In May, Americans pay tribute to generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. At no time have these Americans needed to see the country acknowledge and celebrate the rich heritages thousands of years old and the people who have shaped United States history. 

Asian-Americans are the nation’s fastest-growing racial group, and for the last year have suffered considerably in an ever-present racist atmosphere. Encourage booksellers to show their support more than ever with a variety of ideas for promotion during this holiday.

“On June 19, 1865, Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their emancipation. That day came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. While the holiday was informally commemorated in later years, Texas became the first state to make it a state holiday in 1980. Last year, numerous states, cities and colleges across the US moved to recognize it as an official holiday.” (CNN)

As more companies designate Juneteenth an official work holiday, and the work of racial reckoning is at the forefront of our national priorities, Juneteenth becomes a more recognized historical celebration. Help booksellers help their customers understand this holiday with fiction and non-fiction that shines a light on the past and present.

Illustration: news.crunchbase.com

In April, online retailers see significant spikes for searches about relationships and marriage, such as “relationship books, marriage workbooks for couples, marriage books, marriage counseling books, sex books for married couples, books for couples”. The pandemic has surely impacted relationships, and this year’s sales are trending up.

The pandemic has been a boon to retail alcohol sales of all kinds, according to the New York Times. Alcohol consumption overall has increased during the pandemic, with heavy drinking by women up 41%. Beveragedaily.com says that the biggest gain for wine sales came from casual, at-home, non-food occasions, such as drinking during the day outside mealtimes or catching up with friends via phone with a glass of wine. And now that people are cautiously returning to socializing, wine with dinner is likely to see the trend continue.

With more people vaccinated and public places reopening, Covid-isolated readers are likely to be out and about in the summer of ’21. They’ll be looking for relaxation and fun, and PRH titles will be perfect companions, whether at the beach or relaxing on the back porch.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, providing readers with a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Here are titles on the Penguin Classics lists by African-American writers.

In recent months, TikTok has become the most talked-about social media app, and one that has proven to be a sales driver. TikTok is a social media app used largely (62%) by the under-29 crowd, but there is still a significant percentage of users over age 30. Because of their appearances on the app, we’ve seen major sales spikes for WE WERE LIARS, BURN AFTER WRITING, and A LITTLE LIFE, among others.

While separate lists exist for each of the gift-giving opportunities that are part of this collection, some accounts prefer to run one promotion that meets all needs. This is it! Top-selling titles for Mother’s Day (May 9), Father’s Day (June 20th), and Graduation (ranges throughout spring) are listed here.