This is part 3 of a 3-part series for authors explaining how books make it into indie bookstores and which ones get the prime locations on the shelves.
Shelf Space series
- How bookstores select books
- Self-published books in indie bookstores
- Which books get the shelf space ←
You made it! One or more bookstores have agreed to bring in some of your books and (hopefully) sell them. But where will they go on the shelves? How do you get those prime locations?
First of all, is it really true that publishers pay for those prime spaces on end caps (the end of a shelf unit, often facing the front of the store or a main aisle)? Well, sometimes. It’s highly unusual for a small indie store to sell those spots, partially because publishers aren’t willing to pony up cash for a prime spot in a small store. In a store small enough that a customer can look at all of the shelves in a short period of time, there’s just not enough benefit for a big publishing company to worry about it.
There are other ways that publishers snag those end caps, counter spots, tables by the front door, cash wrap displays, and windows.
Displays
Often, when a publisher is promoting a new book that they think will be big, they’ll create some kind of display rack for it, either countertop or free-standing. These range from fancy wood or steel spinner racks to basic cardboard racks like the Indiana Jones example in the photo. Bookstores may have to pay for the fancy racks, but the cardboard ones are generally free if the store buys enough copies to fill it.
Some of my favorites were custom displays designed to sit on the bookshelf. They didn’t take up a lot of extra space, but still drew the customers’ attention and sold books well.
There are numerous places an author can buy these cheap. They’ll be plain monochromatic (usually white) cardboard, and I’ve seen the countertop versions for under $20 and the free-standing ones for under $50. It’s up to you to decorate them with signs, stickers, or other personalization.
You can also get fully customized ones, like the one in that picture. Obviously, they’ll cost more, and there’s often a minimum order quantity. If you’re just trying to get shelf space in a handful of stores, you won’t need 100 of the racks, so it’s probably not worth it.
If you do this, plan ahead before visiting the bookstore. They’re going to ask how many copies of your book they have to buy to get a free rack. If you have more than one title, they might ask if copies already on their shelves count toward the minimum. Do they have to buy directly from you to get the display, or can they order through a distributor?
Readings & book signings
Putting on an event at a bookstore gets you prime space two different ways.
Before the signing, offer to leave a big stack of books and provide posters for the store. You can also offer them swag like bookmarks, stickers, buttons, pencils, or something customized to your book(s). The store shares your interest in having a good signing, so they’re likely to give your stuff a prominent spot in the days leading up to the signing.
Why did I suggest the stack of books? It was surprising to me when I first got into the book business just how many customers buy before a signing. Some will buy early because they can’t make it to the signing. Others will be drawn to the posters and/or displays, get interested in the book, and buy a copy even though they have no intention of attending your event.
Often, a store isn’t willing to make a big commitment on books if they’re not dealing with a “sure thing” book signing. Offering to leave a stack of books in advance and settle up at the event means they’re not taking any risk. If they sell the books, you both make money. If they don’t, you charge them for the ones they sold, take back the rest, and they haven’t lost anything.
After the event, talk to the store manager and ask how many signed books they’d like you to leave with them. Sign the books and offer to put “signed copy” stickers on them.
It’s not unusual for a store to sell more books in the days after a book signing event than they sold at the event itself. Having autographed copies helps, and offering to sign books for stock will help you sell more copies on the spot.
Face-out placement
Every author craves face-out placement on the shelves. Unless the store is very understocked, not everyone can have it. So what determines who gets that coveted face-out positioning?
First, there’s math. Let’s say your book is one inch thick and six inches wide. If the store stock six copies, they’ll take up six inches of space no matter whether they’re face out or spine out. If they stock less than six, spine out is more efficient. If they stock more than six—assuming the shelves are more than 6″ deep—then face out is more efficient.
Often, though, it’s a spur-of-the-moment decision by whoever is shelving or arranging books. If the shelf your book is on has a bit of extra room, they’ll decide to flip one title face out. Will it be yours? That depends on:
- How good your cover looks. The best-looking cover on the shelf is often the one that gets displayed face out.
- The physical size of your book. Very wide books take up a lot of space when they’re face out, so they’re more likely to stay spine out.
Be creative
Another way to get premium space is to offer free signage to the bookshop. It may be a countertop stand-up sign, a poster, or a sign that fits on a bookshelf.
Be creative with your marketing, and always make sure you’re offering value to the bookstore. They may turn down many of your offers, but in the long run you’ll end up getting better placement in stores and selling more books.
Gary D. Robson 