For most of my adult working-life, long before becoming a book designer, I’ve worked at independent bookstores.  Most recently, for about nine years, I worked at The Book Corner — a Bloomington, Ind. institution for more than 60 years (in one form or another). Though we didn’t sell the same volume of books as the larger corporate stores, we had a pretty faithful customer-base and the best magazine selection in the whole city. Some of what I learned at The Book Corner might be helpful for self-published or print-on-demand authors.

We had our share of local authors coming into the store, trying to get us to put their books on our shelves. Margaret, the owner and manager of the store, had pretty clear-cut criteria for what would allow her to carry a local author’s self-published book.

First, the book had to be available from Ingram Book Company. More than likely, we weren’t going to order the book directly from the publisher because we’d have to pay  shipping. If we could add it to our weekly order from Ingram, as long as the total number of books exceeded a certain number, we wouldn’t have to pay for shipping. To order the book through Ingram Book Company you need an ISBN, which you can receive if you purchase through Wordclay along with one to three years of Softcover Channel Distribution.

Second, the book had to be returnable. Self-published and print-on-demand books are usually not returnable, unless the author chooses to purchases some sort of returnability like Wordclay’s Retail Return Insurance. See, if we did order books for the store, and they didn’t sell, we could return the books to Ingram (or directly to the publisher) for credit, minus a minor percentage — much better than losing the full amount of the purchase price.

Third, the book needed to have some sort of local appeal. This meant the author was well-known locally, or the subject matter of the book was locally interesting, or the author already had an established fan-base. As always, before writing a book or anything else, you have to remember your audience — it’s your first step in the marketing and promotion of your book.

Even if the book didn’t meet any of the above criteria, we would consider carrying it on commission. This meant that the author would supply us, at their own cost, with three copies of the book. We’d price it and put the book on the shelf, but would only pay the author if any copies sold, after recouping our expected 40 percent profit — we never paid any monies up front.

All this being said, I still feel it’s easier for self-published authors to work with independent bookstores rather than trying to work with larger, corporate bookstores with institutional guidelines the stores’ managers have to adhere to — they’re just not as flexible. So, aside from a well-written book, your best bet at having a bookstore carry your title is to make sure you have channel distribution and returnability.

-Jenn

Sara Kelly says: 

As a member of the Wordclay team, I hear it again and again: now that I’ve published my book, how can I get it on the shelves of Barnes & Noble or Borders? Well, as a former employee of a Barnes & Noble, here’s what you’ve been waiting for – a peek inside the cutthroat world of your local chain bookstore.

OK, so I spent most of my shift shelving books, not choosing the next bestseller, but two main tidbits of advice come to mind that may help you in your pursuit of fame, glory, redemption, the Nobel Prize, or simply the enjoyment of selling a few books: 

1.  Returnability isn’t just a weird word. Bookstores really do appreciate returnability (Retail Return Insurance), and it is the number-one tool to invest in if you want your book on the shelves. No one wants to be stuck with 100 copies of anything, even if it is the next Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code or Tom Cruise tell-all. Returnability makes things easier for a bookstore when trying to set up a book signing or similar events. If a few books don’t sell, no problem, they can just send them back to the publisher.   

 2.  Put on your happy face and remember to brush your hair. Community Relations Managers are incredibly busy people. They organize all in-store events, such as author appearances, book clubs and storytime events for children as well as directing the store publicity. They are also the main point of contact for local schools, educators, literary groups and arts groups. 

That said, please keep their tight schedule in mind and approach them with as many details as possible – you must always be prepared. First of all, bring a copy of your book. You’d be surprised at how many authors forget this key step. Provide the manager with a professional-looking document containing your contact information. Thank the manager for his/her time and politely inquire about having an event at the bookstore. The manager should take it from there.

Also, now is not the time to try out the “homeless-chic” look. Showing up with a professional appearance is the first step to having a successful event. 

Now, one more thing I’d just like to point out: an ISBN and retail channel distribution are crucial elements in order to be considered by a local chain retail bookstore. So, even though you are able to self-publish without an ISBN, doesn’t mean that you should if you are serious about selling your book through retailers.  

Good luck, and let me know how it goes. Are you a book signing pro?

Leave a comment and share your secrets!