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How Do I Deal Directly with Bookstores?

Here are some suggestions when approaching a bookstore.  Many of them are common sense, but it doesn’t hurt to have a refresher course. 

1.      Call first – it is important to respect the time of the person you need to be in contact with.  In this day of personnel cutbacks, many employees are required to perform many tasks. Respect their time.

2.      Appointment – Set the appointment with the appropriate person and arrive on time.  I suggest trying to set the appointment in the middle of the week and in the morning or mid-afternoon. You may want to ask, “When is your store least busy?”  It shows respect and concern for their busy schedule.  If the bookstore is busy when you arrive for your appointment you may want to introduce yourself and offer to return at another time when they are not busy.  Remember this is a business.

3.      Attire – It's not necessary to wear your Sunday best, but appearance is important.  Remember this is a business decision for them; let them know you are serious.

4.      Preparation – Use a sell sheet for the book.  It isn’t likely a buyer will make their decision by reading the entire book; they don’t have time. Booksellers expect to see a sell sheet, so give it to them.  Be succinct and to the point, it doesn’t require great detail but it should contain the following:

a.       Picture of the cover

b.      Paragraph or two about the book itself (the back cover copy)

c.       Author bio – This is extremely important particularly if you have written a book that may have greater interest in certain geographic areas.

d.      ISBN

e.       Retail Price

f.        Where to buy, available from a wholesaler of your choice (it is ok to name them).

g.       Statement of Returnability through Ingram.

h.       On the back of the sheet include dates the author is available for signings…see number 5.

5.      Presentation – This is the most difficult part.  When you go to the appointment try to present the book in the third person.  Most authors are passionate about their art, so it’s harder to approach the appointment objectively.  However, your passion may put the decision maker in an awkward position.  Pretend you are a representative of the author and sell the book based on merit, not pure passion. Talk about the reviews on the book, about any upcoming author interviews, upcoming reviews, or book signing events. Always remember this is a business decision for the bookseller and try to appeal to him on that level.  Why would this book be good for the bookstore?  Why do you think it will sell well there? 

             6.   Focus – remember that you will sometimes be

                   told “no.”   It is important to focus on the next

                   bookstore and maintain composure.  You can always

                   go back and ask for the sale again.  You can share with

                   them your success at other locations, say to them “I

                   know you originally said no, but the bookstore down

                   the street put 3 in their store and they sold. Would you

                   reconsider?”  You might be surprised.

7.      Be Realistic – Understand most bookstores buy in small quantities (2-3).  Don’t expect them to take 10 or 20 copies of your book.  If your book sells well, they will be able to quickly replenish their stock. That’s what POD is all about. The more reviews you get, the more book signings you do, the more exposure you get, the greater your chances of success.  It takes time and effort to build momentum and build your sales volume. 

8.      Catalog Participation – In addition to your own efforts, you can participate in our Summer/Fall or Winter/Spring catalogs.  These will be mailed to some 2500 bookstores and libraries nationwide.  Click here to find out more..

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