Kristina Stanley - The Authors Guide to Selling Books to Non-Bookstores

Want to sell your own books around town and in your region? Author Kristina Stanley tells us clearly and concisely how to convince non-bookstores to sell our books. In a chatty style with a warm, can-do approach, Kristina has done all the work for us, laying out clear dos and donts and providing handy checklists and useful templates, so all we have to do is follow her guidelines, tailoring them to our own situation.

From types of retail outlets to consider, how to appeal to store owners, what to take with you, how to display your books, negotiating price and terms of sale, payment options to consider, checklists for various steps, templates for letters, invoices, and flyers, and so much more, this clear, comprehensive guide to selling your own books is a blueprint for success! ~ Jodie Renner, editor & award-winning author

"Thinking outside the box (i.e. bookstores) is a great way for authors to increase their sales. Like Kristina Stanley, Ive had success selling my Second World War novel Birds Eye View in non-bookstores, but I still learned a lot from reading her step-by-step comprehensive guidebook. I especially appreciated her advice regarding checklists and spreadsheets something every author should embrace!" ~ Elinor Florence author of Birds Eye View, Dundurn Press

Every author needs this book. Filled with tactics foreign to most writers, Kristina Stanley demonstrates everything you need to connect with decision makers who want to sell your book. Find sales outlets you never knew existed. Avoid competing against big budget giants and be the only book a retailer sells. And get ready to take your books success to new levels. ~Dan Alatorre International Bestselling Author and Presidents Circle Fortune 500 Company Sales Manager

Well, Ive been a published author for almost five years and it never occurred to me that I can sell my books in places that wait for it dont usually sell books! Its true. The Author's Guide To Selling Books To Non-Bookstores, by Kristina Stanley, is an in-depth instructional guide on how to do this. Every step is covered, from formulating a plan to collecting money and, everything in between.

Kristina kindly provides a sample spreadsheet and invoices to keep the author organized. I also picked up some new book-signing and marketing tips from this book, and my mind is whirling with the possibilities! The book is well-written and worth the read for authors who are interested in stepping up their marketing efforts. ~ Gloria Ferris, award-winning author of the Cornwall & Redfern Mysteries

WELCOME

If youre reading this, youve created something special. And by that, I mean a novel or non-fiction book. Thats a major accomplishment. Congratulations. Take a moment to relish how far youve come and smile at your success.

Are you finished relishing? Then read on.

What is an often overlooked, yet important, part of book distribution? Since youve read the title, you already know the answer:

THE ART OF SELLING YOUR BOOK TO NON-BOOKSTORE RETAIL OUTLETS

Ive sold more books to readers via non-bookstore retail outlets than through traditional bookstores, and you can too!

Youre holding your freshly printed book in your hand, caressing the cover, and dreaming of big sales, or maybe youve created an eBook and youre still deciding if you want to create a printed edition. Either way now is the time to think about the future.

Why is this book important now?

The advances in technology provide an author with an achievable distribution process and money collection capability.

Im talking about print-on demand companies and smart phone credit card readers. With these two improvements in technology, it is now possible for you to become a distributor of your books without investing in large print runs or expensive retail systems.

Dont Believe Printed Books Will Sell?

I believe there is a market for printed books. Even the giant, Amazon, opened a brick and mortar store in Seattle, Washington in 2015. This tells you this highly successful company believes in printed books.

Who am I?

Before we get started, Id like to introduce myself. My name is Kristina Stanley, and Im the best-selling author of the Stone Mountain Mystery series. In 2015, I found myself in the lucky position of signing a two-book publishing contract with Imajin Books. To say this was exciting would be a gross understatement.

The creative writing part of the process for the two books was over, but the creative marketing part had just begun. During the last year, Ive learned a tremendous amount about book marketing and distribution, and Id like to share that with you.

Now that Im a published author, when Im not writing fiction, Im selling fiction. Like many authors, Ive discovered no matter how youre published, marketing a book after publication takes time and effort.

I wrote this book because my publisher, Imajin Books, asked me to share how I became successful at distributing and selling books to non-bookstore retail outlets. Printed editions of DESCENT and BLAZE have been on the Imajin Books best-seller list since they were published in 2015, and I hope to keep them there.

In February 2016, I signed another deal with Imajin Books for the eBook and print editions of my third novel, AVALANCHE. I was able to do this because of my success in selling my first two novels. Not a bad start to the year.

In 2017, Imajin Books published LOOK THE THE OTHER WAY.

The success in selling and distributing my books came from implementing what I learned by trial-and-error, by talking with other authors and store owners about the process, and from guidance from my publisher.

Im now the CEO of Fictionary and spend my time helping writers edit their novels with software that simplifies story editing.

What Well Cover

There are unlimited ways to promote your book, and Im going to show you how to get your book into non-bookstore retail outlets.

If you follow the process described, you will expand your reading audience by adding this venue to your distribution network with very little added cost.

In the chapters that follow Ill:

• explain what a non-bookstore retail outlet is and why I recommend you sell to them,