A lot of ink has been spilled over the years about the critical role paper selection plays in direct mail marketing campaigns. This blog post isn’t about that. For one thing, it’s a big subject that deserves entire webinars, conference sessions, and content pieces. And samples, lots of them! So size, weight, finishes, sustainability, and of course, budget will have to wait. For another, I want to talk more broadly about recognizing how paper can be sustainable as well as inspiring. As something of a papertarian, I know how paper can fire up the imaginations of marketers, creators, and consumers everywhere. But up until a few years ago, I didn’t know much about the positive story about paper as a renewable resource. Sure, I recycled as much as possible personally, but there was so much I had to learn When the Paper + Packaging Board was established, I started to follow its promotional campaigns. I especially liked “How Life Unfolds,” which offered information and guidance to the public about paper and packaging usage and recycling. The video ads were especially effective in providing ideas for recycling everything from pet food bags to mail. And the Faces of the Forest series gave quick profiles about people in forest management at ground level. That’s a perspective often missed in discussions about sustainability. I’ve written previously about the Temple University studies about how advertising is more effective on paper compared to digital channels, often making it a smart choice. Combined with more awareness about innovations in paper vs. plastic (and its environmental impact), it became more apparent to me that paper is a responsible choice as well.

This season, retailers and shoppers alike are contending with a shorter holiday shopping window — on top of tariffs, waning consumer sentiment and recession fears. The 2025 holiday shopping season is shorter than usual, with 28 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s one extra day compared to last year’s ultra-condensed shopping season, but four fewer shopping days than 2023. Cyber Monday will fall in December this year, and Christmas will be on a Thursday.  By some metrics, the holiday shopping season is shaping up to be merry and bright. The National Retail Federation projects U.S. holiday sales will surpass $1 trillion for the first time in 2025, rising as much as 4.2% over last year. Similarly, EMarketer is forecasting holiday sales of $1.369 trillion, up 3.6% year over year.

Barnes & Noble is pleased to announce the 14 finalists for their 2025 Book of the Year. The program, now in its seventh year, asks B&N booksellers across the country to nominate titles throughout the year they find truly outstanding and in which they have felt the most pride in recommending to readers. This year, the list features five novels, five nonfiction books, and four books for children and young adults. The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year is voted on by all booksellers and announced on November 13th. Sunrise on the Reaping  by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, Inc.) King of Ashes  by S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books) Growing Home by Beth Ferry (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers) Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (HarperCollins) This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (And Why It Matters) by Map Men (Hanover Square Press) I Am Rebel  by Ross Montgomery (Candlewick Press) Puzzle Mania!  by The New York Times Games (Authors Equity) Good Things by Samin Nosrat (Random House Publishing Group) There Are No Silly Questions by Mike Rampton (Nosy Crow) The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, Sawyer Robbins (Hay House Inc.) Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (Scribner) Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (Random House Publishing Group) Mona's Eyes by Thomas Schlesser (Europa Editions, Incorporated) The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds (Union Square & Co.)