How to Maximize Barnes & Noble as an Indie Author

We’re going to go ahead and admit it: we didn’t see this coming.

When our first books came out more than a decade ago, Barnes and Noble was just another indie-snubbing player in the book space; a place where only select authors could get any visibility, and that was only if they had the right connections.

And money. Don’t forget money. We heard that authors were paying in the several thousands of dollars just for placement on a table or end cap!

Don’t get us wrong – we as indie authors loved Barnes and Noble.

We wanted to work with Barnes and Noble. But it seemed, at the time, that Barnes and Noble didn’t want to work with us.

What a difference a few years makes! You can check out this article to get up to speed on the rise, fall, and rise again of Barnes and Noble, but long story short:

Barnes and Noble went through some rough patches.

Mistakes were made; lessons were learned. But things are better now. So much better!

A representative from Barnes and Noble spoke recently at IBPA’s Pub U Conference in Denver, and the takeaways for indie authors and publishers were very encouraging. Want to hear a few of our favorites?

The new, improved Barnes and Noble not only recognizes the power of indie authors, they are embracing indies as an important part of their buying and selling strategies.
Barnes and Noble locations have been empowered to operate autonomously – store managers can buy, sell, host, and display at their discretion, with what is best for the community at the forefront of their decision making.
Barnes and Noble sees themselves as a bookstore/community center. They want their stores to be a true service to the community.

See what we mean here? We didn’t see this coming, but now that it’s here, we are so excited for the indie publishing community!

If you’ve taken any of our courses, you know that we are not always the biggest fans of bookstore signings.

They can be difficult to plan, awkward for the author, and oftentimes don’t result in huge sales numbers.

But if you know us, you know we are all about trusted partnerships. This new mindset for Barnes and Noble means huge opportunities for indie authors. And we are here for it!

Here are a few tips for indie authors looking to take advantage of this new, improved, and hopefully long-lasting Barnes and Noble culture:

1) Pitch yourself with a plan.

Lots of times, authors will go into bookstores and gift shops with a short pitch about their book and a hope to book a signing event.

You can certainly do that at Barnes and Noble, too, but we highly recommend going a step further.

Can you suggest a story time?

Partner with another local business to draw people to your signing table?

Barnes and Noble’s new focus on community is a golden opportunity for you to create a signing event that is more than just you at a table with your books.

Want some ready-made pitch emails for bookstores? Check out our bestselling Marketing Templates →

2) Update your author media kit.

Keep in mind that Barnes and Noble employees get inundated with requests for events and books to purchase.

They likely won’t have time to read your book before giving you a yes, so that means that your book’s sell sheet and/or press release you provide for them should be professionally designed and up to date.

3) Focus on more than book sales.

While we remain very excited about all that’s possible for indie authors in partnership with Barnes and Noble, the reality is that many book signings don’t result in hundreds of book sales.

Since that may be the case for you, too, take your signing opportunity to create some great content for your calendar, website, and newsletter.

Take pictures of yourself at your table, create a behind-the-scenes newsletter or blog post taking your audience on the journey with you, give people a chance to get to know you without having to buy your book.