As an author, do you purchase copies of your own books to
sell in public? You should. When I sold a paperback copy of one of my novels on
Amazon, I received slightly more than a dollar in royalties once I shared with
my publisher...or less than three dollars now that I’m on my own
(self-published). I got 84 cents for an ebook when sharing with my publisher,
and depending on the price I list it for now, I get from 35 cents to about two
dollars per book on my own. I sell my
own books in public for $10.00, which is two or three dollars off the listed
Amazon price, and I make over $5.00 a book. I know there are starving artists
out there who don’t think they can afford to buy copies of their books to sell,
but I don’t think you can afford not
to—because they’re easy to sell. That’s what you’re worried about, isn’t it?
That you’ll have boxes of unsold books stored away, and instead of making money
from your books, you’ll be losing it instead. If that’s how you’re feeling,
then you don’t have a plan. Before I give you some ideas, do you realize that
if you bought 20 books to sell, costing approximately $100.00, you could sell
them for $200.00 at a reasonable price of $10.00 per book? Then you could buy
20 more books and never have to worry about losing money again. Once you realize how easy it is to sell them,
you can buy larger quantities and enjoy the profits.
So how do you sell them? Here are some suggestions.
1.
Call local libraries and ask if they have any
events. These are usually free, and though I haven’t had large numbers of sales
while selling at these events (which aren’t generally attended well), I’ve
heard they’ve worked better for other people…and maybe the library will
purchase your book.
2.
Call local bookstores and see if they will let
you set up shop. Sometimes there are town festivals or art walks or other such
events running, and the bookstore will invite you in to sell. Possibly, the
owner will have you in just to try to drum up more customers. They will usually
advertise your appearance. They may take a couple of books on consignment and
sell them in the store. These opportunities are also usually free.
3.
Check the internet for author expos. There are
readers who have a passion for exposing others to books. Colleges have author
expos, sometimes libraries do, some art guilds do, and sometimes other
organizations such as readers’ coalitions organize them. These are generally
quite inexpensive to attend and may also be free.
4.
Get the word out that you’re looking for book
clubs or writers’ groups. Volunteer to make an appearance and speak. Some
groups pay to have speakers, and some just provide lunch or snacks and drinks.
I’ve spoken to several groups that have purchased books at the end. Sales at my
speaking events have been very good, and the more people, obviously, the
better.
5.
Town festivals. Nearly all small towns and all
larger towns have downtown events. People are wandering everywhere. They may
not be looking for books, but if you’re willing to strike up a conversation,
you’d be surprised at how many readers there are that are impressed to meet an
actual author. And other kind-hearted people simply like to support local
authors. These events are also generally quite inexpensive to sell at.
6.
Look up farmer’s markets and flea markets. If
they aren’t advertised on line, try the local Chamber of Commerce or the City
Hall for information. For somewhere between five and twenty dollars, in my
experience, I set up a booth or a table under a canopy and sell a lot of books.
People come to markets with cash in hand, fully expecting to spend money.
Having an author in attendance is a curiosity. At a market, people are
friendly. They stop and chat. They like a free piece of candy or a bookmark,
and they’re all curious about the guy or gal that isn’t selling produce. If the
weather cooperates, I’ve had lots of luck at the farm markets. I also tend to
buy a lot of fresh veggies, so be prepared to spend some of your profits. Hey,
it’s for your own health. The only flea market I sold at went pretty well; plus
I learned that next time I’ll bring other things to sell too, since it turned
out to be basically a huge garage sale. Maybe there’s a good flea market near
you.
7.
Craft shows have been very good to me. Now we’re
getting to the especially good events. These, in my experience, can be very
inexpensive (10 to 20 dollars) or they can be expensive (like 75 to 150
dollars). I’ve sold over 50 books at craft shows numerous times. They are
usually indoors, so weather isn’t a concern, and sharing a table is always a
possibility. Do you know another author to split the fee with, or a crafter
that will share his or her table? That’s a way to reduce the cost. Shoppers
come with money to spend, and they generally spend it. Remember, lots of people
love books. Plus I have an easier time not spending my profits on crafts than
not buying those delicious fresh vegetables.
8.
Art in the park events are easy to find on line,
and there are generally very few authors at those events, so often, they’re
very profitable. They can also be expensive. I prefer sharing a booth with one
of two author friends that I’ve made. Both Stacey Rourke and Julie Cassar
(check out their books because they sell like hotcakes) are very outgoing and
personable, and our books are different enough that we don’t invade on each
other’s audiences, but when a few people stop, crowds begin to gather.
Literature is art. Once shoppers realize this obvious truth, they also realize
that your art is less expensive than everyone else’s. At least that’s my theory
on why I’ve been so successful at these events. That and my smile and friendly personality. 
I’ve come back from events and my wife will ask me how many
books I sold. I’ll sigh sometimes and say, “Only fifteen” or I’ll say, “I sold
twenty-eight, but I sold thirty-five last year at the same event.” She’ll say,
“How many did you sell on line today?” And my spirits will brighten.
Interacting with people, hearing words of encouragement, creating smiles,
making connections and getting invitations to other events—these are things
that happen out in public, and I believe more authors need to take the
initiative to step out and market their books in a way that happens to be fun
and also works. I encourage all indie authors to locate some events and make
some phone calls. Get your book into the hands of some readers. You’ll wonder
why you weren’t doing it before.
Jeff LaFerney is the author of Loving the Rain, Skeleton
Key, Bulletproof, Jumper, and Lost and Found. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Jeff+LaFerney
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