Getting Your Book into Bookstores: 15 Strategies for Authors
Get your book into bookstores with these 15 tips.
Self-published or traditionally published authors, take note!
Everybody’s got that friend who sends about 18 texts at a time—several words at a time.
You know, the rapid-fire texts, one sentence (or a few words) at a time. With emojis. Before you can read one text, another one comes in.
One night, shortly after my second book came out, one of those people was blowing up my phone. But you know what? It was good news. Along with all those texts came photographic evidence that they had seen my book on the shelf at Books-A-Million.
It’s a great feeling, as an author, to see your book on bookstore shelves.
If that’s something you would like to see—or something you would like to see more of—then keep reading.
I’m an author coach, and I teach a digital course on book marketing.
I often advise people on how to get the maximum exposure for their book.
And one very common question I get is this:
“How do I get my book into bookstores?” they’ll ask. “How do you get a self-published book into bookstores?” is another common question I’ve heard.
Here are 15 things you need to know.
Temper your expectations. According to Steven Piersanti, President of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, “A book has less than a 1% chance of being stocked in an average bookstore.”
Tell them about it. If you’re a self-published author, tell them about it. If you’re a traditionally published author, you can organize this with or without a publicist. They may have heard about it through a sales rep, a catalog, or a review. But don’t leave anything to chance.
Your book will need to be available through a distributor. Having a book available through IngramSpark ensures that most bookstores will be able to order your book.
Make sure your book is returnable. Independent bookstores are not going to order your book unless the book is returnable. Bookstores generally won’t order books that are only available through Amazon because they have no returns and the price will be too high. Independent bookstores, then, are not likely to order a book that has been self-published only on Amazon or Barnes & Noble Press.
The price needs to be appropriate. The book needs to be priced competitively within the category. A $40 paperback doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when most paperbacks are under $25.
Send friends and family who live locally to the bookstore to ask about the book, and, if the bookstore will order it for them, to buy the book. Yes, even if a bookstore doesn't stock a particular book, it can typically be ordered and shipped to the store for any customer who requests it. (That’s assuming it’s available through a book distributor like Ingram.)
Cultivate a relationship with a particular bookstore. Smaller bookstores, like many small businesses, are built on relationships. Do you go to a local bookstore often? Do you buy books there? Have you been following them on social media? Do you regularly attend events the bookstore puts on? Do you have a feel for the place? Do you know the owner, buyer, or employees? The answer should be “yes” to most of these questions.
Your book must be a “fit” for the store. Would your ideal reader shop at that bookstore? Does your bookstore carry books like yours? Visit the store and look around. Can you realistically see it being shelved there? Where?
My book in the regional history section at a Barnes & Noble in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. The image is from a tweet by the store.
Amazon sales don’t matter. Booksellers don’t care how many books you’ve sold on Amazon. It’s their competitor.
You’ll need a high-quality product. It must be something you’re proud of—something that looks like it would be sold at that bookstore. If the book is spiral bound, or really big or really small, or if the spine doesn’t catch anyone’s interest, forget about it.
As the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association (GLIBA) explains, “Your first step should be to identify the store buyer. A phone call is usually all it takes. Ask for the book buyer and be prepared to briefly describe your book and in which section(s) it might fit. If the buyer’s not there, find out when she or he will be in the store so you don’t waste a trip.”
Alternatively, GLIBA suggests looking up a store online and sending an email to the attention of the buyer. You can tell them briefly about your book, but the main thrust should be to find out if you can make an appointment or if they’d rather handle things via email.
Get your free List of Book Marketing Strategies for American authors.
It includes 50 things to do that can help sell more books.
“If and when you get down to brass tacks,” the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) says, “they’ll want to know if you’re doing any promotion (not the store’s job).” Be prepared to show and tell the bookstore exactly what you’re doing to market and promote the book. Share your website, your media kit, your business cards, and your promotional materials with the bookstore. Also, be prepared to tell the bookstore how you’re marketing the book and what you’ll do to get the word out that the book is being sold there.
Be prepared to offer a free book talk or signing, and be prepared to promote it yourself. Don’t go into it expecting anything out of them.
Accept that independent bookstores may also offer to sell your books on consignment. In other words, you bring them the books, and if they sell them, they give you 50 percent. They may or may not order more if they sell the first round of books you provided. They may ask you to return in a few months to pick up any unsold books. Check in monthly to see how it’s going.
Getting a book into bookstores isn’t easy. Getting a self-published book into bookstores is even tougher.
If it doesn’t pan out, don’t take it personally. There are many complex factors at play.
But with these tips, you should be better equipped to convince bookstores to stock your book.
I hope that happens for you and that you find enthusiastic bookstore patrons ready to buy your work of art and bring it home!