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(Not the article you wanted? Check the index for more) My books are published by FACP and distributed by Penguin across Australia and New Zealand, but long before FACP signed me up I tried self publishing as a way of getting into print. In fact, my publisher offered me a three book contract after one of their sales reps spotted my book in a local store. It can be hard to get a self-published title into bookstores. Counter staff are there to sell books, not buy them, so your first task is to make sure you're speaking to the right person. This is usually the manager, and they're usually busy running the bookstore, so I'd keep it short and be prepared to leave a copy of your book and an order form rather than trying to convince them on the spot. And if they say no, it's pointless arguing with them, because they'll only want you out of there even quicker. Bear in mind that publisher's reps make appointments to talk about new books in their catalogues, and discuss a whole range of new titles in one sitting. If you pop in unannounced, you can hardly expect the same attention. (It would be great if these large distribution companies would carry self-pubbed books, but they don't. There's not enough margin, stocks and supplies are a problem, and they'd end up dealing with hundreds or thousands of individual authors. The best you can hope for is a catalogue listing, where the distributor doesn't carry your stock but CAN supply your title on demand. When you're investigating self publishing it's important to find out how your chosen printer handles this. An ISBN and a catalog entry means your book is accessible from any bookstore.) If they do agree to carry your book they may want copies on consignment, which means you don't get paid up front. Instead, they pay you for however many they've sold, usually at the end of each month. If they haven't sold any after a month or two they might ask you to pick them all up, since bookstores have limited space. The answer is to make sure you mention that bookstore to anyone interested in buying your books. You should also consider giving the manager a copy of your book for themselves. They might read it or pass it on to their staff, which can help to build support for your book. One fan in a bookstore is worth any number of posts to internet forums and mailing lists. Think about donating a copy to your local library. You won't earn anything, but you may gain new readers, and libraries will sometimes get local authors in to talk about their book. Each copy has a cost involved, but your books aren't being read if they're still in the packing cartons. The internet is a useful resource for self-published authors, but don't overdo the promotion, particularly on forums where people are talking about writing and publishing. Some of these forums have specific areas for posting news and press releases, but you'll soon get banned if you try and turn every discussion into a promotion for your book. Myspace is also a fantastic resource for new authors. Tens of millions of people sorted by preferences, vibrant forums and groups, and a great friends system. Again, don't treat every contact as a customer. Just participate and people will ask you about your book, and on your own user profile you can include links to your Amazon.com listing, display a book cover and even include a sample chapter or two. (If you do join Myspace, feel free to look me up) One final suggestion. If you spot someone hawking their book in any of the ways mentioned above (e.g. by posting thinly veiled ads instead of participating in the discussion), why not give them a link to this article? http://www.spacejock.com.au/MarketingYourBookOnline.html 
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 The Hal Spacejock Series:  No Free Lunch Book 4: OUT NOW  Just Desserts Book 3: OUT NOW  Second Course Book 2: OUT NOW  Hal Spacejock Book 1: OUT NOW
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