The document provides information on what bookstore buyers and distributors look for when deciding whether to stock a book. It discusses that buyers operate 6-7 months in advance, have a specific budget, and look at expected marketing and publicity. Key factors buyers consider include proper genre, appropriate price and page count for the genre, solid binding, an effective marketing plan, a sizable platform or audience, and a professionally designed cover. Marketing is emphasized as critical, as there are over 7,000 new books published daily and buyers choose books with strong anticipated promotion.

1. How to Sell More Books
What distributors & buyers
look for to get in stores and
how marketing helps.
@ G r e e n l e a f B o o k G r
# i d e a s t h r i v e

2. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A BOOK DEAL
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. No Control
• "You lose control over how the book looks, is
presented and your voice
2. Guarantee Sales
• "Most traditional publishers require a minimum
number of sales to produce the book
• In most cases, you must purchase the
difference between actual sales and minimum
3. Books For Your Own Purposes
• "You have to buy books from publisher if you want to
sell at the back of the room

3. How Do You Get Into
Bookstores?
@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
First, you need to understand buying habits
of buyers.

4. TIMELINES ARE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING WHEN
TO PRESENT YOUR BOOK
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. Typical store operates 6-7 months ahead
• "If you try to plan within a couple of months,
you’ve already lost
2. There is a specific budget allotted
• "There is only so much money and room
3. Helps to look at PR/Marketing and make their
decision
• "They want to know it has a chance to sell

5. BUYER BEHAVIOR
WHAT THEY LOOK FOR
1. Proper Genre
2. Appropriate Price
3. Binding
4. Page Count
5. PR/Marketing
6. Platform
7. Cover

6. #1 REASON BUYERS DECLINE BOOKS:
GENRE
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. Retailer demographic
• "Different for each type of retailer
2. Bad timing for genre
• "Children’s book in Jan/Feb
• Business book in Summer

7. PRICE IS KEY
$1 OFF IN EITHER DIRECTION IS A KILLER
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. Is price appropriate for genre?
• "Genre will dictate the overall price
2. Is the price appropriate for page count?
• "You don’t want to be too high on a low page
count
3. Is the price appropriate for binding?
• "A high price with paperback spells “N-O” for a
buyer

8. BINDING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. Self Help requires paperback
2. Business requires hardcover
3. Fiction prefers paperback

9. PAGE COUNT CAN’T BE TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW,
IT NEEDS TO BE JUST RIGHT!
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. Genre will determine your floor & ceiling
1. Children’s picture book, ceiling is 40
2. Business book ceiling is around 300, but floor is 150
2. General public doesn’t like books under 200
pages
3. Critical to determining ultimate price point
1. Buyers don’t like high price with low page count

10. PR / MARKTING NEEDS TO BE ON POINT
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. Customers need to know your book exists
2. It drives people to online and brick & mortar
stores
3. Buyers want to know author activity
4. Use social media / online marketing
5. Stay away from billboards and magazine ads

11. PLATFORM NEEDS TO BE SOLID, THE BIGGER THE
BETTER
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. Buyers want to know # of followers on social
media or newsletters
2. It drives long term sales
3. Can help with direct sales to various
organizations
4. Buyers scour the internet when making their
decision

12. COVER IS THE FINAL PITFALL, BUT DEFINITELY
NOT THE LEAST
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. It needs to reflect what is in the book
2. It must be genre appropriate
3. It needs to stand out without going completely
outside the norm of the genre
4. You may LOVE your cover, but the market might
not…get a professional cover designer

13. MARKETING MATTERS!
@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
It is key to all the decision making for buyers
and customers

14. WHY IS MARKETING SO IMPORTANT?
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@ GreenleafBookGr # ideasthrive
1. There are over 7,000 new books released
everyday
2. Buyers comparing two similar books buy the
one with strong marketing
3. Needs to be ongoing
1. No marketing after 3 months, book tapers off in all formats
2. If marketing continues it will stay in stores longer
4. 75% of all authors only sell a few hundred
copies during the lifetime of a book

15. QUESTIONS

16. E XPERT ADVI C E FRO M P U B LIS H I N G PRO FE S S IO NAL S
A BOOKSTORE
BUYS FROM THE
WHOLESALER
The books are kept at the
wholesaler’s warehouse until
a retailer places an order.
BLACK & WHITE
BOOKS are usually
printed domestically . . .
FOUR COLOR
BOOKS are usually
printed overseas to reduce
cost. They then take a boat
ride home . . .
IF B O O KS C O UL D E A RN
F REQ UEN T F LY E R MIL ES ,
T HE Y ’ D BE TA KIN G
VA C AT I O N S E V E RY Y E A R
THE LIF E
OF A BOOK
AT THE WAREHOUSE
The books are kept here until
ordered by a wholesaler. Once an
order comes in, they are off to the
wholesaler’s warehouse.
. . . and, by plane, train,
or automobile, arrive at
the publisher’s warehouse.
Once the retailer places an order,
the books are shipped out again.
B O O K S T O R E
IF SOLD
A consumer buys a book and
takes it home with them.
IF NOT SOLD
If the book is not sold in a timely
manner (normally within a few
months), the bookstore will return the
book to the wholesaler’s warehouse.
IF STOCK IS
DAMAGED . . .
AT THE
RETAILER . . .
RE-JACKET HARDCOVERS
If the damage is superficial, authors
can choose to re-jacket their books
then put them back in the supply
chain. Damaged jackets are recycled.
PERSONAL USE
Authors can request their stock be
shipped to them so they can sell it
back-of-room at speaking engagements
or signings. They can also be used as
promotional copies for giveaways, or as
gifts to keen readers.
DONATION
Local libraries and schools frequently
take donations, especially children’s
books and non-fiction.
Charities worldwide will accept slightly
damaged books to help readers of all
ages develop their literacy skills.
The wholesaler returns stock to
the publisher if they have eight
or more weeks of inventory.

17. THANK YOU!!