Bookstores and More! Where and How to Sell More Books

Today, non-traditional outlets are becoming a popular and profitable alternative for authors and publishers to sell their books.  While many writers consider bookstores to be the main outlet to sell books, they are now considering taking their books to new markets.

Take self-published books.  It is often difficult if not impossible to get a self-published book into traditional bookstores.  So, what’s a self-published author to do? There are a number of other outlets where you can place your books and you could make more money because you are not competing with the thousands of other titles on the shelves.  And by the way, this strategy can and will work with authors who’s books are published by major publishing houses as well.  The real trick is to determine with the publisher just where your book would best be showcased.

Here are just a few of the many outlets to consider for your book.  When approaching these outlets, it is important to keep in mind the audience they represent.

Unconventional or niche stores, any place that sells merchandise is a potential outlet for your book if the target audience matches yours. Think about who would be interested in your book. Is it a romance book?  A business book, a coffee table book?  Is it a book of poetry?  Then come up with a list of niche outlets such as photography studios, airport gift shops, hospital gift shops, senior centers, doctors’ offices, shoe stores, department stores, home furnishing stores, hardware stores, candy shops, gyms and fitness studios, baby stores, etc.

For instance, if you wrote a book about animals it would make sense that pets stores and veterinarians might be interested in selling your books to their customers. If you wrote a book about weddings you could sell to retail florists, bridal salons, and beauty salons and spas that cater to brides.

My book, “What’s Your OccuPLAYtion” is a good example to use here. I have sold this book to retail florists, in office equipment and supplies stores, and airport and hospital gift shops around the US. 

Another book of mine, “YES, is Only the Beginning, The Ideal Wedding Planner” sold several hundred copies in Local Church Gift Shops, florists, beauty and nail salons, bridal salons and more.

A local Stock Broker contacted me and purchased 50 copies of my “Romance on a Budget – 199 Cheap Thrills, Romantic Antics and Love Changing Experiences” and gave them to her clients as a Valentine gift. I also sold this book in bridal salons, at wedding trade shows and in retail florists and card shops.

If you write children’s books, contact your local medical board or hospital for a list of pediatricians and call upon them. Ask them if they would like to purchase copies for their waiting rooms and/or for their patients as a gift.

Newspaper chains may also be a good venue to sell your books. One speaker friend of mine approached a newspaper in Texas (where he was living at the time) and asked them if they would like to offer one of his marketing books as an incentive for long-term subscribers. He sold 1,500 copies at a greatly reduced price, got free publicity in the newspaper and sold several thousand at retail from that one outlet.

Mail Order Catalogs are another potential outlet for niche books. If your book is about Big Game Hunting or Fishing then contact Bass Pro Catalog (as well as the stores) to see if they would be interested in your book.

Corporations often purchase books in great quantity to give away to their clients and staff members. Find out which corporations would be the most likely to buy your book and contact them.

Seth Godin sold millions of copies of his book, Idea Virus just by offering it as a free ebook.  The ebook served to raise awareness of the book which proves that many people would rather read the book than print out an ebook and read it.

Other things you can do to sell more books:

Radio & Cable television interviews may not sell a lot of books, but they will raise awareness of it so that when someone mentions it to a friend, the chances of the friend remembering your book increase.

Send post cards with the cover of the book and a testimonial on the back to your list of clients, friends, family and prospects. Offer a small discount if they purchase the book perhaps via a website (offer a code or unique URL) in the ordering instructions.

Write articles and include tips from your book and a link to the order/description page. Post them to your website and submit them to reputable article banks.

Promote your books in your newsletter, on your website and your blog.

Have a Blog Book Tour. That is when you visit several blogs on specified days and answer questions about your book. In essence you have an interview with the blog owner ahead of time.  Anita Ryan-Revel, author of Selena’s Crystal Balls, A Magical Journey Through the Chakras recently hosted a blog tour “visiting a blog every day during the month June.

Speak!  Yes, find opportunities to speak to local groups, national groups and even international. You can do these in person, via teleconference and in web conference rooms. Offer workshops to companies who would have an interest in your topic.  Offer your book in bulk to their employees.  Use it as a learning resource (required reading) and watch your sales grow.

Social Networking can work to promote your book.  Be careful not to spam the chat rooms and forums – offer information of value to a targeted audience of probable prospects. People with similar interests that would appreciate your expertise. Check the rules on any forum you participate in before posting anything promotional.  Read my article “17 tips to get the most out of social networking” for a list of do’s and don’ts.

Do a fundraiser for a non-profit and give a portion of your book sales to them.  In many cases the organization will help you promote your fundraiser via their supporters.

When coming up with your list of potential outlets, do research to find out who the buyer is for each. Call each prospect and ask who you will need to contact about buying your books. In some cases it will be the store buyer, a specialty buyer or even the human resource manager.

As you can see, there are dozens if not hundreds of outlets and ideas you can add to your marketing plan to sell more books. Your success depends on how much you are willing to put into research, promotion and implementation.

Need a Book Coach?  Heidi has been coaching authors for years on getting their books written, edited, published and promoted.  Contact her for more information! 

©Heidi Richards Mooney - is a Professional Speaker, Business Coach and the Author of 7 books including: “Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget ~ How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune.”  She is also the Publisher of WE Magazine for Women. Stop by http://www.speakingwithspirit.com to get a FREE copy of YOUR Marketing Calendar today!

(Permission is granted to use this article on your blog, in your ezine or on your website as long as the above signature  file is used).