Listen to Amy Collins on How to Get Your Books Into Bookstores and Libraries, a brillian pep talk on Tom Corson-Knowles Publishing Profits Podcast (a while ago, but the advice still seems sound). Amy is knowledgeable, practical, and a really good, speaker. Here's one point she makes, from 2015 data: Over 60% of Americans have a library card; over 40% of them have been in a library in the last month. Only 5% of them have been in a bookstore in the last month.
A lot of books will license an e-book, for a limited time. And if the e-book is popular, when the license is up, they'll re-up.
• The Humble Neighborhood Library: Why It Should Be Part of Your Book-Enthusiasm-Generating Plan (Kelly Turner on Jane Friedman's blog, 2-13-25) Since most readers don't have an independent bookstore in their neighborhood, public libraries can be an ideal spot for author events.
Comments are interesting, including this by Kelly herself: From the ‘author’ side, I found it helpful (and honestly a little jarring) to talk to other readers at the event. I realized I’ve become quite clinical in the way I talk about books: ‘genre – pov – tense – setting – kind of story.’ The readers I spoke with talked about books very differently, which reminded me that if I want to have and engage with readers, I shouldn’t drown them with all this ‘backend’ vocabulary.
"According to the Panorama Project's 2019 survey of nearly 200 libraries in 30 states, about half of responding libraries produced ten or more events (including book clubs, speaker series, and author events) each year. Libraries hosting fewer than 10 events per year were more likely to host community book clubs and speaker series than author events. I can't claim these data are representative of the (over 17,000) public libraries in the US, but given the American Association of Publishers reports nearly $30 billion in US book sales in 2023, there's capacity for more library events connecting authors and readers."
There are four times as many libraries as there are bookstores in the U.S.--in Canada, six times as many. There are over 2400 independent bookstores in the U.S., but 12,000 public libraries (9500 physical permanent public library branches). A lot is going on in libraries and their budgets are going up. The average library system budget is about $1.8 million, some of which goes to staffing, magazines, and other materials. They buy hardcover and paperback and license ebooks and in many cases audiobooks (sometimes from self-published and independent authors). The materials budget is roughly distributed thus:
• Paperbacks: 41%
• Audiobooks: 20%
• eBooks: 19%
• Hardcover books: 9%.
If they can’t afford your book they’ll find a competitive book that’s less expensive. Having your books in the library increases sales of your books outside libraries.
How to sell books to libraries
To sell books to libraries, you have to be listed in the two main library databases and with at least one main wholesaler.
Libraries won’t order books until they have money in their budget and they will pay you through the wholesaler they purchase books from (the wholesaler will pay the publisher).
Authors: Traditional publishers will typically register your books with library databases.
Indie publishers, it's important to register yours in library databases, also.
The two easiest ways/venues to register your books in library databases:
1) Register your book and ISBN with Books in Print (RR Bowker, My Identifiers), by registering your ISBN: www.myidentifiers.com and get a BARCODE
2) Register with OCLC, which funds and runs WorldCat Registry (OCLC Developer Network)
It's pretty easy, or you can hire a company to create a PCIP (publisher cataloging in publication) block for you. The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) is an American nonprofit cooperative organization that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large--to make information more accessible and useful.
What are cataloging, CIP, and PCIP?:Cataloging is descriptive information about a resource, using a set vocabulary, formatted according to national standards and created by a trained cataloger. When an item has CIP or PCIP, a cataloging block is usually found on the back of the title page.
(Also EAN, ASIN [Amazon], GTIN, LC-CIP, MARC, UPC) and does every product need one or need listing? (Writers and Editors website)
PRODUCT IDENTIFIERS:
---Product identifiers, General
---ISBN, ISSN, and barcodes for books
---CIP, LC-CIP, AND P-CIP (cataloging in publication)
---LCCN (Library of Congress Control Number and PCN) (Preassigned Control Number)
---BISAC Subject Headings
---ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier)
---WORLDCAT (a global catalog of library materials--books, music, video, articles and more)
More tips on the Writers and Editors website:
• Selling your book to libraries, bookstores, schools
• How and where to get reviews that lead to library purchases
• Library sites and portals