| okshop manger of more than 19 years experience, I | | | | your book then you can not expect to get it into |
| am regularly asked this by budding authors that I am | | | | this special area in a branch of a multiple. An |
| introduced to. At times they are writers who have | | | | Independent shop, however, is unlikely to be getting |
| self-published their book and so don't have the might | | | | any marketing money from the major publishing |
| of a traditional publisher behind them. Other times it | | | | houses to give special preference and so the more |
| can be an author who believes that their publishing | | | | of these shops you approach the better. |
| house is not working hard enough on their behalf. | | | | If you are not already an established author and |
| So, making the assumption that your book is well | | | | therefore getting the benefit of this promotional |
| written and has been aimed at a niche of the book | | | | activity, you may be wondering how you can ever |
| market in which can be found customers willing to | | | | compete? Well, I suggest that you drum up your |
| spend their cash on purchasing it, how do you get | | | | own demand for your book. There are various ways |
| your book into the shops? | | | | in which you can do this. Doing talks on the subject |
| First of all you have to understand that bookshop | | | | matter of the book is always a good way of |
| shelf space is considered by the owner to be a | | | | boosting sales. When you go to a bookshop offer to |
| valuable thing. For the buyer to even look at your | | | | sign their stock copies of your book. It will give your |
| book it has to firstly tick all the right boxes for them. | | | | book that extra selling edge, especially for customers |
| The book must be in a format that they are used to | | | | looking for books to be bought as presents to be |
| handling. It should be professionally printed and the | | | | given. If your book is on a subject that could sell lots |
| cover is very important. The overall package must | | | | of copies at an organised signing session, then |
| convey the right impression to be considered. | | | | suggest doing one to the shop and see if they are |
| The multiple, or chain shop, will be supplied a lot of | | | | willing to hold such an event. |
| their books from head office according to what | | | | My company has put together 'Write your way To |
| category or size they are in the organisation. Chain | | | | Freedom' a helpful manual and Audio CD product |
| shops will often buy titles that fit into the different | | | | which, amongst other sections, features an interview |
| sales promotions such as the buy-one-get-one-free | | | | with a published author. In the Audio, with |
| or three-for-two offers one sees in the free standing | | | | accompanying transcript, she explains about her own |
| cardboard containers around the shop. These are | | | | efforts to raise the sales of her professionally |
| usually complied by the larger publishers and so unless | | | | published book. In a second interview, with a |
| your book is published by one of the big names you | | | | Publishing House Representative of many years |
| will have a terribly hard job trying to get into these | | | | experience, he explains how to approach a |
| displays. Another thing to consider is that the major | | | | mainstream publisher, or how to go the self-published |
| multiples and the publishers do deals for the titles | | | | route. Thirdly there is also an interview with a book |
| that will get placed in the front of store in each | | | | buyer who explains what it is that she looks for in a |
| branch. This is where the largest footfall of | | | | book when considering allocating precious shelf space |
| customers is to be found. If you are self-publishing | | | | to a new title. |