Event Onboarding & Requirements
Onboarding Video Call: Date and time TBD

Payment Preparation: You will be invited to prepare a QR code for each book you’re selling. Additional details on that will come later. Please be patient.

What to Bring:
1. Your books. There is no limit to how many you can bring, however there is only room for so many copies on display at a time. ALL REGISTERED BOOKS WILL BE DISPLAYED. There will be limited space for inventory in the back of the booth, but extra books (in case you sell out) should be kept in an alternate location nearby. As an absolute last resort, Ann will have her car in a parking garage a block away, and spare books may be kept there if there is no other option.
2. Rack cards. These are optional, but you may bring up to 50 4×9 rack cards for display.
3. Bookmarks. Also optional, and they must be already placed inside your book. There is no extra room for bookmarks on the table, but if your books already come pre-bookmarked, no one’s going to take them out. Do not try to place bookmarks inside your books on the day of the event.

What Not to Bring:
Business cards, swag, tablecloths, posters, newsletter sign-up sheets, flags, chairs, or anything that’s not specified in items 1,2, or 3 above. You’re free to keep additional items on your person to hand out, but they are not part of the booth display.

How to Get Your Name Badge and Assistance: Your IPNE Coordinator, Ann, will direct set-up, handle all questions, and distribute name badges at our booth. Suggestions are welcome, but Ann will make the final call on display.

Day of the Festival

Booth set-up begins no earlier than 8:00 AM and must be completed by 10:00 AM, when the Boston Book Festival officially opens. Ann will be there by 8:00 AM to begin set-up. No matter what time you’ve been scheduled, PLEASE HAVE YOUR BOOKS AT THE BOOTH by 9:15 AM. We don’t want to still be setting up while potential readers are actively perusing the table. Ann will be looking for 1-2 volunteers to help set up the booth starting at 8:30 AM.
Suggestions are welcome, but Ann will make the final call on display. Books that arrive after 9:15 AM will be accommodated as best we can.

During the Day: Members will be assigned shifts inside the booth and directly outside, engaging with passersby. MEMBERS ARE NOT TO BLOCK ACCESS TO THE BOOTH OUTSIDE OF THEIR ASSIGNED SHIFTS. We need room for the people who are on their assigned shifts, and we need room for buyers.

When you are inside the booth, you may have a non-spillable beverage container. When you are outside engaging with passersby, it’s best for your hands to be free for books, literature, etc.

You may want to bring your own lunch, but please plan to eat it somewhere other than at the booth.

How Sales Will Be Handled: Each book may have its own QR code so buyers can purchase via credit card. The QR codes will be kept near the cash box for the sake of good order. There will be a single cash box for cash purchases. The logistics on this are still being worked out. Please be patient. While you are on an assigned shift, you are more than welcome to process credit card purchases for your own books using your own device (Square, etc.) if you wish, or you may direct buyers to the cash box for cash or credit purchases. Bottom line: even if you  are not personally at the booth, your books can still be sold.

Book Signings: There are no scheduled author signings. If someone buys your book and wants it signed, you are more than welcome to do so. Keep a good pen on your person!

The festival ends at 5:00 PM, and booth strike-down must begin immediately. The booth must be cleared no later than 6:10 PM. Ann will be looking for 1-2 volunteers to help with the strike- down. You must retrieve any unsold books of yours by 5:15 PM. Unsold and unclaimed books will be donated to the Boston Public Library and/or other charities.

Full NELA instructions will be posted soon. If you are registered, please 1. provide us your book description for the catalog by using this form.  2. If you wlll not be attending, mail the book(s) you are exhibiting to the address at the top of the page. If you have any questions, call the IPNE number. 781-214-0980.