When it comes to self-published books, marketing is everything. You don’t have a large PR department or an experienced publicist in your corner like you would with a traditional publisher, so it’s all up to you. When you self-publish a book, you’re responsible for how well-or how poorly-your book sells in the market. One of the best ways to maximize sales on your book is to look for new and innovative places to sell it. Here are ten ideas.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: The Office
If you have a job other than writing fantastic books, then your office presents a unique opportunity to sell your book. Set up a rolling cart near your desk and put a display of 8-10 books on the top. Arrange it as you would in a bookstore and put extra copies in the drawers of the rolling cart. When people come to visit you in your office, let them know you wrote a book!
Just make sure to follow your boss’ policy on this issue and never pressure your colleagues into buying. You simply want to introduce them to the idea and let them make up their own minds.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Your Home
For some reason, people overlook their homes as a place from which to sell their books. But even the most curmudgeonly of recluses has at least one or two visitors each month, so take advantage. Set up a display of your books in your entry hall or on your coffee table.
Keep a receipt book under your couch cushions and whip it out if someone expresses an interest. Bonus: When solicitors knock on your door to sell you wind chimes or a home security system, introduce them to your products!
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Garage Sales
I’m not saying that you should have a garage sale just to sell your book, but if you’re going to have one anyway, set up a special table for your literary masterpiece. Make it as professional as possible and offer a discount to people who purchase other things from your garage sale.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Doctors’ Offices
If you know a medical professional who would be willing to work out a deal with you, this can be a great avenue of sales. How many times have you sat in a doctor’s waiting room, eyeing the selection of magazines with distaste? If a doctor would be willing to set up a display, patients can look over your book while they wait, and who knows? Maybe they’ll decide to purchase.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Hospital Gift Shops
Patients in the hospital are always bored, and there are only so many episodes of All My Children one person can stand. Talk with your local hospitals about putting your book for sale in their gift shops. Patients and visitors alike will be looking for something interesting to read, and this can definitely boost your sales.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Family Reunions
While it might be wrong to prey on poor helpless family members, family reunions are a great place to pawn off your books. Don’t you think Great Aunt Edna and Cousin Mark would love to show off that their relative is a writer? Bring a cardboard box filled with copies of your book and set them out on the buffet table for relatives to browse.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Hair Salons & Barber Shops
Some books will sell well in a hair salon or barber shop, while others won’t. For example, a romance novel would probably sell like hotcakes at a hair salon and a book about sports might do well in a barber shop. And if your book is about cosmetology or hair, so much the better! Talk with local hair salons and barber shops and see if they would be willing to carry your book.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Coffee Shops
People read in coffee shops all the time, so why not market your books there? Fiction and mainstream non-fiction sell very well in coffee shops, especially the smaller neighborhood stores. Talk with local vendors about putting up a display and see how much it would cost. The best place to set up a display in a coffee shop is near a large group of chairs or in the window.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Airports
If you can manage to get an appointment with the proprietor of a shop in your local airport, go for it. While people are waiting for the flights to be called, they are always browsing through the different stores, often looking for something to read on the plane. Let the owner of the shop know that you are a local author, which might score brownie points.
Places to Sell Your Self-Published Book: Internet Mailing Lists
Most people belong to at least one or two Internet mailing lists, so talk to some of the writers, especially if the newsletters are literary-related. This can be excellent exposure for your book, and they might even let you write it yourself!
