How to Get Your Book Into Bookstores (Without a Publisher)

Do you think bookstores are gonna sell your book? Or maybe you think you need a traditional publisher to put your book into the bookstores so the bookstores can sell your book. Well, bookstores don't sell books. You create the demand. They just give shelf space to books that are already selling. It doesn't matter if you have a publisher or you're self-publishing. Your book has to earn its spot on the shelf. So if you're thinking about bookstores for your book and you want to know all the details, this video is for you. For you. Hi, I'm Julie the Book Broad, founder of Book Launchers and your host here at BookLaunchers.tv. Book Launchers is your first choice for all things related to writing, publishing, and promoting a nonfiction book. Most authors dream of their book— yeah, dreamin' of it right now— sittin' on a bookshelf in a bookstore. But if I can be real for a sec, the easiest way to do that is to walk in the bookstore and put it on the shelf. There are authors who literally do that. They call it reverse shoplifting and they do it all the time. But I know that's not really what you're dreaming of. So if your goal is to see your book on the shelves of a bookstore actually for sale, you might be thinking one of a couple things. First, that you need a traditional publisher to get yourself into those bookstores. And second, that if your book is good enough, bookstores will somehow magically discover it and start carrying it. Both sound nice and both are wrong. The reality is plenty of traditionally published books never sit on a bookstore shelf. A typical Barnes Noble carries somewhere around 80,000 to 120,000 books at any given time, depending on the size and layout. Now, 20,000 to 40,000 of those are nonfiction, and that might sound like a lot, but remember how many millions of new books are published every year. And many of the books sitting on the shelves have been there for years. Like, you're not kicking James Clear out or Mel Robbins out just because their book came out in years past, right? It's not like they make room for the new. If that book's selling, it holds its space. Now, even more than that, you have to remember that a small fraction of those books will get attention. The books that are face-out or staff recommended or featured on tables in the store are in the hundreds per store, not thousands. Realistically, less than 10% of books in a store are getting meaningful visibility. The rest are spine out, blending into thousands of other titles, effectively invisible unless someone is looking for that specific title. Now I'm not trying to be a downer. I just want you to understand the reality of the bookstore situation. Now, all that said, I have sold my books in bookstores and I know how legit it feels. Like, once you see it there and people can buy it, you actually feel like an author, which is silly because you are an author. But once that book is in a library or bookstore, it feels real. So I absolutely understand. I just want you to have a plan because getting your book into a bookstore doesn't mean people will find it. It means you're now competing in a crowded room where attention has to be earned before you ever hit that shelf. So here's how this works. Bookstores don't create demand, they respond to it. Now I'm going to repeat that again, especially if you're not fully paying attention to me, but you, you're paying attention, right? Okay, cool. Bookstores don't create demand, they respond to it. They're not your marketing team and they're not there to make your book successful. They're there to sell books that are basically already selling. This isn't just my opinion. Jane Friedman, one of the most respected voices in publishing, talks about this issue in a recent article in her Bottom Line newsletter, that getting your book into bookstores is not the hard part. Getting it to sell off the shelf is. Because if it doesn't sell, it gets returned. And that, especially as a self-published author, is stinky. So bookstores are really asking a question: will this book sell? They're not asking, "Is it good?" And they're not even asking, "Does this author deserve a shot?" They're really just going, "Is it gonna sell here?" That's why so many authors do get into a bookstore and still sell almost nothing, because getting stocked in the store is not the same as getting sold. Even traditionally published authors are responsible for marketing their book, so relying on distribution alone has never been the strategy. So if you want bookstores, let's fix the situation so you you don't make the same mistake made by so many other authors. You know, the author that said, I tried to get my books into a bookstore and it didn't work. Well, usually what happened is they showed up to the bookstore with their book but didn't have demand. They didn't have the audience asking for it. They didn't have proof it was selling. They didn't have editorial reviews basically verifying that the book is good. They also didn't have a plan to drive people into the store and the bookstore is thinking, Why would I take a risk on this? Now, sometimes it's just not a fit for that bookstore. Each bookstore has its own audience and a crowd, and certain books will fly and others won't. So it's not always you. Sometimes it really is them. But let's make sure it's not you. So if you want bookstores to say yes, here's what you need to have in place first. One, a clear reader and a strong hook. A bookstore needs to instantly understand who is this for? And why are they going to buy it? And if your book is vague, broad, or for everyone, no, they're not gonna carry it. Books struggle because they aren't clearly positioned for a specific reader. And yes, that generally needs to happen before your book launches. Two, proof of demand. This looks like Amazon reviews, 'cause they look, sales, 'cause they check, and an engaged audience. And yes, bookstores will be looking at this, 'cause they're trying to figure out, will this sell in my store? Now, great editorial reviews will absolutely help. What do they care about? Amazon reviews are social proof and that does matter. And a lot of bookstore buyers will look at that. But editorial reviews are a credibility signal that bookstores care about. Now, the editorial review sources that actually impress bookstores, number 1, Publishers Weekly. It's the gold standard. Trade publication used by bookstores and librarians, but it's very hard to get reviewed, especially when you're self-published. So the next best thing is probably going to be the Kirkus Reviews, highly respected, especially with indie authors. It is a paid review option, but it's taken seriously and they are known for being honest. So it's a strong signal if you get a good Kirkus review. Bookstores will also look at Foreword Reviews. They focus on independent publishing and they are seen a lot in library and bookstore circles. It's a middle ground between credibility and accessibility. There are some others that aren't as heavy hitters as these, but, you know, they have a little bit easier entry point and still valuable if you can stack a couple good ones together, like BookLife by Publishers Weekly, Midwest Book Reviews. Ultimately, you're not trying to say, "My book has great reviews." You want to say, "I received a positive editorial review from Kirkus and Foreword," and that will change how you're perceived to the bookstores. Editorial reviews help answer the question that a book store is asking: After they've asked, "Will it sell?" They're really trying to figure out, especially when it's self-published, is this professionally done? Has it been vetted? Is it worth this shelf space? They don't replace demand, these editorial reviews, but they will support the case for putting your book on their shelf. Number 3, the number 3 thing that you need is a plan to drive traffic to the store. Most bookstores will begin to carry your book if you guys have agreed to have an event there. But you're going to have to point to successive sales in other similar stores or have a really clear plan of how you're going to make this event at their store a success, like local media, your email list that has local people, partnerships with local businesses who will promote the event to drive traffic. Because if your strategy is have an event at the bookstore so my book sells, the bookstore won't be interested. But if you're going to drive people to the store and they can sell your book and pick up some other sales when somebody comes in, well, that's going to be a better win for them. So hopefully you're starting to see what the reality is. Getting into bookstores is not the strategy. It is the result of the other things that you're going to do to create demand, because when you create demand, bookstores become an opportunity you can capitalize on. When you don't, they're going to be a dead end. Now, if you don't know where to start on any of this, I have amazing news for you. This is exactly why we built our Author Launch Kit software. Not only does it give you a great list of local bookstores likely to support you— check out this one, this is my local market— complete with contact information and rationale as to why it might be a good fit. This is your starting place, by the way. Still look at the bookstore website for details. But then you can always tell Author Launch Kit when you're going to be in a different city and it will generate a new list for you. Like for example, if I was going to be in Phoenix, I could ask it for a list and maybe do an event while I'm there. But Author Launch Kit also helps you with some of the vital pieces to set you and your book up for success so that bookstores will be interested, like reader definition and analysis, because you want to build demand and understand who you are targeting before your book launches, but also after with media and content. And then it gives you that real marketing plan that you can execute. Even cooler is that you have your own personal coach in there. Check out Julie, the Book Bot. Go ahead and ask her what you need help with and she'll lay it out for you. Right here, she says, okay, you want bookstores? Cool. Create a one-page sales sheet and gives you a link to more details on that and you can click for more information. Then the bot starts to break it all down for you, all within Author Launch Kit. And she's not pulling from the internet. When you work with Julie Broad, it's trained only on Book Launchers content. So when you approach bookstores, you're not hoping. And remember, when you approach any bookstore, you're showing them why your book belongs there. And of course, having your research and your platform ready makes it look really appealing to a bookstore. Stop leaving your book's success up to chance. Go ahead, comment down below. Let me know which bookstore you're going to approach first, and I'll see you on the next video.