How to Get Help With Bookmanager Bookstore Software and Master Your POS System

If you are looking for immediate help with the Bookmanager bookstore management system, the fastest way to receive support is through their direct technical lines. For users in North America, you can contact the support team at 250-763-4415 from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm PST. Alternatively, you can send detailed inquiries to mail@bookmanager.com.

Bookmanager is not just a simple cash register; it is a sophisticated, integrated suite designed specifically for independent booksellers to manage inventory, purchasing, point-of-sale, and e-commerce. Mastering this tool requires understanding both its technical setup and its operational workflows. This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of how to access support, navigate the Help Centre, and optimize your bookstore's daily operations.

How to Contact Bookmanager Support Effectively

When seeking technical assistance, the quality of information you provide determines the speed of resolution. Bookmanager’s support team is known for hands-on, direct assistance rather than scripted call centers.

Phone Support for Urgent Issues

Phone support is ideal for "system down" situations or when a customer is standing at the counter and the POS is malfunctioning.

Phone Number: 250-763-4415
Hours of Operation: 8 am – 4 pm PST, Monday through Friday.
Preparation: Before calling, have your "Clerk Code" ready and be at the computer experiencing the issue. If the problem involves hardware, such as a receipt printer or scanner, ensure all cables are securely plugged in first.

Email Support for Non-Urgent Inquiries

For questions regarding data analysis, custom reports, or setting up new accounts, email is often more efficient.

Email Address: mail@bookmanager.com
Subject Line Tip: Use clear subjects like "Webstore Design Question" or "Help with Year-End Inventory Count."
Attachments: If you encounter an error message, taking a screenshot or a photo of the screen and attaching it to the email can save significant time.

Navigating the Bookmanager Help Centre and Tutorials

The Bookmanager Help Centre is the central repository for all software documentation. While the system is intuitive for those with bookstore experience, the sheer volume of features can be overwhelming for new staff.

Accessing the Tutorials

The official tutorials cover every stage of a book's lifecycle in your store—from the moment you think about ordering it to the moment it is sold and cleared from your inventory. The primary categories you should familiarize yourself with include:

Beginner Basics: Navigation, shortcuts, and clerk permissions.
Point of Sale (POS): Handling transactions, returns, and gift cards.
Inventory Management: Adding new titles and adjusting stock levels.
Ordering & Receiving: Generating purchase orders and checking in stock.
Webstore & Analytics: Managing your online presence and sales data.

The 2016 Manual vs. Modern Tutorials

It is important to note that while a comprehensive PDF manual (v10.3) exists from 2016, the software has evolved significantly since then. The 2016 manual remains excellent for understanding the "logic" of the software—how the General Ledger interacts with sales, for instance—but the visual interface and certain web-integrated features (like the Biz Admin site) are better documented in the online Tutorials section.

Setting Up Your Bookmanager Environment

Success with Bookmanager begins with a stable installation. As a specialized POS system, it relies on a server-client architecture.

Choosing and Configuring the Server

In most independent bookstores, one computer acts as the "Bookmanager Server." This machine holds the primary database.

Windows Compatibility: Ensure your server is running a modern version of Windows (Windows 10 or 11).
Network Stability: Clients (the computers at your front counter) connect to the server via your local area network (LAN). A wired Ethernet connection is always recommended over Wi-Fi for POS systems to prevent transaction timeouts.
Firewalls and Antivirus: Sometimes, security software blocks the communication between the client and the server. If a client computer cannot find the "BM Data," check if the Bookmanager executable is whitelisted in your firewall settings.

Basic Navigation and Shortcuts

Bookmanager was designed for speed, which means many functions are accessible via keyboard shortcuts.

The Mouse is Optional: In high-volume environments, experienced clerks rarely touch the mouse. Learning the "Alt" and "Function" (F1-F12) keys is essential.
Main Menu Logic: The main menu is the hub. From here, you can jump to (I)nventory, (P)oint of Sale, or (O)rdering simply by hitting the corresponding letter key.

Core Module: Mastering the Point of Sale (POS)

The POS module is where your staff will spend 90% of their time. It needs to be fast and accurate.

Processing a Standard Sale

In our experience, the most common mistake at the POS is failing to verify the "Customer" field. While many sales are "Cash Sales" (anonymous), linking sales to customer profiles is vital for tracking frequent buyer points and special orders.

Scan the Item: Use the barcode scanner to enter the ISBN-13.
Verify the Price: Bookmanager automatically pulls the price from your inventory, but you can manually override it if there is a specific promotion.
Tender the Sale: Use the "F10" or "End" key to move to the payment screen. Bookmanager supports multiple payment types, including integrated credit card processing, which reduces manual entry errors.

Handling Special Orders

One of Bookmanager's strongest features is its ability to handle special orders seamlessly. If a customer wants a book not currently in stock:

Search for the title in TitleLink.
Hit the "Order" button within the POS screen.
This creates a link between the customer’s request and your next Purchase Order for that supplier. When the book arrives and is "Received," Bookmanager will automatically prompt you to notify the customer.

Core Module: Inventory and TitleLink

Managing millions of potential titles is the biggest challenge for any bookstore. Bookmanager solves this through TitleLink.

What is TitleLink?

TitleLink is a massive, external database of books that Bookmanager maintains. Instead of manually typing in the title, author, and publisher for every book you want to stock, you simply scan the ISBN. Bookmanager fetches the metadata (including cover images) from TitleLink and populates your local inventory.

Maintaining Inventory Accuracy

Inventory "shrinkage" or data errors can lead to lost sales.

Regular Counts: We recommend doing "rolling" inventory counts. Instead of closing the store once a year, count one section (e.g., "History" or "Mystery") every week.
Classification: Use the "Class" field to categorize your books. This allows you to run reports to see which genres are performing best. Are your "Graphic Novels" turning over faster than your "Cookbooks"? Bookmanager’s analytics will tell you.

Core Module: Ordering and Receiving

Efficient buying is what makes a bookstore profitable. Bookmanager streamlines communication with publishers and wholesalers.

Using PubStock for Real-Time Data

Before placing an order, you need to know who has the book in stock and at what price. PubStock is an integrated tool that queries major distributors (like Ingram, Baker & Taylor, or Raincoast) in real-time.

When viewing a title, hit the "PubStock" key.
The system will show you a list of suppliers, their current stock levels, and your estimated discount.
This allows you to choose the supplier that offers the best margin or the fastest shipping for a time-sensitive customer request.

The Receiving Process

When a box of books arrives, the "Receiving" module ensures your stock levels are updated and your "Accounts Payable" are accurate.

Open the Electronic Packing Slip: Many suppliers send electronic files that can be imported directly.
Verify Physical Count: Scan each book in the box to ensure it matches the invoice.
Labeling: This is the best time to print price stickers. Bookmanager can be configured to automatically print labels for any item where the "On Hand" quantity increases.

Advanced Features: Webstore and Analytics

In the modern era, an independent bookstore must have an online presence. Bookmanager’s Webstore integration ensures your online stock levels are always accurate.

Syncing Your Webstore

The Bookmanager Webstore is a "live" reflection of your physical shop. If you sell the last copy of a book in-store, it is immediately marked as "Out of Stock" online.

Biz Admin Site: This is the browser-based backend where you manage your website’s appearance, featured book lists, and online orders.
Consumer Experience: Customers can search your inventory, see cover art provided by TitleLink, and choose "In-store pickup" or "Shipping."

Analyzing Sales Trends

Bookmanager provides deep insights into your business health through its reporting tools.

Best Seller Lists: Generate lists of your store's top-selling titles over the last week, month, or year.
Dead Stock Reports: Identify books that haven't sold in over 12 months. This is crucial for deciding which books to return to the publisher to free up shelf space and capital.
Month-End Procedures: These reports reconcile your sales with your payments received, ensuring your bank account matches your records.

Troubleshooting Common Bookmanager Issues

Even the best software can encounter hiccups. Here are some common scenarios and how to fix them.

"BM Server Not Found"

This is the most frequent technical support call. It usually means the client computer cannot communicate with the server.

Step 1: Check if the server computer is turned on and logged into Windows.
Step 2: Ensure the "Bookmanager Server" application is running on the main machine.
Step 3: Restart the router or network switch that connects the computers.

Receipt Printer Not Working

If receipts aren't printing:

Check the Queue: Open "Devices and Printers" in Windows and see if there are stuck documents in the print queue. Clear them and try again.
Paper Jam: Ensure the thermal paper is loaded correctly. Most receipt printers require the paper to feed from the bottom of the roll.

Barcode Scanner Misreading

If the scanner is entering strange characters or skipping digits:

It may be in the wrong "emulation mode." Most Bookmanager scanners should be in "Keyboard Emulation" mode.
Check the scanner's manual for a "Reset to Factory Defaults" barcode and scan it.

For Users of Legacy "IBM BookManager"

It is worth noting that some users searching for "Bookmanager help" might be looking for the legacy IBM product used for reading electronic manuals on mainframe systems (MVS/VM/VSE).

If you are looking for IBM BookManager Read, you should consult the IBM Documentation portal.
The commands for that system (such as "HELP" on the action bar or pressing F1 for command descriptions) are entirely different from the bookstore POS software described above.
Most modern inquiries for "Bookmanager" refer to the bookstore software, as the IBM version is largely considered a legacy/obsolete tool in the general market.

Summary of Best Practices for Bookmanager Users

To get the most out of your Bookmanager system and minimize the need for emergency support, follow these professional guidelines:

Perform Daily Backups: Never leave the store without ensuring your data is backed up. Bookmanager offers automated backup routines—use them. Store one copy on an external drive and another in the cloud.
Keep Software Updated: Bookmanager frequently releases updates that include new PubStock suppliers or bug fixes. Check for updates during your weekly maintenance.
Train Staff Thoroughly: Most "system errors" are actually "user errors." Ensure every clerk understands how to process a return and how to look up a customer properly.
Use the Tutorials: Before calling support, spend 5 minutes searching the Help Centre. Many questions about "How do I..." are answered with step-by-step videos.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I reset my Bookmanager password?

Passwords and clerk codes are managed within the "Security" or "General Options" section of the main menu. You will need "Owner" or "Manager" level permissions to change these codes. If you are locked out of the only administrative account, you must contact Bookmanager support directly at 250-763-4415 for a secure reset.

Can I run Bookmanager on a Mac?

Bookmanager is natively a Windows application. To run it on a Mac, you must use a Windows environment such as Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or Apple's Boot Camp. Most bookstores find it more cost-effective to use dedicated Windows PCs for their POS stations.

Does Bookmanager integrate with QuickBooks?

Yes. Bookmanager can export sales and accounts payable data into formats that can be imported into QuickBooks and other major accounting software. This reduces the need for manual bookkeeping.

What is the cost of Bookmanager support?

Bookmanager typically operates on a subscription or annual maintenance fee model which includes technical support and software updates. For new bookstores, there is often a waitlist for system implementation, so it is best to contact them early in your planning process.

How do I update the price of a book?

While Bookmanager tries to keep prices updated via TitleLink and PubStock, you can manually change a price in the Inventory (I) module. Simply find the title, hit the "Edit" key, and update the "List Price" field. Remember to print a new label so the shelf price matches the system price.

By following this guide, you should be able to navigate the complexities of the Bookmanager system with confidence. Whether you are a new shop owner setting up your first server or a veteran bookseller looking to optimize your webstore, the combination of official support and the comprehensive Help Centre ensures you have the tools to succeed.