Selling books to relatives

cscarlet · Sep 17, 2009

If you want copies to sell, when someone asks what's going on in your life, say you finally got published and you're so excited about it. Then when they say congratulations, say thanks and "YAAAY look for me in Barnes and Noble!" Selling books yourself is tacky, as others have said, and at least this way you come across as excited and you're not giving stuff away. What good would be selling those few books anyway? Yeah you have about 200 bucks in your pocket, but the publisher doesn't count them as books-sold... I frankly just don't see the point. If you really want them to read the book, that's when you give them signed copies for free.

MsGneiss · Sep 17, 2009

popmuze said:
As an aside, boy does this post-publication period bring out the worst in a writer.

I am truly looking forward to these kinds of personal troubles. Really. I can't wait to be at my post-publication worst.

James D. Macdonald · Sep 17, 2009

I wouldn't dream of selling any of the freebies my publishers send me.*

And if family and friends are the only ones who'll buy my book hoo-boy am I in trouble.

-------------

*Exception: Charity events like Book-Em.

Claudia Gray · Sep 17, 2009

The best use of your freebies is sending them to book blogs/review sites with a good readership that your publisher hasn't already hit, IMHO.

veinglory · Sep 17, 2009

Or as "show copies" at events so people can have a look at the book.

Palmfrond · Sep 17, 2009

My relatives live so far out in the sticks, they would have to drive more an hour to buy my book in a store. Most of them have no computer and have never heard of Amazon. When I visited after my book was published, my sister invited my relatives over for a book party. I brought a box of books in my trunk, and sold them for half price to my relatives (at a loss). It still felt very tacky to sell my book to my relatives, but giving it away would have seemed as if my work had no value.

There are lots of book events not held at bookstores: libraries, alumni clubs, book clubs. When you are asked to read at one of these events, there will always be people who want you to sign a book for them, but who haven't bought one in advance. They are very grateful if you have a box of books in your trunk. If you register with your state as a retailer, your publisher will sell you books at the wholesale rate (which is more than your author rate) and you can resell them legally, collecting sales tax, of course. These books count toward your advance, and eventually, toward your royalties. Author's copies (free or purchased) don't count toward royalties. In addition, some contracts forbid selling your author's copies.

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

DeadlyAccurate said:
So?

I'm just saying....

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
if family and friends are the only ones who'll buy my book hoo-boy am I in trouble.

Just playing devil's advocate here, but if everyone in my family bought just 10,000 books, I wouldn't have to write anymore.

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

ClaudiaGray said:
The best use of your freebies is sending them to book blogs/review sites with a good readership that your publisher hasn't already hit, IMHO.

Is that list available anywhere?

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

sleepsheep said:
I am truly looking forward to these kinds of personal troubles. Really. I can't wait to be at my post-publication worst.

You should have seen me when my last best-seller came out. I was inconsolable.

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

cscarlet said:
If you really want them to read the book, that's when you give them signed copies for free.

Who said anything about them reading the book?

willietheshakes · Sep 17, 2009

ClaudiaGray said:
The best use of your freebies is sending them to book blogs/review sites with a good readership that your publisher hasn't already hit, IMHO.

No, the best use of freebies is giving one to a woman in a bar, post-reading.

This is also the worst use of the freebies.

Trust me on this.

Darzian · Sep 17, 2009

Just in case you don't know, there's a multi quote function available on the AW forums.

Crinklish · Sep 17, 2009

As a poster above mentioned, check your contract. As a rule, your author copies are not meant for resale--so you can give them to friends or send them to reviewers, but not sell them. (For my authors who make appearances and want to sell books, they can purchase copies at their author discount.)

Ruv Draba · Sep 17, 2009

You can certainly sell books to family, just as family can hit you up for subscription fees to attend their weddings, baptisms, birthdays and funerals; charge your credit-card for any gifts they buy you; and invoice you for any of their therapy bills.

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

Darzian said:
Just in case you don't know, there's a multi quote function available on the AW forums.

You mean my answers are taking up too much space? (All kidding aside, I think the multi quote function is for quotes in the same post).

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

Crinklish said:
As a poster above mentioned, check your contract. As a rule, your author copies are not meant for resale--so you can give them to friends or send them to reviewers, but not sell them

So who's gonna know, except you and me?

(But isn't it ironic that you can send your author copy to a reviewer, who then feels free to sell it to the Strand, or wherever).

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

Ruv Draba said:
You can certainly sell books to family, just as family can hit you up for subscription fees to attend their weddings, baptisms, birthdays and funerals; charge your credit-card for any gifts they buy you; and invoice you for any of their therapy bills.

I don't think this metaphor holds water. I prefer something along the lines of, Does your cousin the dentist fill your cavities for free? Does your cousin the grocer give you free Wheaties? Does your cousin the proctologist...you see where this is going. It's a matter of respecting someone's livelihood. (Not that any of my friends or relatives have bought any of my previous books, and I've published 143).

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

willietheshakes said:
No, the best use of freebies is giving one to a woman in a bar, post-reading.

This is also the worst use of the freebies.

Trust me on this.

The next worst use of a freebie is to give your book to someone in the hopes they'll tell you how much they enjoyed it a week later, perhaps even reciting some of their favorite passages while bowled over with laughter.

Ken · Sep 17, 2009

... what one of my distant relatives did was to send me a promo-postcard advertising her book, which listed a place to order it from, I think. I still felt that this was sort of tacky, but not as bad as calling me up and offering to sell me one. I'd advise against the later. A few bucks profit is just not worth the potential of creating negative vibes.

popmuze · Sep 17, 2009

Ken said:
A few bucks profit is just not worth the potential of creating negative vibes.

And yet, nobody worries about the negative vibes created when your own family refuses to acknowledge your need to eat.

Ken · Sep 17, 2009

popmuze said:
... need to eat.

... writers don't eat. They subsist on coffee, if they're lucky ;-)

Ruv Draba · Sep 17, 2009

popmuze said:
I don't think this metaphor holds water.

Did I say it was a metaphor? (Doesn't your family charge you for their birthdays?)

I prefer something along the lines of, Does your cousin the dentist fill your cavities for free?

Ah. Right, sorry. I shoulda said...

Do your nieces and nephews hit you up for pocket-change you when they give you their finger-paintings they made at school? Does your brother the dentist press you to get caries filled whenever you see him? Does your Aunt the grocer take her surplus stock at the edge of its use-by date and push it onto you at full market price? Does your cousin the photographer take a polaroid at your birthday then bark you down like a Roman Gypsy to pay restaurant glam-shot prices? And... does your family flog Amway to each other? :e2thud:

popmuze · Sep 18, 2009

Ruv Draba said:
Do your nieces and nephews hit you up for pocket-change you when they give you their finger-paintings they made at school?

Are you comparing my book to a child's finger-painting? You really ought to read it first. Can I put you down for, like, twelve?

popmuze · Sep 18, 2009

Ken said:
... writers don't eat. They subsist on coffee, if they're lucky ;-)

While their friends and relatives eat steak.

Selling books to relatives

AW = Procrastination.

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