Some might think this question is silly and antiquated since we know that 100% of all books are sold by Amazon and that no one buys physical books any more, and least of all in physical bookstores. Why? Because there aren’t any more bookstores! They have all closed.
Oh wait. That myth is what appears in press releases written by Amazon. (I’m making a joke in case you are wondering.) But even if a publisher attributes 50% of their total sales to Amazon we cannot ignore the other 50%!
But why bother to ask the question? Why should an author care? Aren’t brick and mortar stores dead, dying, and doomed?
While there may be fewer stores than before, the institution is far from dead. For example, in 2014, the Barnes & Noble chain operated 658 bookstores in all 50 states with $4.3 billion in sales…billion, with a ‘b’. In addition their B&N College division operated another 714 college stores nationwide (that college division did $1.75 billion in sales). Over 500 Independent general-market booksellers gathered at a recent event talking about how they are thriving in today’s marketplace. And according to their web site, the Lifeway Christian Stores chain runs 180 stores across the country.
But I’m not trying to debate the future of brick and mortar bookstores. Instead let’s go back to the original question in the title of this post.
Where is My Book?
Part of the answer to your question comes from understanding the supply chain. If you have a new book with a major publisher and you run into your local store you may not find the book. That store may have just placed their order last week.
The order may be coming direct from the publisher warehouse or from one of dozens of book distributors. The order must be picked and packed at the source. Most publishers and distributors are incredibly efficient (Watch this video of the behind the scenes at Penguin Random House.) The speed of delivery depends on the speed of UPS, FedEx Ground, or the post office and its proximity to the store, and the time of year.
Then the books have to be received in the back room by each store and checked against the purchase order and invoice. Then they get put on a cart and wheeled out into the store and shelved, hopefully in the right location. Depending on the efficiency of the back room this can be done quickly…or not.
Each step in the above process has a human being involved. Not robots. Which means there can be various delays from the time the order is placed to the time it actually shows up on the store shelf.
Therefore it can take 1-2 weeks before stock shows up in the store.
And THEN if you walk into the store two minutes after someone else bought the one copy of the book that had been ordered…it won’t be on the shelf.
The store’s computer will then reorder the book during their next “replenish” cycle and the process begins again. That “cycle” is different from store to store based on sales velocity of a title or a pre-set time to reorder from a specific publisher. If you don’t see your book? Ask the clerk. Or even special order it. This can generate sales velocity which feeds a re-order algorithm that creates more orders.
On top of all this…What if your book is pre-ordered by a large chain but only for their top 100 stores. Your local store may not be large enough to warrant the inventory. Don’t be mad at the store or at your publisher. It is a matter of pure economics and cost of inventory. Don’t send your Aunt Mabel into her local store and expect to find your book because the above scenario might apply in her case as well.
It may be that you need to talk to the store manager and explain that you are a local author. Often they like to support local talent. If you have a copy of your book with you it can show the great cover and the great publisher you have.
And people think bookselling is simple.
Please remember, if you comment, that this post is not about the viability of physical stores versus online purchasing. It is about the nature of the supply chain and why you may or may not find your book in your local store.
The closest independent bookstore to me is happy to special order books. A friend I work with was griping about the fee she’d have to pay to order a book for her granddaughter. I told her to call Joseph Beth and ask them to order it. There’s no shipping and handling fee, and it’s always nice to drive into Lexington.
Thanks for the explanation, Steve, as well as the encouraging stats on bookstores. I love to visit actual stores, so it makes me sad that so many are dwindling away.
Educational – thank you.
As the owner of a Christian bookstore for the last thirty-plus years, I may be in a position to offer an inside perspective. Each day I will process in boxes of books. Some of these are titles which I am replenishing and others are new titles. Deciding which books to replenish is based on sales history or my own desire to promote a title. The overwhelming majority of new books are ordered through publishing programs in which the publisher decides what titles to send and how many to send. By relinquishing inventory control and allowing the publisher to bring in the books under special terms, they will usually offer incentives such as better discounts, extended dating, etc. They will also offer to pick up the cost of returning the books if they don’t sell within a certain time frame. As you can imagine, my store receives a lot of books under these programs. A large percentage of them are not going to sell and will end up being sent back. Due to the flood of books that I receive in these programs, I have little shelf space and incentive to order in new titles from other publishers. If I do order a book from a publisher without such a program, it’s usually due to the same two factors that governs replenishment. I have to be rather confident it will sell or I must be so impressed by the book that I want to actively promote it. Why can’t you find your new book in your local store? Perhaps the store owner does not participate in your publisher’s new release program or the publisher doesn’t have one.
Also, it is a good idea to ask the staff about the book. Perhaps the book is in the store but has been keyed into their inventory control system in a less than ideal category.
Hope this helps.
Something I never considered when I went the Indie publishing route is that many bookstores won’t let an Amazon published book through their doors. I had a list of local author events I was applying to and most have said no, not because I’m self-published but because I published with Amazon. Traditional publishing is looking more and more appealing!
When “Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart” came out, the local outlets for two large chains (B&N and Hastings) placed it, and had trouble keeping it on the shelves. They did a good job of showcasing locals…but I had to do my part, as well, with multiple book-signings.
Which was really no burden.
It does help to get to know the local managers, and to work to fit into their schedules when you can. If they need a book signing on Saturday…and it’s Friday night when they call…BE there.
Your personal background in the retail book world helps you to explain this question thoroughly. Thanks for sharing, Steve!
I found it helped to let our local Christian book chain know that I would be mentioning the availability of the book at their stores when I spoke and did press interviews. (I live in a small country though, and this is not a mega-chain, which probably helped).
I also waited until after a big story ran in my local paper to approach a local, independent shop. I noticed they liked to carry the books of local authors, often hanging press stories as part of the display. That also worked.
Thank you, Steve. That was so informative and helpful.
Thank you for the insight, Mr. Steve! Very intriguing and good to know! 🙂