The Combined Book Exhibit® (CBE) was established in 1933 by librarians so they could see a larger number of publishers and their new titles all in one place and in a logical manner. From the first bookmobile to award winning displays, CBE has, for over 85 years, put publishers’ products in the hands of public, school and academic librarians, as well as other book buying professionals in other markets.

CBE offers book promotion opportunities and marketing services for today’s authors and publishers. We promote both print and digital books to libraries, schools, educational institutions, academic conferences and at major International book fairs.

ABOUT LIBRARIES: Libraries need publishers of all kinds of media. And publishers need libraries–but some don’t yet realize how much. There are over 125,000 public, school, and college/university libraries in the United States, creating a market of over $5 billion. Libraries also boost sales because of the marketing they provide. A book on library shelf is an important way to promote your book to the masses.

NATIONAL LIBRARY CONFERENCES: National library conferences offer size and diversity and more libraries are represented from the U.S. and abroad, including those from often-neglected areas all resulting in more traffic at the conferences. Target markets can also be reached because of subject specialized libraries attending.

SCHOOL LIBRARY / EDUCATION / ACADEMIC CONFERENCES: School libraries constitute one of the fastest growing markets in publishing, with sales increasing from $423 to $647 million. And academic conferences are where publishers can meet the decision makers in the college and university markets. Attendees at these conferences include librarians, teachers, education media specialists and reading specialists, both regular and remedial. There are the people publishers want to meet–people with acquisition authority in their institutions.

TARGETED MARKETING STRATEGY: Librarians need to know your product exists and what new books you’re publishing from season to season. Showcasing your titles from show to show and year to year will help you to brand your company as one that publishes books appropriate for the library market. As you publish more books, they will be much more likely to review your new books for acquisition purposes. Promoting your company and new titles in library newsletters on a regular basis should also be part of your marketing strategy. Announcing new titles or letting them know which library shows you’ll have your books on display will help you maximize your promotion.