Any self-published authors who intend to sell their books direct into bookshops would do well to read this post from the Fidra blog, which tells everything you need to know about how NOT to do it.
There's also a sequel to it, in which a better strategy is revealed, which will be useful to all writers, whether they're self-published or with a mainstream, commercial house. Go and read these two pieces now. You will be glad you did. Honest.
4 comments:
Thanks for this. Jane. Another blog for my favourites. And as someone who was once a lowly assistant in a big chain bookstore, I can confirm that they get an overload of clueless authors too--they even use to buttonhole me (at the counter with a long queue building up) how wonderful their book was and why our shop should sell it.
Yes, like you I nearly splattered wine over my laptop, though cheap Spanish plonk in my case. And, laughs aside it's all too true. As a book buyer in a previous life I've been through that scenario many times. And these self-inflating authors are bloomin' hard to get rid of.
Great links, thanks. Its good to hear a booksellers perspective. Especially on how 'geography is not a reason'to like/stock my books.
cheers
Melinda
I like the Fidra blog for all sorts of reasons--apart from the fact that they link to here, there's always a good read to be had over there and my sister in law, who lives close by, tells me the Fidra shop is fantastic, too.
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