How to get your book into bookstores

Lots of authors want to know how they can get their books into bookstores. Although more books are being sold online than ever before, having your book available in bookstores gives it more street cred (at least for now).

First, make sure to put your book into Ingram's national database. (For small niche markets such as the LDS market, this is not necessary--but you will still need to get a distributor that serves that niche market.) This makes your book "available in bookstores everywhere"; if it's in the system, someone can walk up to the information desk at Barnes and Noble and order your book--even if it's not stocked on the shelf.

Second, make sure your book is labeled "returnable," meaning that bookstores can return your book to the distributor if it doesn't sell. Because of this "returnable" requirement, you won't be able to get a print-on-demand book into a bookstore. Be wary of print-on-demand publishers that offer to put your book into Ingram's database, implying that you'll be able to sell it in bookstores. Perhaps there's an independent bookstore somewhere that will take a chance on it, but Barnes and Noble has a firm policy against buying any print-on-demand book.

Third, you need to have a strong marketing plan (including publicity) for your book. Most publishers now won't even accept a book for publication unless there's a strong marketing plan in place. Start local and gather grassroots support, then build upon your success. One of our authors, Jimmy Adams, has done this very successfully. He started with local media and book signings and built upon his success. Waffle Street was recently featured on Wall Street Journal Live (check out the online interview here).

Fourth (and this is the hardest part), you need to be patient while bookstores start small. Book buyers usually won't stock their stores with 30 copies of a new author's work. If they buy copies, they will buy a couple and see how they sell. It usually takes between 3-5 years for a new author to become established and gain a following. Be patient, consistent, and positive.

There are many other nuances to getting your book into stores (i.e., conventions, catalogs, etc.), but I'll save those for other posts. If you follow the four points above, you'll be off to a great start!