Guest Post: Getting on the Shelf: Tips from a Bookstore Buyer by Mariana Ashley
October 9, 2012 by Lillie
The book trade has been changing so quickly, it’s hard for authors to know how best to go about establishing themselves and disseminating their works. Laser printing and print-on-demand technology helped ignite the self-publishing revolution, just in time for e-readers to come along and change the game all over. Meanwhile, with Amazon and other online outlets taking over, many have proclaimed the death of the bookstore itself.
I have a friend who’s fighting valiantly to keep the traditional bookstore alive. My friend has asked me to keep her name and employer private due to the nature of this article, but we’ll call her Nicole. Nicole is the buyer at a small but prestigious independent bookstore in the Southeast. She believes that even as big-box bookstores like Borders are bankrupted by Amazon, this actually creates more of a niche for local brick-and-mortar establishments. I asked her, “How can a self-published or beginning author get on your shelves?” Here were the main points she shared with me:
1. Email the bookstore for a copy of their consignment form.
Bookstores get most of their stock through the major publishing houses and distributing conglomerates. Unless you’re represented by one of these larger entities, you’ll have to sign a consignment agreement. Nicole says you should generally email rather than call, as a retail environment can be hectic and customers are always the first priority.
2. Make sure your book fits their inventory.
For example, Nicole’s store specializes in fiction and poetry, and does not carry textbooks, so if your book is a textbook, you’re not going to be able to convince her, no matter how good your pitch is. She also advises me that appearances matter. Retail buyers do “judge a book by its cover” and so do customers, so make sure you’ve invested some time and money into making your product look just as professional as its potential shelfmates. “Have a spine,” she says, “and I don’t mean courage.”
3. Think local.
“We’re far more likely to give a chance to a local author, especially if the book itself has local appeal or subject matter,” says Nicole. This is in keeping with her store’s goal to be a community hub, a mission which is not merely a matter of altruism or civic duty, but a very hard-headed business decision: this is the competitive advantage they can provide that Amazon cannot.
4. Be gracious.
“I have to turn down a lot of requests. We can’t afford to operate as the retail equivalent of a vanity press, so generally I only take books I’m pretty sure we’ll sell. Again, the rare exception being an occasional community author. They don’t always take it well. I’ve been cursed out over the phone.” Remember to be courteous, even though, of course, your book is your baby — after all, your next one might have more appeal, but not if you’ve burned that bridge with the buyer.
So there you have it, the inside dirt on getting sold in stores without a publisher. I hope this guidance helps your writing achieve wider exposure!
This guest post is provided by Mariana Ashley, who writes about educational issues for OnlineColleges.net and can be reached by email at mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.
A really interesting article. I really hope that you are right, that the small book retailers will survive and keep giving opportunities to especially local writers. I am writing on a book and will definitely try your strategy to get it into local book retailers.
Thanks for a great post!
Mikkel,
The world of publishing and book sales is changing, but I hope we always have small independent retailers.
What a great list of suggestions! I’m not a writer, but in the past I’ve tried to get books into bookstores as a fan. I’ve succeeded and failed, but I am pretty passionate about books I love.
I’ll definitely pass this list on to friends who are authors!
Amanda,
I’m glad you found Mariana’s post helpful and appreciate your sharing it with others.
I think these are the valid points to work side by side a book store like Amazon but Amazon is too ahead.
Nawaz,
It’s very easy to get your book into Amazon; it’s harder to get your book into a brick and mortar store, which these tips apply to.
One thing that helped me when I had my first book, Lillie, was offering to do a book signing for the bookstore. Since it was a small hobby bookstore, they got all excited because apparently nobody had ever done that there before. The event was quite successful and they not only ordered more of my books but we sold a lot that day.
Leo,
That’s great. It’s not easy to have booksignings in the large chain store as they are bombarded with authors, including famous best-selling authors, to sign books. But if there is a small specialty bookshop in the area, that is perfect.
It’s always difficult to convince bookstores to keep our self-published books. No doubt, the eBook market is growing rapidly, but there’s nothing like turning the pages of a book to read. I don’t think brick-and-mortar bookstores are ever going to bite the dust.
Tom,
Paperbacks didn’t bring the end to hardbacks, but paperbacks are more popular than hardcovers. I think the same thing will happen with ebooks and paper books.
Ebooks are now on a trend, since it could be read even through mobile phones. Bookstores may take a minimal part of self-published books since they know what are easy to be sold. Thus, I believe that these points cited here in this post are helpful in making a step for possible success.
Elaine,
The publishing industry is changing rapidly, and ebooks and self-published books are making a big difference.
Thanks for these tips. I am a freelancer writer for children’s magazine. I am planning to write a book in the near future. Glad that I found this article. The tips are really helpful.
Good luck with your book, Maria.
A though provoking and informative article. Though I am not much interested in writing, it is good to understand the nuances of a particular profession. I read a lot of books and understand now how difficult it is to write and release a book.
richardson,
Knowing the challenges authors face often makes readers appreciate what they read more.