Two major bookstore chains are closing stores in one California city this month. Now that\u2019s a sad sign of the times. What\u2019s even more tragic, it was probably those two chains coming in that caused one of the most charming of independent bookstores to close several years ago. And now they\u2019re going down, too. <\/p>\n
But this isn\u2019t an isolated situation. How does the rampant closure of bookstores nationwide affect authors? Traditionally published authors may actually be most seriously affected because most publishers still depend so heavily on our neighborhood bookstores for sales. While I notice that some publishers are stressing in their submission guidelines the importance of authors having a web presence, many are still in \u201cbookstore\u201d mode when it comes to selling books. <\/p>\n
The major publishers were thrown for a loop recently, however, when Borders management began meeting with them personally to talk about a new payment plan. In other words, rather than the common ninety days AND the wretched returnable policy, they want a larger payment advantage.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s a tragedy that bookstores are failing, jobs are being lost, publishers are taking a hit, some of us won\u2019t feel the extent of the pain. Sure, as citizens, we\u2019ll miss having bookstores in our communities\u2014we\u2019ll miss it a lot. But from a business standpoint, independent and pay-to-publish authors won\u2019t even notice they\u2019re gone.<\/p>\n
Those of us who do not rely on bookstore sales\u2014whose books, in fact, were not welcome in bookstores\u2014may even see an increase in book sales through our websites, at book festivals, through online bookstores, etc. We were taught by the masters (major publishers and booksellers) to bypass the bookstore when marketing our books and seek out specialty stores, the premium opportunity, face-to-face marketing and other creative methods of selling our books. We\u2019ve been groomed to look beyond the bookstore (as Brian Jud suggests), to take charge and to find our own way in the world of bookselling. <\/p>\n
Are we sad to see the bookstores take a fall? Of course. We\u2019ll miss them as much as the next guy who enjoys the bookstore atmosphere and convenience. We\u2019ll suffer along with others when we see signs of increased illiteracy. None of us likes to see anyone fail. But, as an independent or pay-to-publish author, there\u2019s no reason why you should miss a beat in the promotion of your book because you were trained not to rely on bookstores.<\/p>\n
To learn much more about navigating the publishing industry, techniques for choosing the right publisher for your particular project, tips for locating and working with an agent, a self-publishing timeline, how to promote your book and so much more, purchase my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em> this month FROM MY WEBSITE and receive a second book or ebook of your choice FREE. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n FREE books\/ebooks include:<\/strong> PLFry620@yahoo.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two major bookstore chains are closing stores in one California city this month. Now that\u2019s a sad sign of the times. What\u2019s even more tragic, it was probably those two chains coming in that caused one of the most charming of independent bookstores to close several years ago. And now they\u2019re going down, too. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
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