Book Signing/Distribution Help?

Random da Shea · Dec 30, 2008

This is probably a dumb question. Ye be warned.

I've been talking with the rep at my local Barnes and Nobles, who's been all enthusiastic and whatnot about book-signings. Then she sends me an e-mail which includes the following:

I can only host those authors whose titles are available retail. Since your book cannot be ordered through our store, I will be unable to invite you in. If you chooose to further invest in your career as an author and find a distributor, please let me know.

Now, I'm pretty sure that B and N can order through Amazon, which my book is available through. I really know nothing about distributors and whatnot, although the deal with a small independent bookstore in my hometown is I supply the books, and we split the proceeds 60/40. So my question is, is it worth writing her back and asking if I myself can count as a distributor, if I supply the books? I was really looking forward to this book signing.

Fenika · Dec 30, 2008

I'm guessing your book has a high price tag and the B&N wants nothing to do with the company you 'published' with.

Welcome to AW, sorry about your book, but I think you need to mull this over with eyes open and rethink your approach.

And read the PA threads around here, regardless.

Good luck.

Mumut · Dec 30, 2008

Are you self-published? If not, ask your publisher what the score is.

scope · Dec 30, 2008

Ditto Mumut -- if are you are self-published, you have your answer. If not, and you have an agent, ask her to find out what's going on. If not, and if you were published by a traditional house, ask the editor to look into it.

Unimportant · Dec 31, 2008

RdS, it looks like you self-published through CreateSpace, yes?

Most bookstores won't stock books unless they are both returnable and available through a reputable distributor or through a warehouser like Ingrams or Baker & Taylor. They're unlikely to order them from another bookseller like Amazon, as that both cuts into their profit and makes it impossible to return the books if they don't sell.

You might be able to do a deal with the bookstore where you provide the books and, if they don't sell, you take them back, but it's probably going to be a fair bit of hassle to set this up. The bookstore is also likely going to want the standard discount of around 50% (that is, you sell them to the bookstore for half the cover price, and then they sell it for the full cover price).

Good luck!

flashgordon · Jan 1, 2009

Yep, B & N won't touch CreateSpace books because they don't offer any discount to retailers so there is no incentive for them to host you. The only way that it might work is if you are willing to take a loss and supply the books yourself.

Book Signing/Distribution Help?

Random da Shea

Fenika

Mumut

Well begun is half done...

scope

Commonsensical Maverick

Unimportant

No COVID yet. Still masking.

flashgordon