Today we’re joined by Greenleaf's own Valerie Howard, a distribution account executive who helps our authors navigate the confusing world of book distribution. Brick and mortar retailers have a high barrier to entry, especially for independent and debut authors, but in this episode Valerie will explain how authors can connect with local bookstores directly in order to host author events and get books on shelves.

Welcome to Published, a podcast by Greenleaf Book Group, where we'll discuss the ins and outs of the publishing industry, from writing a book and finding the right publisher, to gearing up for a book launch. And now here's your host, Greenleaf Book Group CEO, Tanya Hall.

Welcome back to Published. Today we're joined by Valerie Howard, a distribution account executive here at Greenleaf. Valerie builds relationships with book buyers to place our books in as many retail outlets as possible, and she helps our authors navigate the confusing world of book distribution.

Brick and mortar retailers have a high barrier to entry, especially for independent and debut authors. So in this episode, Valerie will explain how authors can connect with local bookstores directly in order to host author events and get books on shelves. If you enjoy our show and you'd like to be included, please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening now.

It means a lot to have your feedback and it helps us to make sure we are answering your publishing questions. Now let's dive into the interview.

Tanya: Valerie, welcome to Published.

Valerie: Hi, thanks for having me. I'm so excited.

Tanya: I'm so excited too. So why don't you start by introducing yourself and tell folks what you do?

Valerie: Sure. So my name is Valerie Howard. I'm a distribution account executive here at Greenleaf Book Group.

My biggest job is to partner with the authors and kind of get a sense of what their goal is for the book and to help them make their book available in the retail market. And of course, you know, there's the back end of data and logistics retail pages. But especially with the Greenleaf distribution path, I really partner with them on outreach to local stores because the end goal is to, you know, reach out to as many readers as possible. And a lot of that has to do with bookstores.

Tanya: Yeah, absolutely. And I know you spend a lot of time talking to bookstores all over the country. So you're the perfect person to ask these questions. So what are some of the ways that bookstores work with authors? And can you speak to the importance of a local connection when it comes to either events or just getting books into stores?

Valerie: Sure. And, you know, the first and foremost, why we recommend reaching out to local stores is because they're in your area. You're not flying across the entry to a store where you maybe don't have the biggest network.

And also local store managers really like to meet authors. It's so fun, you know, especially showing your support for your local store by approaching them and saying, I'm a local author. I'd love to partner with you.

A lot of the different ways that authors can partner with their local stores besides, hey, here's my book. Bring it in store on the shelf, please. There's also events and signings.

You know, bookstores and authors really have the same goal in reaching readers and engaging with their local community. And so by partnering with those stores and talking to them about your availability, that's one of the reasons I can't talk to the store about your availability is because I don't know what your schedule is like. Stores do like to talk directly to authors, and especially if they have like an art or physical copy in hand, that's even better because they can flip through.

You don't necessarily have to give them a copy, but just showing them tangible evidence of, here's my physical book, it's great. And also authors are the closest to the content. They know their book better than anybody else.

And so they can speak to and answer questions about the book more than their editor or even themselves.

Tanya: Absolutely. And I will add authors, don't be shy. Don't be afraid to make that ask because bookstores usually want to support their local authors. They're a part of the community, everyone supports each other. So I think we can both attest to the fact that usually bookstores are very receptive to doing something to support you if you're a local author or you have some connection to that specific location.

But with that being said, what are some reasonable expectations that an author should have as they consider approaching bookstores for that support?

Valerie: First and foremost, the bigger the store, the more likely they are to be booked up very, very quickly. So reasonable expectation is don't expect to have multiple stores the same weekend that your book is coming out. They might be booked already.

That being said, I always recommend that authors space out any events and launchings because you don't want to burn out. You don't want to every weekend be fully booked and be tired of reading your book or signing your book. We want to space it out and we want to keep that local demand and generation going.

Another reasonable expectation is, especially if this is your first book, and maybe it's a fiction or a children's book, the bookstore might not bring in 30 or 50 copies. They might bring in 10, 15, which is totally fine. They can always order more, but they're always going to air on the conservative side when bringing in books.

And another thing to keep in mind is that they're going to ask how you're promoting the book. So coming with a marketing plan in hand and or an idea of other ways that you're going to reach out to your local community is always handy to have to show those bookstores.

Tanya: And there are certain requirements that we know bookstores have before they'll bring a book in, especially I think these would impact some of our self-published friends. But can you speak to some of those standards?

Valerie: Sure. So bookstores, they usually partner with Ingram, which is the world's largest full-sailor. And it really gives your book and yourself credibility as an author to have an account with Ingram. You know, Greenleaf does, of course, have that account with Ingram.

And so bookstores are more likely to bring it in because books are returnable, which is a big, big factor. Say they order 50 copies, but, you know, you only sell 40. It gives them more incentive to order through Ingram because they can return the overage. A lot of indie stores, especially I'm seeing lately, for self-published or even, you know, print-on-demand books, they'll ask to do consignment with authors, which is also very totally normal. It's something that authors and bookstores can work out together.

And that's where the author, you know, brings in copies to have on display through the bookstore, and then they split the profit, the bookstore and the author. So it's always great to have consignment alongside an event because you know those are going to sell rather than sitting on a shelf.

Tanya: As authors are considering approaching a bookstore, how do they go about doing that right? What should they highlight in their pitch? How do they make it as attractive as possible for the bookstore?

Valerie: Great question because that also leads into the locality, like go into your bookstore, talk to them directly as attractive as possible in person. You can always email or call, and it's great to have that kind of interaction. But I always recommend stopping in the bookstore, showing your face, showing that personality alongside the book.

Having a physical copy is always a plus, but at least the cover image. Showing them what it looks like because I know people say, don't judge a book by its cover. Book buyers do judge a book by its cover a lot of the time, as well as like I said, the marketing plan.

How you plan on generating demand for your book, because having it available on online pages is great. There is that large conglomerate, Monopoly, Amazon, that bookstores don't really want to be reminded exists, and that a lot of book sales go through. So I wouldn't mention my last book was an Amazon bestseller, because they want to know what your book is going to do for them.

Having that marketing plan is a great, great idea and any kind of specs for the book, of course, how much is it going to cost? So that they have an idea of maybe what their budget allows for as well. And just speaking to the content, to make it as compelling as possible, tell them why.

So another compelling factor about approaching bookstores, have that schedule ready. Have an idea of when you would like to do the event, your availability, as well as any considerations of your network in the area. If you're visiting your great aunt in Milwaukee, and you're like, sure, I'd like to do a bookstore event. And they're like, well, how many friends and family? You're like, maybe two people I know. It's not very compelling.

But if you're visiting your college hometown, and you're saying, hey, I'm an alumni of this college, other factors like that, your network is really what they're looking to kind of factor in to these events.

Tanya: Yeah, I agree with all of that. I think, like you said, it's very important to have something to show them and maybe even have a sales sheet that you develop that you can leave behind if you don't have the physical copy. Because what we've definitely learned is that across the industry, really, people aren't very good at going down imagination road, as we say.

So we can try to describe what the cover is going to look like and what the content is. But we've really got to demonstrate it for them to understand fully the take away, the value for their customer, of course. They're just a proxy for a reader who's going to come in to buy books.

So that's super important. And I love the emphasis on making sure that they're, again, pointing out what's going to generate demand to get that book off the shelves. Once they bring it in, because people have to remember with this industry, we have two sales that have to happen.

First, the sale to get it on the shelf, and then the sale to get it off the shelf. So that's what they're thinking about as they're evaluating which books to bring in. So all very good points.

Now, in terms of events, I know that you've had a hand in helping to coordinate a lot of these and make sure that stock is where it needs to be. And I think people may be surprised to learn that there can be more to a bookstore event than simply doing a reading. Can you speak to some of the different types of events that you've seen authors do with bookstores?

Valerie: Sure. So I've seen the big reading launch event, where they sign copies afterwards. I've also coordinated some events where an author is just coming in to sign copies, and a member of the social media team at the bookstore is taking pictures, both for the author's social media page, which is great, as well as the local store.

And so you might have that where it's a little bit smaller, a little bit more intimate, but still great value for your goal of selling books. I've also seen vast launch parties that don't necessarily happen at a bookstore. That's another thing to keep in mind for authors is, say you want to go all out. I love it. And you're hosting a book launch at, say, a hotel or, you know, other kind of event center. Still approach your local store.

Ask them to partner with you for on-site sales. And that's a great way to show local demand to the bookstore and also show your support to the bookstore as well.

Tanya: And you mentioned some of these sort of non-traditional retail places. And I'm thinking of like an author is doing speaking, and maybe there's a table of books in a bookstore is manning the book sales, so to speak. But what about other events at non-bookstore venues? Can you talk about some of those which you've seen in that area?

Valerie: Sure. So yes, speaking engagements, you know, you're a keynote speaker. A lot of authors will still directly sell to readers at those kinds of events, which is of course, okay. Partnering with a local store as well.

We recently had an author who did partner with a store who bought the books and were manning the table at, I think it was 25 CEOs and things like that, at this more intimate conference, but very, very high profile. And so partnering in that way, it also takes a lot of off of your plate as an author. You're not lugging books back and forth, while also trying to keep your speech ready and also networking with people at the event.

So it is also a peace of mind to know that somebody else is taking care of the event. And like I said, those bookstore managers, those book buyers will remember those events because it means as much to them as it does to you that you're supporting them.

Tanya: Absolutely. So in the logistics arena, how does an author best prepare for these events and not get caught? And you and I see this all the time where there's just not enough time to get books all the way through the supply chain and where they need to be. So how can they best plan for a successful event?

Valerie: Best planning is as soon as you have it in writing, "Yes, we'd love to do an event with you," start planning your books to be shipped, either if it's reaching out to your publisher, or if you're self-published and you're needing to print the books ahead of time going ahead and getting those in hand and on their way to the bookstore.

Here at Greenleaf, our logistics team, our distribution team, we are on it. We'll get books where they need to be “and on time. And that is a great point with going through Ingram.

Although Ingram does have the credibility, gives you the credibility as an author to get books there in time. The more notice that we give them, the better. Just so that they can ship books to where they need to be in time.

Like you said, there is a longer supply chain with going through a wholesaler. But it does give you peace of mind that somebody else is taking care of it and you're not having to lug those books everywhere. Yeah.

Tanya: And you would be wise to double check. Once they say those books have been shipped, give it a little bit of time and then call the bookstore and confirm. Lots of people seem to misremember the actions they take when it comes to these events.

And they'll say, I did order them. And then suddenly there are no books. Actually, someone didn't order them.

So I would, I hate to say, assume the worst and just be manic about making sure your books are there.

Valerie: I mean, bookstore buyers and managers, they're busy and so they might have you down on the schedule. But like you said, the logistics might be a little bit slower behind. And that's something that I do in my follow ups to bookstores when my authors reach out and say, hey, I have this event.

Not only do I write it down, but I make sure at least two weeks ahead of time to reach out to that store and say, hey, you bought books, right? And that's when they realized that, oh, maybe I saved it to my cart in Ingram, but I didn't actually press buy. So and that's when we partner with them directly and make sure that those books are there.

Tanya: Yes, that's the benefit of being a distributor, in addition to a publisher, we've got multiple ways to get books to people. So what are common mistakes that authors make when they're talking to bookstores? I think you've highlighted a few of them in the context already, but maybe you can point out a few more for folks to avoid.

Valerie: Biggest that I've seen is the casting too wide of a net. I've got a great aunt in this city and I'll reach out to that local bookstore. And that's not compelling enough for that bookstore to take a chance on a first-time author, especially.

Another kind of misstep is forgetting about your local libraries. They are a great way to reach your local community. And in those cases, yes, you might have to bring books, but it is also just a great chance to get in front of people who literally love books.

It's also a free event, so more people are more likely to come. And librarians love that. They love having more ideas, fresh ideas to engage with the local community.

Another kind of maybe overlooked area of opportunity, especially for children and young adult fiction authors, is your local schools. Teachers and kids alike love to meet local authors and ask questions. And honestly, for that demographic, that's who you need to be reaching out to, and not the adults and the parents who have to coordinate going to a bookstore on a busy Saturday when there's soccer and everything else.

But having that opportunity for kids to see your book and maybe take home a flyer, someone say, hey, mom and dad, I met this author, let's get this book. That's also a great idea.

Tanya: Awesome. Thank you for that. And then finally, we've been talking about how authors can sort of handle this on their own and take it upon themselves to arrange for these independent bookstore appearances or write your local Barnes and Noble or a library.

As we've said, we're a distributor. So when should an author be thinking about, well, I guess if you can back up and explain to people what a distributor brings to the table, especially in this context. And then when should an author be thinking about working with one if that's the fit for them?

Valerie: So a distributor for books and publishing is making sure that we have all of those accounts, all of the wholesale accounts so that we can get the books wherever they need to go. We partner with all the key wholesalers for books in the US and in other countries. If your goal is to make sure that it is in bookstores, it can be put into bookstores, then I think a distributor should be something that you're looking for.

Like I said, it's great that it's on online pages and that you're reaching the readers directly. But if you're also wanting to make sure it's available in airports, or in specialty boutique stores, they have accounts with wholesalers as well. And as a distributor, we can open up those doorways to those specialty accounts.

We do work with airports, work with a very special wholesaler and not necessarily Ingram. And so making sure it's available through those channels. Also, as a distributor who was working with that wholesaler ReaderLink, who specializes in the big box stores as well, like Target, Walmart, if you want your book available on those online pages, those book buyers are a little bit more discerning in what comes onto their shelves.

It's usually national bestseller. But having as many retail channels available to your readers is really key. To you, then a distributor is the way to go.

Of course, local bookstores will be able to bring in copies if you're a self-published author and you don't necessarily want to work with a distributor. But if this is a long end game for you, then I think a distributor is the best path. Yes.

Tanya: And I will add, approach them early because it's pretty difficult for a distributor to do something with a book that's already come out. We see that all the time. People send books to us that they've been trying to get some traction in the marketplace on their own.

And then it hasn't happened because every place they're trying to sell to is saying, you need to be working with a distributor. So they finally try to find one. And then we're like, well, we needed to meet you six months ago.

Valerie: Yes. That's a great point. Yeah, because we do meet with all of our wholesale buyers six months before a book comes out.

We might not even have a cover at that point, but we're still talking to them about marketing plans, content, and more information about the author. So that's a very great point that if you do want to work with a distributor, as much lead time as possible, especially if you like to do airports, they book up very, very quickly, about four to five months from Pub. So another reason to do it as an advance as possible.

Tanya: Absolutely. Great. Well, thank you so much, Valerie, for all of this wonderful advice. Any parting thoughts or words of wisdom for our listeners?

Valerie: Like you said, don't be shy. You're talking to, especially if you're a book lover, you're talking to fellow book lovers. And the reason they are in the business is because they love books so much.

So there's no reason to be shy. There's a reason why you're passionate about this project. So let that passion shine through.

That is a very compelling factor, is if you're just kind of lukewarm about it and you seem kind of shy, it's not enough of a reason for the bookstore to bring it in, but also they want to see that vibrancy because you're going to be speaking to people, you're going to be interacting with people. And I know as a fellow introvert, that can be kind of intimidating, but there's a reason you were called to do this and kind of let that shine through.

Tanya: Yeah, find your inner alter ego. All right, Valerie, thank you so much for joining us today. We learned a lot.

Valerie: Thanks. Yeah, happy to be here.

That's it for our episode with Valerie. We hope you enjoyed learning about building relationships with bookstores.

You can also find advice for writing, publishing, and promoting your work in Tanya Hall’s book, Ideas, Influence, and Income, which you can learn more about at ideasinfluenceandincome.com. A big thank you to Madison Johnson, who produces the published podcast, and to our five star reviewers. Thank you for your support and we will be back with another episode on the last Tuesday of next month.