September 24 , 2019
Bookstores
Independent bookstores are passionate about books but also need to make money to stay in business. Remember this first and foremost when approaching bookstore owners and managers. See the Independent Bookstores spreadsheet for a complete listing of stores around the country. Sort and focus on stores in your area. Build a relationship Don’t talk about Amazon, or how well your book is doing on Amazon to an independent bookstore. Remember, they are competitors. Go to the store, buy some books. Get to know the manager. Find out what kind of books they carry and sell most based on what kind of customers come in. Get a feel for them, look at their social media sites. What other authors or events do they feature? The more you know, the better you will be able to communicate with them when the time comes. Bring in customers Independent bookstores are more than just a place to buy books, they’re becoming community hubs. When you pitch your book or event, consider ways you can support them and their community. Bookstores are not there to market you or your book. If you want your book to sell at a specific store, start a campaign. Have your friends and family who live near the store, request copies of your book. Have them stagger their requests so your book sees consistent demand. When you approach that store to ask if they'll stock your book, or hold an event, management will be more agreeable. The more you bring in business, the more the bookstore will support you. Ordering books Regarding bookstore events, there are three ways books can get to the store:
- Author consignment: The author purchases the books from Sunbury Press and handles arrangements with the store. This reduces the risk for the store and the publisher. No royalties are paid on these direct-to-author sales, but the author controls their profit by negotiating terms with the store. We recommend this arrangement for non-bookstore venues and for bookstores that do not intend to carry the book on an ongoing basis.
- Publisher: The store can order the books for the event directly from Sunbury Press at a 40% discount with Net 30 payment terms. Direct them to our website for details: http://sunburypress.com/wholesale/
- Distributor: The bookstore can order from Ingram and handle them accordingly, including returns.