The Author's Guide To Selling Books To Non-Bookstores

By Kristina Stanley

Imagine walking into a grocery store, gift shop or other non-bookstore and seeing YOUR book for sale. This wonderful experience is within your grasp—if you're bold enough to pursue it.

Selling to traditional bookstores and making a profit can be extremely difficult, but there is an alternative. In this step-by-step guide, best-selling author Kristina Stanley will show YOU how to move beyond the bookstores and sell to other retail outlets. Every step is detailed, from formulating a plan to collecting money.

Stanley speaks from experience. She's sold more books through non-bookstore retail outlets than through traditional bookstores, and YOU can too. Read on, and turn your dream into reality. Success is within your reach.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fictionary Press
• Release date: May 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781775318385

Kristina Stanley

Stuff avout me

Book preview

CHAPTER 2: THE NON-BOOKSTORE RETAIL OUTLET

The Non-Bookstore

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The non-bookstore retail outlet is a mouthful, so let’s shorten it to the non-bookstore. For the rest of the book, when I refer to a non-bookstore I mean a retail outlet that primarily sells products that are NOT books.

I’ve had success placing and selling my books in the following types of non-bookstores:

•  Drug store

•  Grocery store

•  Gift shop

•  Dollar store

•  General store

•  Pro shop

Some of these outlets carry books and others do not. Your goal is to find stores that might have a link or connection to you or your book and convince them to put your book on the shelf. Before I go into detail about the stores, let me tell you about a few of my experiences.

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My Experience Beyond Bookstores

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There are many different ways to find a connection to an outlet. I happen to live near a golf course, so I approached the pro shop and explained I live on the street. Even though I don’t play golf, after a little discussion, the manager was happy to support me as a local author.

His first comment was, We haven’t had success selling books previously. He did temper his words with, But we’ve only tried to sell non-fiction books about golf. In spite of his reluctance, he was willing to take on ten books. One week later, I had to re-stock the shop.

I asked a clerk, Who’s buying my books?

It turns out when couples play golf, sometimes one spouse wants to play 18 holes and the other only 9. The spouse golfing 9 holes has a couple of hours to wait. During this time the person wanders into the pro shop, spots my book, and has something to read. Now she/he can settle in for two hours of enjoyment instead of being bored waiting for the time to pass. How great is that for me?

Outlets such as grocery stores or drug stores often have small books sections. Even if you live in a big city, approach one of these stores that you frequent. You might be successful, and they’d be honored to sell one of their customer’s books as a local author who lives in the area.

The Dollar Store was the biggest surprise to me. The owner wanted to create a section in her store that supports local artists.

I didn’t want to mislead her, so I said, But my books sell for $22.99 retail. That’s nowhere near a dollar.

She laughed, and said, We’d like to try it.

How could I refuse? My point about the Dollar Store is you never know what type of store will work unless you ask.

Where To Look Beyond Bookstores

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Every book is unique, and if you think hard, you can probably relate yours to a specialty store. Here are some ideas for you.

General stores are often looking for something unique to sell and a local author is certainly unique. Why not try the general store nearest your home or place of work?

Do you have a local hospital with a gift store? It might be nice to have a local author’s books for sale in a place where people need something to read while they or someone else recovers.

Do you live in a tourist area? Hit the gifts shops. They have a continual source of new clients, so you won’t deplete the local market. Many people on vacation need a book to read. And if a local author wrote the book or if it’s about the local area, you have a selling point.

Does your book have a seasonal quality? My first novel takes place in a ski resort, so winter is the best season for a store to carry my book. Approaching a store in November will likely result in an easier sale than if I approached the store in April—assuming you live in a country where winter happens between December and April.

A specialty store can cross-promote your book with other products. DESCENT is about a ski racer murdered during race training. A store that sells skis could cross-promote DESCENT with products in the accessory section in the store. The book can be placed with other items that sell for a similar price point.

Does your novel have a food angle? Try:

•  A kitchen shop

•  Specialty food store

Did you write a children’s book? Try:

•  A toy store

•  Children’s clothing store

•  Museum

What if your novel contains poisoning by a plant? Try:

•  A gardening store

•  Botanical garden

Does your novel contain travel? Try:

•  Hotel gift shops

•  Tourist attractions

•  Chamber of Commerce

Is your novel written from a pet’s point of view? Try:

•  A pet store

•  A pet grooming outlet

•  A dog training center

You can use all of these areas for non-fiction titles too. You might find it easier to think of specialty stores for a non-fiction than a fiction book. If you’re writing a cookbook, it becomes obvious what kind of store you’re looking for.

Think about what is in your story and are there any retail outlets that specifically sell that product or something related to it. That store could be a good placement for your books.

I’ve just given you step one in your plan. Brainstorm what is in your book that you can take to a store and make a connection with that store. If you can convince the store there is a cross-marketing opportunity, you have a better chance of selling your books.

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Sales Venues Other Than Retail

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Since we’re covering places to sell printed books, I would be remiss not to mention non-retail locations. By this I mean places where you can sell your books that don’t usually sell books or maybe they don’t typically sell anything.

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Markets

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Consider booking a table at a Christmas market. I’ve found people enjoy giving a signed copy of a book to a friend or family member, especially if they can say they’ve met the author. This opens your sales avenue to people who might not otherwise buy your book but know people who would like to read