First things first, congratulations! Writing a book is no small feat and you should be genuinely very proud.

To be clear, this isn’t a guide on how to self publish. It’s about how to sell your book to a bookstore, from a now ex-bookseller’s perspective, and I hope it’s helpful (and refreshingly honest).

I first wrote this piece for social media when I was bookselling because we hear from a lot of self published authors every single week, and I see the same details being missed time and again. Because of that, I wanted to share what bookstores actually want to see from self published authors, beyond great writing and a strong story, and how you can increase your chances of getting a reply and getting stocked.

You are selling a product

A book is a product, just like clothing, furniture, or any other independently made item. Yes, the story is important, but it’s only part of the package when you’re presenting a finished book to stores.

If you approach self publishing your book with the understanding that it requires wearing many hats, sales, crunching numbers, dispatch, and handling marketing and promotion, you’ll already be far better positioned.

Many hugely successful self published authors will tell you the same thing. It’s just like running a small business.

Have all your book information ready upfront

Book buyers look at hundreds of books every month. Please don’t just email us asking if we’ll stock your book and include the title alone. We won’t do the research for you, not because we’re mean, but because we’re busy.

Help us out by including all of the following and presenting it clearly in a well laid out PDF. The effort really does show, I promise.

Include: Title, Author, Wholesale price, RRP, ISBN, Publication date, Synopsis, Cover image, Sales terms

Tell us your PR and marketing plan

This matters more than many authors realise. Are you actively marketing the book yourself? Tell us how. Are you reaching out to local media? Hosting events or talks? Posting on social media? Sending ARCs for reviews? Most bookstores rely heavily on external buzz and word of mouth. We’re under-resourced and juggling a lot, and many stores have very limited time for individual book marketing. You can’t sell a secret, and the more you’re doing out in the world to create visibility, the more likely your book is to sell in a bookstore.

Invest in your cover design

This is a hard truth, but cover design is where many self published books fall down. I know the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but in a bookstore, both online and physical, filled with thousands of titles, the cover is the very first thing a customer sees. If you can invest in professional design, do it. It makes a real difference.

And please be mindful of AI use. Its role in the book industry is contentious, and you may wish to avoid any unnecessary or unforeseen reasons for a store choosing not to stock your book.

Research the stores you’re contacting

Not every bookstore is the right fit. Before reaching out, ask yourself who your target reader is and whether the store actually stocks books like yours. Some bookstores are very curated and specific about what they sell (we’re one of them), and it’s immediately obvious when no research has been done.

If your book is more specialised, it may be worth looking beyond traditional bookstores. For example, a book about hiking might suit both general bookstores and shops that stock hiking gear.

Final touches

Put all of this information into a clean, easy to read PDF and attach it to an introductory email. When you send it to stores, use a proper greeting and take the time to personalise your message and find the right name. It really does matter.

If you’re local, go into the store or give them a call and ask who the best person is to send the information to.

Tools like Mergo can help with personalisation at scale, but even small touches make a big difference. You’re far more likely to get a response if the email feels human and clearly shows that time and effort have gone into your pitch.

Don’t be daunted!

A lot goes into creating a successful book, and the publishing industry is a behemoth (don’t let that put you off). It can be incredibly hard to stand out. That’s true for both self-published authors and those signed with big publishers.

And I know you’re just one person, because I get it. I’m a one woman band too.

The truth is, this does take effort. But you’ve written an entire book. Years of your life went into it, and it deserves both that effort and the best chance out there.

Good luck. You’ve got this.