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Want to organize a book fair? You're in the right place! Our FAQ provides essential tips and guidance for initiating, starting, and managing a successful book fair. Dive in to make your event a thriving hub for book lovers!
Ave Maria University and Ignatius Press have launched book fairs to offer an unparalleled Christian alternative to other nationally known book fairs. Our goal is to ensure that children have access to literature that can shape their minds and nourish their souls in the most profound way possible.
Our main office is located in the beautiful town of Ave Maria, Florida.
Our Ignatius Book Fairs team is truly exceptional! Guided by seasoned experts from Ave Maria University and Ignatius Press, our Operations Team comprises individuals with vast experience in both Christian schools and book fairs. Additionally, we have enthusiastic student interns from Ave Maria University lending their support. We cannot wait to connect with you!
We are thrilled to unveil our new mascot, Loupio, the beloved protagonist of the widely acclaimed comic book series The Adventures of Loupio! Keep an eye out for Loupio as he makes his appearance on our website, social media platforms, and during our exciting book fairs.
To host a book fair, please complete an inquiry form. You will then be contacted by a Book Fair Pro who will provide more information and answer any questions you have.
Please reach out to us as soon as possible to secure your desired book fair dates, as availability is limited. We do not hold dates until you receive a contract, and we kindly ask that you complete the contract within three business days of receiving it. Please be aware that dates cannot be held beyond this three-day period.
Ignatius Book Fairs are now available for schools and parishes across the continental United States! If you are interested in hosting a book fair, please fill out an inquiry form and tell us more about your school or parish. One of our dedicated Book Fair Pros will reach out to you to determine if your school or parish is a fit for this incredible opportunity.
Hosting an Ignatius Book Fair comes at absolutely no cost to you. We will provide you with a comprehensive package including all the books, state-of-the-art point of sales devices, eye-catching advertising graphics, beautifully designed marketing materials, sturdy book stands, and everything else necessary to ensure the success of your book fair.
First book fair? No problem! Our experienced staff will help you along the way. After signing a contract, we will send you a document called “Your Guide to Hosting a Successful Ignatius Book Fair,” which will explain in detail all our tips, tricks, and suggestions to help you plan a fantastic event.
We do not have a set minimum for book fair sales, as we carefully select schools and parishes that are the perfect fit for an engaging in-person book fair.
Coming soon! Get ready for the launch of our online and virtual book fairs catered specifically to smaller groups.
Based on the size and setup of your school or parish, we suggest a duration of three to five days for your book fair. Our experienced Book Fair Pros will assist you in determining the optimal length of time for your event.
Our state-of-the-art warehouse in Illinois will be responsible for shipping all our books and materials directly to your location. Once the book fair is over, we will provide you with everything you need to pack up and ship any leftover items effortlessly, including boxes, return labels, and detailed instructions. With our seamless process, you can focus on enjoying the fair while we take care of the logistics.
Customers have the convenience to make payments using their preferred method—be it card, cash, or check. Rest assured, we will equip you with top-notch point of sale devices and comprehensive training on how to utilize them effortlessly.
We send 250 individual titles to book fairs, with multiple copies of each title. That means you will receive between 1,000 and 1,500 books, depending on the size of your school or parish.
No, about 70% of the books we send will be wholesome, nonreligious books, such as fiction, inspiring biographies, fairytales, and classic children’s books. We also include books about sports, history, arts and crafts, and more. All these books have been fully vetted to ensure that the content is safe for children and will nourish their imaginations. We believe that children deserve to read great books!
Definitely! About 30% of the books will be Catholic—stories about the saints, Bible stories, books that explain the faith in an engaging way, and more. Many of our Catholic children’s books are the beautiful books co-published by Magnificat and Ignatius Press, including our popular religious books by Tomie de Paola. We will also send children’s books from other Catholic publishers, such as the Augustine Institute and Bethlehem Books, and we will add more of the best children’s books available from other Catholic publishers as we grow.
Our book fair list is proprietary. However, we will consider sharing this on a case-by-case basis after speaking to and learning more about your group. In the meantime, please browse our website to get an idea of what we offer.
Yes, our fall book fairs will have a selection of Advent and Christmas books, while our spring book fairs will offer a selection of Easter, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation books.
The Ignatius Book Fair provides books for children grades K-8. Also developing an exclusive “add-on package” for mature teens and adults, which will be available very soon. What makes this even more special is that we're collaborating with the highly acclaimed book club Well-Read Mom to develop this amazing package. Stay tuned for more details coming your way!
Yes, our website offers an extensive collection of thousands more books, with new additions being made daily. All these books can be conveniently ordered during our book fairs or within one week after the fair– and your school gets credit!
We will be offering an optional, add-on package of carefully curated toys and other small items that complement our mission. These will include saint dolls, puzzles, games, keychains, stickers, bracelets, bookmarks, pencils, and more.
The Ignatius Book Fairs offer 20% in Ave Dollars or 10% cash back on the total of your sales (excluding tax). For book fairs that sell $6,000 or more, we will increase this offer to 40% in Ave Dollars or 20% cash back.
This is virtual money that can be spent at the end of your book fair or on our website, so you can buy more books for your classrooms, parish, or library.
Any Ave Dollars balance can be redeemed on the website.
This feature is coming soon. Ave Wallet will be a digital payment account where you can fund your child’s purchases in advance. Other people, such as grandparents and friends, can also contribute to your child’s Ave Wallet and they can use this to shop at the book fair.
When this feature is available, all you have to do is find your school’s book fair to sign up and add funds. Then just share the link with friends and family, who can do the same. The remaining balance after the fair will become a gift card to shop online with Ignatius Book Fairs or to fund a future Ave Wallet.
If you need to cancel, extend, delay, or change book fair dates, please contact your Book Fair Pro as soon as possible. In unexpected cases, the school may be responsible for reimbursing shipping and/or marketing expenses.
Each book fair will be assigned a Book Fair Pro who will be available should any problems arise during a book fair. We are here to help!
