Retailing with Books a Million

For the aspiring author, it is important to be familiar with potential publishers as well as the distribution channel they can offer. Eventually, much of the success of your book will fall on the quality of the publisher and their ability to push the book through the appropriate distribution channels. I would recommend contacting a well established publisher that has plenty of expertise and success in the publishing field. A seasoned publisher is your best choice if you want your book to actually make it to stores.

Ride the Coattails of Books a Million

Keep in mind that if your book doesn’t ever make it to the bookshelves nobody will ever have the opportunity to buy it and read it, meaning you will have to find another job. The best publishers will make sure your book makes it to the biggest retail book stores. In addition to the traditional book retail stores such as Borders and Barnes and Noble, you will definitely want your book on the shelves of a Books a Million store. If you haven’t heard of Books a Million yet, perhaps it is time that you do. Books a Million is growing rapidly and is beginning to compete directly with Borders and Barnes and Noble. Of course it is obvious you want your book to be featured on the shelves of Borders and B&N, but Books a Million is the hot new book retailer right now.

Books a Million was actually founded in 1918, but has since grown to include more than 200 stores. These stores are found primarily in the southern and eastern section of the United States, with locations in 18 states as well as Washington D.C. Because Books a Million is growing so rapidly, their ability to introduce your book to new markets will help prolong the shelf life of your book.

As I have stated before, getting your book sold at the largest books stores like Borders and Barnes and Noble is very important, but this is not always possible. These companies are so large that the competition to fill their shelves is very intense, so it may be in your best interest to build a relationship through your publisher with a smaller growing company like Books a Million. That way you can get your foot in the door, begin to make a profit off your book, and as Books a Million grows so shall your audience.

Double Your Profits with a Book on Tape

In addition to marketing your book through the major brick and mortar retailers, you might also consider publishing your book in a different format. Have you ever thought of turning your book into a book on tape? Making a book on tape helps expand the potential audience base for your book, thereby increasing your potential for profits and fortifying your continued existence as a thriving author.

Of course a book on tape can be sold through the usual channels, such as Books a Million, but you can also digitalize your book on tape and strike a deal with Audible.com to sell your book on tape in digital audio format. Digital audio is a rapidly growing market thanks to the popularity of mp3 players, particularly the ubiquitous iPod. Creating a synergistic relationship with this new technology that has just taken off in recent years will help reinvent books as we know them, and for that matter it will also reinvent the book on tape. Now, instead of buying a book on tape, you can download the book in a digital audio format and listen to the book wherever you go. The market demanding this type of book is rapidly growing.

As an author it is important that you are in tune with the direction the book retail market is taking. You can’t afford to miss the opportunity to build lasting relationships with growing retailers like Books a Million, nor can you afford to miss the boat with digital audio and the incremental sales and profits that are associated with those new markets.