Published on September 12, 2019
amazon, bookstores, legal, libel
MORE: Indie bookstores and industry leaders furious at Amazon for violating book embargo (if you don’t know what that is, read this!); If you get your morning paper in your undies, you probably do NOT want a free doorbell from Amazon; MSNBC sued for outrageous allegation; “Almost Everything About Goodreads Is Broken;” Politician sues CBS and we’re betting that gets thrown out of court. And, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, MISS THIS AWESOME OBITUARY!
Published on August 15, 2019
book marketing, bookstores, diversify your writing income, Print on demand, self-publishing, traditional publishing, write that book, writing tips
As we all know, books are a very popular holiday gift idea! Don’t you want as many people as possible to unwrap YOUR book on the morning of December 25th? What do you need to do TODAY to make that happen?
Published on August 30, 2018
amazon, bookstores, pod complaints, Print on demand, self-publishing
Why would Amazon have copies of a book no one ordered yet, and keep it on the shelf? I thought that’s not how print-on-demand works?
Published on June 14, 2018
book marketing, bookstores, Print on demand, promoting your writing, self-publishing
After deducting your time and expense to “sell” one or two copies to a bookstore, you can be pretty far in the hole! Your time can be used far more efficiently to sell far more books!
Published on December 21, 2016
bookstores
I am just starting out and my book is generating some local interest. A bookstore wants to give me a purchase order, and pay me next month. I have to purchase my books up front from my publisher and I really don’t want to wait to get reimbursed. But, I also don’t want to lose […]
Published on May 6, 2016
bookstores
I received the following question from an author last week:
Why would any author buy copies of their book instead of referring people to Amazon or another store?
His email went on to say that he knows we don’t usually recommend book signings at bookstores and he was curious why an author would need copies for any reason other than a bookstore signing.
Published on April 22, 2015
bookstores
It’s considered very bad form to send free copies to a bookstore or library with only a note instructing them where to place the book in their store/library…
Published on February 11, 2015
bookstores
You’re a new author or a self-publisher and you’ve always thought accepting book returns would greatly increase your bookstore sales. (That actually rarely happens with unknown authors.)
After your book goes live, you notice a few sales. But, a few weeks later, you start getting returns. You have agreed to pay the distributor to send the books back to you. Yes, at your expense. Some of the books are dusty, dirty, bent or otherwise unsellable. You’re even being billed for the printing costs of those books.
Pretty soon, you’re receiving so many returns that you’re losing money on your book…
Published on January 7, 2015
bookstores
Bookstores have a long history of ordering too many books, and then returning them for credit or a refund, often damaged, bent, and/or dirty, and at the expense of the publisher (or self-published author). At other times, the books are simply destroyed (or sold to a big salvage bookstore), again, at the expense of the publisher or self-published author. Bookstores, like other retailers, should be financially responsible for their own sales forecasts. Period. I just can’t find anything in the “returns” equation where the publisher or author should be financially responsible for a bookstore’s poor estimation of sales…
Published on October 22, 2014
bookstores
Do you send authors a message about dos and don’ts when stores ask to sell books on consignment?
