Does It Pay to Promote to Indie Bookstores?

Summary

It is generally not worthwhile to market a book from a small indie press to indie bookstores if the book is not available through Ingram, unless the author is willing to conduct bookstore visits via Zoom or the publisher is open to using IngramSpark for distribution.

Abstract

The content discusses the effectiveness of marketing books published by small indie presses to independent bookstores, particularly when the books are not available through Ingram, a major book distributor. The author, John, advises that without bookstore distribution through Ingram, marketing efforts to indie bookstores are not likely to be fruitful. However, there is an exception: authors willing to engage in virtual bookstore visits via Zoom could potentially promote their books to stores across the country, provided their publisher can ship directly with a substantial discount. Additionally, authors might inquire if their small press would be amenable to publishing through IngramSpark to facilitate bookstore availability. The article also promotes John's Professional Book Marketing Updates newsletter, which offers subscriber-only content, exclusive podcast episodes, and monthly audios and videos, among other benefits, to help authors with marketing their books.

Opinions

Marketing to indie bookstores is not recommended if there is no bookstore distribution in place, particularly through Ingram.
Ingram is considered the minimum standard for bookstore distribution.
Virtual author visits via Zoom are a viable option for authors to promote their books to bookstores, assuming the publisher can offer a significant discount to bookstores.
The publisher's minimum bookstore discount should be 40% off retail, with the possibility of a higher discount for larger orders.
Authors may consider asking their small indie press to also publish via IngramSpark to enable bookstore distribution.
John offers a Professional Book Marketing Updates newsletter that provides valuable resources and insights for authors looking to market their books effectively.

Is it worth it for me to market to indie bookstores if my publisher is a small indie press and my book is not available through Ingram?

Bookstore appearances via Zoom! (graphic via Pixabay)

Book Marketing Question: Is it worth it for me to market to indie bookstores if my publisher is a small indie press and my book is not available through Ingram?

John’s Answer: It’s not worth marketing to indie bookstores if you have no bookstore distribution. And since you say that your book is not available through Ingram, that means you really don’t have any bookstore distribution. Ingram is the minimum.

There is one exception to this rule: If you are willing to do bookstore author visits via Zoom, you might promote that activity to bookstores around the country, provided the small indie press is willing to ship directly to bookstores at a healthy bookstore discount. Note: Their minimum bookstore discount should be 40% off retail, but could go as high as 46% if the bookstore is ordering in quantity.

One other option: Ask your small indie press if you could publish your book via IngramSpark as well — just so you could provide books to bookstores via that channel. This could be a delicate question, but they might be open to it.

Note: I’ll be answering questions like this for free as part of my Professional Book Marketing Updates newsletter. You can subscribe to the Book Marketing Updates for free, or you can upgrade to the Professional edition for only $9 per month or $70 per year. It’s really a bargain when you consider all the benefits.

Here are a few of the great Professional Book Marketing Updates benefits:

Subscriber-only posts, full archive, post comments, join the community

Exclusive podcast episodes, high-value posts, key contacts, motivational posts.

New full-length audios and videos every month valued at $20 each.

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Book Marketing | Small Indie Presses | Ingram | Book Distribution

Does It Pay to Promote to Indie Bookstores?

Is it worth it for me to market to indie bookstores if my publisher is a small indie press and my book is not available through Ingram?

Book Marketing Updates

The hottest leads and ideas on marketing books, products, and services.