Is It Good to Get Your Book into a Bookstore? Yes, No, Maybe So

There's a fair amount of talk right now about the state of bookstores. Basically, as a species, they're in trouble. Many independents are struggling and a few that have been around for decades and decades can't even make it. Even the big chains are not immune. It is also no secret that Borders is going to close some locations in it's fight to stay afloat. It's not pretty and things will likely continue to change for quite a while before the dust settles.

So what does this mean for authors, especially those new or soon to be? First and foremost, it means needing more education than ever going into the publishing process. To help you with that, here are a few points you need to consider as you decide whether or not to pursue placement in bookstores.

1. If you publish with a fee-based/POD publisher, it is difficult, if not impossible to get into bookstores for several reasons. If getting there is a big goal, you probably won't want to use that method.

2. If you independently publish but are unable to work with a major distributor, it can also be difficult to get in. If you are with a wholesaler (Ingram or Baker & Taylor), you can get in sometimes by making individual calls to stores to introduce your book. Obviously, this takes a lot of time, but it does work to an extent.

3. If a distributor gets your book into bookstores or even big chain stores like Target, that's only about 1/4 of the battle. Your book will only occupy space as long as it sells and sells well. You have about 4months to get those books to move. If they don't, the store won't order more and the next title gets a shot.

As you can see, there's a lot to getting into and then making bookstore placement successful. Stay tuned, or if you could use some help right away, contact me over on the website, on Facebook or Twitter.


Good Writing & God Bless,
Cheryl Pickett