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Tips on Selling Your Book from the Bookstore's Perspective

Jeanne Haight, Assistant Trade Manager and Events Programmer for Barnes & Noble at Boston University

NWU-Boston July 09 workshop at Barnes & Noble at B.U. Bookstore

Know the market of the store you are approaching. For instance: our store draws college students but books on college football aren't big draw because B.U. has no football team.

It helps to look around the store before approaching the staff. If you want to propose an author event, go to one of the store's author events to see how they do it. Adding PowerPoint or pictures to your presentation can help.

It helps to do an event if there's a current or seasonal topic. It doesn't help if your book was published two years ago. It helps if the publisher will send a poster, bookmarks, etc. It's easier to carry your book -- less risk to the bookstore -- if you have a distributor like Ingram. If we can't return your book, or if it's hard to re-order, we may take only one or two. If ten people come in asking "do you have...?" we're more likely to re-order so ask people to buy your book from the stores that stock it.

Introduce yourself to the bookstore buyer with your name, book title and a brief description of what it's about (anecdotes help here), stressing topical themes, and say how it can help or appeal to particular groups of readers.

If you do so honestly, say "I've had a great response to my book: reviews in local media, a great response on Facebook, my blog gets 50 hits a day, and to draw an audience to the event, I'll do ..." Be specific about what you'll do and expect to do as much work to bring an audience as the bookstore does.

Prepare your "elevator speech" (30 second pitch) in advance. Don't think that the more you talk, the more likely you are to get an event.

Some don'ts: Don't pitch your book or event at another author's event, unless you do so quickly and say you'll call later. Don't pitch to another major bookstore in the same area. Don't push to talk to a staff person if that person is busy with customers. In sum, "Don't be pushy, entitled or grouchy," said Haight, who was clearly speaking from experiences with authors who were so. Be respectful.