Book Resources, Part 1: Getting Books Into Libraries

So many authors think that Amazon is the beginning and end game when it comes to distributing their books. But there is a wonderful resource right in your own community and in over 100,000 locations around the U.S. — libraries! The following are the details for getting books into libraries.

How Indie Publishers Can Get Their Books into Libraries Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on https://www.bookworks.com/2016/07/how-indie-authors-can-get-their-books-into-libraries/

One of the most frequent questions I get from independent authors and publishers I meet at writing conferences is “How do I get my book into libraries?“ Here are some insights and advice for indie authors in how best to get their book onto library shelves. Library Organization and Purchasing Decisions America’s 123,000 libraries fall into four basic types: Public, School, Academic, and Special (armed forces, government, corporate). Like bookstores, most libraries purchase content from book vendors like Ingram rather than directly from publishers. So right off the bat, if your book isn’t in a library vendor catalog, you are behind the curve.

Librarians utilize their resources wisely and book distributors make it quick and easy for them to order thousands of books from a variety of publishers by serving as a one-stop-shop versus librarians attempting to approach thousands of different publishers to order each book individually. Not only do distributors save librarians time, but they also guarantee librarians the assurance that they’re working with a company that’s well-respected and trusted within the publishing industry versus taking a chance on an author they just met.

Having your title listed with a distributor that’s familiar to them demonstrates that you’re an author that knows what you’re doing.

Upload your title to IngramSpark to make it available to over 39,000 retailers and libraries.