Bookshop of the Month
Each month, we select a bookshop who's been making brilliant use of our free local marketing platform, National Book Tokens Local (formerly Caboodle) to connect with their local audience. Our Bookshop of the Month wins a luxury food and wine hamper, and promotion via our social channels.
November 2024: Script Haven
Congratulations to this month's winner!
We're thrilled to announce our Bookshop of the Month for November: Script Haven!
Script Haven opened in the historic city of Worcester in August 2023, predominantly supporting indie authors and publishers of all genres, and stock independent bookshop exclusive editions. The shop has a large range of poetry from local poets as well as a growing selection of esoteric and unusual titles. Script Haven is renowned for its quirky and cosy Book Nook where you can curl up and read your favourite books with a cuppa, and for being the haunt (literally!) of the noted Charles Dickens, who visited in 1858 when it was the Swan Hotel (they even have an official blue plaque to commemorate the visit!). They also showcase local artists and creators, in addition to being a licensed café and hosting several events.
See Script Haven's profile
"Using National Book Tokens Local has really helped broaden our reach to audiences who may otherwise not have heard of our events. We recently hosted Annie Garthwaite, and people came from as far away as Wigan to the event – they had missed her Northern appearances and discovered she was with us thanks to National Book Tokens Local!"
Leena, Script Haven
We know our customers love bookshops as much as we do. Our free local marketing tool enables you to promote your bookshop more widely – just upload your latest updates, events and offers to our simple online platform and they'll appear on the National Book Tokens and Books Are My Bag websites, as well as being sent by email directly to our subscribers who live nearby.
If you're not yet using National Book Tokens Local to promote your bookshop locally, don't miss out – sign up today, and you could be a future winner!
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Previous winners
October 2024: Wedale Bookshop
"We continue to highlight our events and activities through National Book Tokens Local and we know this reaches our target audience because they tell us it works! [...] having an additional method of direct communications with potential customers works really well for us."
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September 2024: Chorleywood Bookshop
"Given the fantastic array of author events we host throughout the year, the National Book Tokens Local platform offers us a very valuable way to reach book lovers who might not be aware of our events programme, helping us to bring authors and readers together in engaging ways."
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August 2024: Caper
"As a bookshop that's only recently opened, at Caper we have been grateful that National Book Tokens Local offers such an effective way of connecting to the wider local community who might not yet know about us, or who haven't visited yet – it's simple to use and a fantastic way to increase our reach."
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July 2024: The Bookshop in Helston
"Being able to promote the bookshop events on National Book Tokens Local has been absolutely wonderful - the platform fills a need that we don’t have the resources to provide for ourselves and we know the platform reaches people because customers tell us!"
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June 2024: Bow Books
"The shop has used National Book Tokens Local from early on to promote monthly offers and regular Top Picks to the most book-friendly people nearby. Also to publicise events and signings, including the opening with Jeffrey Archer and a session with Carrie Dunn, a leading writer on women’s football. "
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May 2024: Battersea Bookshop
"As a new bookshop, we have found National Book Tokens Local to be a great resource in connecting to people around us and the wider London community. It has helped to make our events calendar over the past year a great success, and to introduce us to people who had yet to visit."
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April 2024: Heron & Willow, Jedburgh
"[National Book Tokens Local] has been a great tool to get word out and also increase our customer reach, all of which is very important in your first year!”
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March 2024: Perivale Christian Bookshop, South East London
"[It's] a simple-to-use and free marketing tool, and it reaches a large audience. It is well worth spending time to put events and promotions on here."
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February 2024: Westwood Books, Cumbria
"It's especially good to know that it's reaching people who are already committed to supporting bookshops. It's simple to use too which is always a bonus when you're running a business and juggling so many other things."
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January 2024: Cambridge University Press Bookshop
"We know that every email is targeted to bona fide book lovers who really want to know what events and promotions we have to offer. It really is a quick and easy way to share what’s most important to your bookshop with customers in the area."
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December 2023: The Bookshop Mold, Wales
"National Book Tokens Local helps us to connect to new customers who have not yet discovered The Mold Bookshop and it complements our own newsletters perfectly. I encourage other bookshops to use it as it is a great opportunity for them to expand their reach and grow their customer base."
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November 2023: Kirkdale Bookshop, South East London
"We use National Book Tokens Local to advertise any events we have coming up as it has a great reach to many people who might not otherwise know about us through the usual channels like social media."
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