Effective Sales Channels for Selling Books

There are many reasons to think twice about print-on-demand if you self-publish a book. One of the biggest ones is its limitation on where you can sell. Even if you go with a mega online bookseller, you miss opportunities. It is a reason to print independently and find a book fulfillment company for online orders. That way, you can publish copies for all retail channels, including brick-and-mortar stores. It's also a given that many authors are book lovers themselves and cherish the opportunity to sell to local independent booksellers. Many have favorite stores in their local communities where they shop.

When your book becomes successful enough to command shelf space, finding a book distributor to get you into more significant stores matters. It does not affect your online selling; you can go full tilt in all channels. One of the lesser-known opportunities for volume bookselling is warehouse clubs. Together with big box stores, they account for an impressive chunk of the marketplace. Club shoppers are readers like any other retailers' clientele and are ready to buy. When you participate in these channels, you vastly increase your book's sales, just as traditional publishers vie for those sales.

If you plan to go on a book tour, whether virtual, in-person, or a blend of both, ensure that you have ways for people who attend to buy your book. It's an opportunity not available to authors who have gone with print-on-demand. Other retailers, like gift shops, sell books when made available to their suppliers. If your distributor investigates those channels, they may open additional retail possibilities. Much depends on your book's topic; some titles are more appropriate than others. It requires creative thinking about where your target readers are shopping and ready to purchase.

It is common today for people offering advice, like self-help experts, to gift their customers or course enrollees with a book. If you're publishing one for that reason, skipping on-demand printing is wise. You want to control your book and how it is distributed. Some experts sell in bookstores, and others use their books exclusively for course enrollees. If you have a website that generates significant traffic already, making your book available for sale can add a new revenue stream or entice people to buy other services or products. Either way, it's an additional sales and revenue channel.