What marketing approaches can I take to get my book on the shelves of brick-and-mortar stores?

We suggest you do not start marketing to physical bookstores until your book has the following:

• A well designed cover and interior layout
• Professionally edited content
• Retail distribution through Ingram Book Distributors
• An Archway Publishing ISBN

These features are necessary for your book to be seriously considered by any retailer. Another suggested product is the Booksellers Return Program. This tells book retailers they can take a chance on your book and return it if the book doesn’t sell. Sometimes larger bookstore chains cannot purchase books by a new author if the book does not have a Booksellers Return Program.

Once your book is published, start by contacting a local librarian or bookstore manager to set up a book signing, speaking event or reading to gain experience and build local interest. When you move on to approaching larger stores and chains, you can provide examples of your success and will have more local support. When visiting with managers and/or librarians, be courteous and have a business card, a sample copy of your book and a press kit on hand. If the manager or librarian cannot give you a concrete answer, always follow up at a later date.