Welcome to the August issue of Books+Publishing’s monthly Independent Publishing newsletter.
One of the most common questions I get from authors is how they can see their self-published books on bookshop shelves. There’s a handful of these emails from readers every month.
Unfortunately, there’s no quick trick to getting your title stocked at bookshops. Space is limited, staff are busy, and there’s dozens of other new releases coming in each month from the major publishers. You might even be dealing with a chain store where all buying decisions are made at head office.
That’s not to say it’s hopeless. If you’re willing to do the work—and you can convince the right bookseller your title has a market—you might get lucky. I’ve dug through the Independent Publishing archives to find some articles—one of which is republished below—featuring booksellers on what can help them decide to stock a self-published book. I’m convinced that by understanding the issue from the bookshop’s point of view, your approach will have a better chance of getting your book on their shelves.
Happy reading (and writing)!
Brad Jefferies
Editor, Independent Publishing
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