By: Damon Ferrell Marbut
Of the first four bookstores I visited after Awake in the
Mad World released, one person was nice and interested. I could almost hear
the groan of apathy from the other counter people at the other stores before I
even said whatever it was that followed “Hello.” I didn’t have a sales pitch or
planned speech. Perhaps I reached too quickly for my shoulder bag, which may
have given away the selfish motive behind my visit.
“He’s not here to buy books!” They surely thought. “He’s
here to peddle his wares and exploit us to avoid paying taxes! He’s not a
novelist! He’s the enemy!”
This is an odd feeling to experience as an independent
author when standing in a business that sells what you create. I know most of
that was me, thinking. And I suppose an art gallery would look at me funny if I
were a painter just walking in a sample, but then, it only takes a glimpse in
that scenario. The fact that I was standing there, awkwardly stroking my novel
through a leather man-purse could have been the deal-breaker. But I doubt it. I
met store owners in some, highly unmotivated staff in others who didn’t seem to
care if we got paper cuts in front of the register and bled out on the Bananagrams.
And each time, as prepared as I felt, and as more prepared I got before the
next visit, almost always this scenario. Almost always me thinking I was
covered in growths that turned off the potential book buyer.
My point is simple. As an independent author, you’re hopeful
and full of ideas and inspiration. You likely don’t have yet, if ever, the
casual and calm confidence of an established writer walking in to a store and
saying, “Oh, you don’t have mine?” When you enter your first bookstores to
discuss with “them” the prospect of their carrying one of your books, you (like
I was) are the equivalent of the first day of training on the register at a
cafe. You know you’ll get good at it, and quickly, but you have to make
mistakes first. And you hate it when people are watching you not be as
good as you’ll eventually be. No matter. Remember you’re in a business when
you’re there.
Here’s a list I’ve come up with. It isn’t certain, but it
can at least help you survive “the awkward moment” until you get your own footing:
1.) Be kind and be patient. You took a long time, made
sacrifices and missed out on plenty of great dinners, movies, concerts, road
trips and romantic dates to write the book. Even if you disagree with the
inefficiency of others, either they get back to you or they won’t, and you’ll
have to return to check in. And be nice when you’re there talking to them.
Pretend to give a damn about their employee favorite’s shelves until they get
to you and hopefully hear you out.
2.) Join Indiebound.org. Create a member account, which only
took me about 45 seconds because I was listening to NPR. It actually takes less
time. Once a member, you can search to see if your book is in their database.
This is a great talking point for those bookstores who are members as well. They
have the power to support you, and this is something you can have in common.
3.) Be prepared to offer your books on consignment. Or, be
prepared to offer your books at a deeply discounted amount (I suggest 55-60%), if
they choose to order them, to insure they’ll make a profit. Remember, they’re a
business and will be looking for a reason to say “No” to you until you
demonstrate your relevance, as well as your books.
4.) Dress differently than your book. If it’s literary
fiction, don’t wear a coat with elbow patches. If it’s a book about unicorns
and trolls, don’t show up in a fleece and pajama pants. The bookstore staff is
around books and authors often. And most people don’t know they’re stereotyping
you like I just did, but they will do it to you. Blow their minds and change
their perspective. Don’t be overwhelmingly professional. Be a human. Be you.
5.) Come with an
actual marketing plan. Have an organized handout for them that will assure them
you’ll work to get people to their store IF they agree to let you sign or read
there. They’ll need a copy of your book first. Ask them when you should come
back to get their thoughts and move ahead with them. You’ll be a team together.
They’re just people, not gods. Remember, your presence helps them, too.
And most importantly, remember this: Nothing you do, even if
you do all of these things, will guarantee a place on the counter or a shelf
for a stack of your books. At the end of the day, they just might not have
enough customers who read your type of work to justify having your work there,
even if you’re a local writer. You’d think that in this economic climate, where
people can buy books cheaper online, that a bookstore would love to seem
charming and welcoming and warm to the neighborhood and the local writers that
wish to fill their rooms, but it’s sometimes just not going to happen. SO… have
fun and be able to laugh at the human comedy. You’re part of it, as am I and
the people who may or may not want to sell your work. Just know you’re doing
the right thing, and that it will one day, as it has for me, pay off.
Damon Ferrell Marbut is a Southern poet and novelist. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, he now lives and writes in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he his working on a new novel. Awake in the Mad World, his first published novel, is an entrant for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He is a featured reader at the 10th Annual Saints and Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans, May 2013.
