Your Distribution Path: Where and How to Sell Your Book
While I was in the process of writing my children’s book, and researching what route I should take to get it published, I was also thinking about distribution. With Print-On-Demand companies such as IngramSpark, Amazon KDP, and Lulu, you, the author, do not need to worry about distributing your books. That is one of the perks of using a POD company. They only print the book (hence the name POD) when a book is purchased through an online platform, and then they ship the book to the customer. Just keep in mind that with these POD companies, you do not have as much control over your book as you think. With these companies, they decide where to put your book, not you.
Traditional publishing companies distribute books through a network of large distributors and retailers, such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. They have sales departments where teams “sell” your book to a retailer, and the retailer buys the books wholesale. Then, the retailer turns around and sells your books to the customers, aka readers.
If you are a self-publisher using a printing company, you are in charge of distributing your own books. Now, this is not to say that you can self-publish through a printer, and then later have the same book as a second edition, and go through a POD company, too. You can do both. But, for me, since it was my first time as a self-published children’s book author, I wanted to not only reach my readers, but I was not interested in sharing the profit with anybody. When your books are printed, and the printing company ships the books to you, it is your responsibility to keep track of the inventory and to distribute the books to your customers.
So now you are probably asking, how do I go about selling my books if I do not go with a POD company? I will be honest. It is not easy, but if you work hard, contacting people, and holding events, you will get your books out there. The first step that you will want to take before your book is printed is to let people know that you are writing a children’s book. Don’t be shy. When people you know ask you what you have been up to, this gives you the perfect opportunity to tell them about your book. And, take every opportunity with people you do not know to tell them. You would be surprised how easy it is to fit it into a conversation, and once you do, people, for the most part, are very intrigued. This gets people interested and talking. I even handed out my business cards and told people that I was writing a children’s book and that I would eventually have a website for my book(s). Then, I sent out texts to everyone I know and let them know what I was doing, and that I would like to have their email address so that I could send a monthly newsletter to them, which would give them updates on how my website and book were coming along, if they wished. No one told me no! They wanted to be included in my journey. Once I had an email list, I designed a newsletter.
My newsletter, The Story Nook, which I still email out once a month, is informative and keeps everyone updated on the progress of what I am currently working on, upcoming events for my book, etc. I was amazed that so many people were intrigued and that they continue to look forward to the next newsletter. After the book was printed, I had a Pre-launch book party for family and friends. (I will discuss having a Pre-launch party in another Blog.) It was very successful. From there, I started contacting people I know in surrounding schools, people looking for vendors at craft fairs, and contacting small coffee shops for Meet the Author/Readings. And, I continue to do so. I have had a lot of success selling my books this way, but as I said, it takes work. I am constantly emailing and reaching out to various people and places.
When I email schools or talk to people I know in schools, I let them know about the book, and tell them that I would love to do an event in their school/library. In the email, I also let them know about my website. Most people, before saying “yes”, want to see how your website looks. Is it professional? Is it geared for not just parents and teachers, but is it kid-friendly? I also let them know dates/months I have available, and that if they want me to, I am willing to make a flyer (knowing it has to be approved) for the teachers to send home with the students. This flyer should include a little bit about you (one or two sentences), what type of event it will be, for instance, a partial reading, signing of books, if they purchase, and an activity that goes along with the book. The next thing you want to include in the flyer is the date, what grade levels you will be speaking to, and the price (including tax), so that the parents know how much money to send with their child, if they want to purchase the book. The flyer should also include a picture of you, your illustrator (if they are also attending), and a picture of your book.
I also do “cold” calls. Cold calls are when you walk into a business or library and talk to them. You cannot do cold calls with schools, but you can do them at coffee shops, bookstores, and libraries. Make sure you have a copy of your book with you, to show them, along with your business card. Ask to speak to the manager, if he or she is available. If they are not available, leave your business card and a message that you would like to speak with them about doing an event in their place of business. If you do get to speak to the manager, introduce yourself, let them know why you are there, and show them your book. Some coffee shops have special afternoons or evenings for local authors. This not only helps you, but it also helps them because you will probably invite some people you know to come, and then, of course, anyone who enters the coffee shop will see that there is an event coming or going on when they walk in. Also, if you do get an event at a coffee shop, per se, offer to do a flyer for them. Then, they can put the flyer in the window, or somewhere where people will see that you will be there on a certain day and time. A little more “unconventional” way to do an event to sell your book is to contact someone you know who lives in an apartment complex and hold an event there. I did this, and it went very well. My illustrator and I were there. I did a partial reading of the book, and a Q & A session, and then we signed people’s books when they purchased them. Get creative when it comes to selling your book.
Think out of the box. Another place is your community library. Although the library probably will not buy a book or two, you can ask them if they would put one or two on their shelves. Remember, though, in order to do this, you must have an LCCN, which was discussed in one of my other Blogs. Also, you might ask them if they hold author nights, or if you could be part of their Summer Reading Program, in which you would go and read your book to kids, and you can also let parents know how they can buy your book. My mind is constantly thinking about where I could hold my events, and I keep a running list. On the flip side, if you want to have a reading/signing in a bookstore, beware that they will probably want a percentage of what you sell. One local bookstore that I contacted, said they do have local authors come to their bookstore for events, but they would take 40% of what I made, and I had to agree to put their information on my website. Forty percent is a lot, and to me was one of the reasons why I had chosen to do my own marketing/selling. I do not want to have to share any of my profits. But, if that does not matter to you, then go for it! You can always try it, see how much you actually make after they take their percentage, and see if it is feasible for you to do it again. You can also ask friends to host a reading/signing in their home. They can invite their friends (some of those you may not know, and then this gives you more contacts) and you can sell your books this way. There are so many ways you can sell/market your book. Another way, is to go into small, locally owned shops and ask them if they would be interested in buying some books from you, to put them in their shop. This is a way to get your books out to various people. As I said, think out of the box.
Many people think that outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are another way to promote their books, and while this might be true to some extent (I wouldn’t stay completely clear of those), you have to remember that these are what I like to call “fast-moving” formats. For instance, a typical post on Facebook (FB) lasts around five hours. Instagram is longer, with an average post staying on the platform for around twenty hours, and a post on Twitter usually lasts around eighteen minutes. So, while all of these are okay, and one might get at least one person who is interested, for the most part, these will not get you hundreds of people.
Having an author website (which I talked about in a different Blog) is another excellent way to sell and promote your book. Feature your book(s) on the main page of your website, make sure your website is set up so that you can be found when someone searches your name, etc., make sure that there is some information about the book (what the book is about)as well as perhaps a page devoted to meeting the characters, and then a page about yourself, your illustrator, and an e-commerce store where your followers (readers)can purchase your book online. You should also have a way for someone to contact you if they want to discuss having you speak at an event, such as a craft fair, a school, or something else.
Blogging is a popular way to attract followers/readers. I blog once a week, and it is posted on my Blog page, on my website, under WordPress. I also have Mailerlite set up so that if someone wants to contact me, they may do so through my website. I am not going to lie. Blogging takes time, but most hosting sites where you write the Blog will have a space where you can set up your Blog to go “live” on a certain date and time. This is nice, because if you want to write your Blog earlier, or whenever you have the time, rather than when you want it published on your website, you can write it whenever, and then it will be published on the date and time you set it to go public. I chose Mondays for my Blog to be published on my website. It is important to pick a day and be consistent because once you get followers reading your Blogs, they will start expecting your Blogs to be posted every Monday, or whichever day you choose. I also chose Mondays, because that gives me the weekends to write, if I am too busy during the week.
Another way to reach people and sell your book(s) is through a newsletter. Years ago, when my children were little, and before I became a teacher, I worked for a small travel agency as a subcontractor out of my home. Every month, I would do a newsletter and mail it out to all of my clients. This took a lot of time, stuffing them in envelopes, and taking them to the post office. Today, it is so easy to do newsletters. There are many formats in which you can create a nice, professional newsletter. My personal favorite is Canva Pro. I suggest a monthly newsletter. Some key factors to include in your newsletter are something about your book(s), pictures (I usually put a picture or two in the newsletter of an event I was at), upcoming things to watch for, and all of my information, including my website address. Then, the newsletter is emailed through the email set up on your website to all of your subscribers. I started with about 50 subscribers, and currently have approximately 200, and it continues to grow.
There are two other popular ways to get your name and your book out there to other people. These are podcasts and a YouTube channel. I am not going to go into these in this Blog. However, I will be posting the Blog that will discuss these two options, next week.
If you do not know a lot of people, or if this way is not for you because of time, etc., then going with a POD company might be a better fit. If you do decide to go with a POD company, IngramSpark, in my opinion, seems to be the best. They have several options, their percentage isn’t horrible, and they are reputable.
Barnes & Noble does not do marketing for you per se. They offer resources that require you to pay third-party companies. Barnes & Noble, of course, is looking out for themselves. They do not offer any wholesale pricing because they want to keep the sales within their company. This makes it extremely hard for you to sell your books to other bookstores because they will have to either buy your books from Barnes & Noble at the full retail price, or get their inventory through you. However, if they get their inventory through you, they are going to want a discount, or they will want a consignment agreement.
Whatever you decide to do to market and sell your book, remember to have fun. Start small and add from there. And don’t get frustrated. It takes time to get established as an author, and it may not happen with your first book. It might take a second book. I always tell people when they ask me how long the whole process took that it took about two and a half years, and granted, some of that was a lot of research, but the actual writing of the book was the easy part; it’s everything else that takes time. It’s the same way with marketing and selling your book. It takes time. You can try a few things, and if those things are not working, don’t be afraid to change it up or try something different. Nothing is written in stone when it comes to self-marketing and selling.
