So your book is published and you want to get it into a bookstore!

Fantastic! Bookstores are where people go to discover and buy books, after all. But committing bookstore faux pas can seriously hurt your chances of getting a bookstore to even respond, much less stock your title. Here are a few tips for tempering your expectations and ensuring that you put your best foot forward.

Dirty Words

  • Amazon

  • Kindle

  • Barnes & Noble

Avoid saying any of these if possible - and not just in your direct communications with the bookstore. You’ll probably have your book available through these large companies or they’ll become available through them via means outside your control (and you can hardly be blamed for that), but one of the worst things you can do is encourage your readers to purchase through these avenues. Independent bookstores will notice and they will judge you.

Pointers

  1. Don’t assume that the bookstore wants to sell your book. It’s your job to make a good argument as to why they should want to stock it.

  2. Your book is likely going on the shelf, not getting its own display (unless you’re paying the bookstore to do so).

  3. Unless you can guarantee a certain number of sales, you’ll likely have to pay to do an author event.

  4. The bookstore will contact you regarding sales (or they will be reported to your distributor). You don’t need to check in.

  5. The benchmark discount for booksellers is 40% of retail price.

  6. Do not walk in with copies of your book. Instead, email the shop to ask for an appointment.

  7. You are in charge of your own marketing. Don’t expect the bookstore to market your book for you.

  8. Bookshops are busy! Trust that they will get to your book (likely in the order it was received). Patience is a virtue.