Will bookstores order a self-published book if customers request it?
If a book is not returnable, has a wholesaler discount of 45% and costs £10.99, does a book store sell this book if a customer comes into a store and wants to order it?
In short: Is a book still available in a book store if a customer requests it, even if the bookstore does not want the book in their stock, because of the conditions above? Do they order a copy if a customer asks for it?
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This depends greatly on the bookstore. Recently there has been a rebirth of small independent booksellers, which were once an almost extinct breed. A bookstore like that might be more inclined to accommodate a local author.
The discount sounds right, but the non-returnable clause might make some people balk. In any case, it's hard to see how this would work as a customer-initiated request, since the bookstore would have no way of knowing where to obtain your book --unless you were directly involved, and in that case, why have the middleman?
Some individual branches of large chains may also work with local authors, based on the manager. However, in general, big box bookstores order exclusively through the major distributors.
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I agree with Jenny, it would be totally insensitive to order a self-published book printed by CreatSpace (Amazon) from an independent bookstore. IngramSpark, another POD printer (part of Lightning Source) who distributes through Ingram Content Group (previously Ingram Book Distributors) will work with independent bookstores. You can set your own discount rate and return policy.
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I have gone to my local bookstore to order a self-published book. I gave them the ISBN, they ordered it, it arrived a week later, I walked in and completed the transaction. The book is now on my shelf.
So yes, it's possible. Whether your local bookstore will do it is up to the store.
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