Selling books online is no longer a luxury but a necessity for authors and publishers. The recent shelter-in-place orders across the United States due to corona virus have forced traditional book stores across the country to close. This has placed a greater emphasis on online channels to sell books.
Below are the top five online book stores that authors and publishers should use to sell more books:
Amazon Kindle Store
Amazon is by far one of the biggest and best known book retailers in the world. They offer a huge selection of books and give authors the opportunity to self-publish through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
Parents can also take advantage of Amazon Prime Book Box to save up to 40% on children’s books. This is a great avenue for authors of children’s books to reach a greater audience.
Vampire novelist M.A. Marrissette, author of New Breed, told us that she has seen sales increase during the COVID-19 epidemic as more readers are staying home and looking for great entertainment through online book stores.
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble is not just a book store. It is a destination retailer. Avid readers everywhere love going to the neighborhood Barnes & Noble, visiting with authors during author events, listening to guest speakers, browsing millions of titles, etc.
Due to the virus, however, the stores have had to close. Good thing their online store offers all of their products. You can still buy the books you want at a great price. And, you can use your Barnes & Noble membership to save more money! Authors are encouraged to submit their titles for sale online. It helps if you already sell your hardcopy books in their retail stores.
The method we used to get our books into Barnes & Noble was quite easy. We went into every Barnes & Noble store in our area, asked to speak with the store manager and introduced ourselves as local authors. We showed them our book and let them know we were published through Ingram (their preferred vendor). They also will work with Amazon KDP, but prefer Ingram. Then they placed an order for a trial run of about 10 copies. We also spoke with the community organizer at the store about author events. We were invited to participate in author signings, guest author speaking engagements, etc. I recommend using this method since it works!
Books-a-Million
Books-a-Million is an explosion of goodness online! BAM offers millions of books at a great price. They have a very impressive selection of nearly every book ever published. They offer fans many ways to save including their Millionaire Club which offers free shipping and discounted prices.
As an online retailer, this is definitely an avenue that authors will want to utilize.
Target
Target is one of the world’s largest retailers. They sell everything! Their online store is easy to use and they always have great prices.
Authors who are well-known or have a strong publisher behind them may find greater success with target than self-published authors or those who work with small publishing houses. Target does not take solicitations from individuals. You will need your publisher to work with them.
If you can get in with Target, you are a successful author that is doing something right! Feel free to share your secret with your fellow authors in the comment section below!
Wordery
Wordery is one of the best online book stores for discounted books. This company exists online only and offers its members free delivery and a 5% discount when you refer a friend. They have a good selection of millions of titles. However, they do not sell digital books. They only sell paper books.
Authors who are interested in selling their books with Wordery are encouraged to contact them at this email address (click here).
The world is no longer simply about selling your hardcopy books in a bookstore. As much as we love the smell of a good book, we also love the numbers generated by online book sales! If you are an author, you 100% need to sell your books online.
Are you an author who sells online? Share your experiences with us in the comment section below!
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