Learn How to Reach the Library Book Market

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

You spot a new book that looks interesting. Where do you turn to get that book? Some of you are thinking Amazon—and yes Amazon would have some information about the book. Yet on Amazon to actually get the book in your hands, you have to buy that book and spend money.  Often the first place I look is not to buy the book but to explore my local library. Can I get the book there? Can I get the audiobook through my library? Can I get the book through interlibrary loan? Often the answer is yes.

I have a branch of my local public library about three blocks from my house. As I've learned to use their online catalog, I can often reserve books from home, then get an email they are ready for me to pick up and go get these books. If I don't find the book in their catalog, then I can use interlibrary loan to locate the book and get it. Or sometimes I will make a book purchase suggestion. For example, last week in my email I saw a book where the title caught my interest. I searched for the audiobook version on Overdrive but did not find it.  I returned to my local library and filled out a form to make a suggestion on a book. Later that day, I got an email from the library they were ordering the audiobook version through Overdrive and it should be available later that day. A few hours later, I searched for this audiobook, found it, checked it out and downloaded it to my phone—all without leaving my home.

Hopefully through these stories you are seeing the value and diversity for book lovers to be using your local library. Last week I did a 45-minute online class about libraries with Amy Collins. Here's some facts Amy pointed out:

* Over 57% of Millenials have been in a library or on their library website in the last month

* 71% of Americans have used a library in the last year

* The American Library annual budget for materials and books is just over 2.8 BILLION Dollars.

If you don't know Amy,  she is the most trusted and experienced teacher in our industry and teaches hundreds of classes each year on how to get your books INTO libraries. There is no special trick to getting your book approved and purchased by libraries. But there ARE things you have to know and do to make this amazing side of the book business work for you. Amy Collins is the founder of Bestseller  Builders and president of New Shelves Books. Collins is a recommended sales consultant for some of the largest book and library retailers and wholesalers in the publishing industry. She is a USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL bestselling author and in the last 20 years, Amy and her team have sold over 40 Million books into the bookstore, library, and Chain store market for small and mid-sized publishers. She is a columnist for and a board member of several publishing organizations and a trusted teacher in the world of independent publishers.

With over 10,000 libraries in North America alone, this wonderful opportunity to learn exactly HOW to sell into thousands of libraries is a wonderful opportunity. Amy recorded her workshop and includes a handout and valuable information. You can access it right away at:

https://www.newshelves.com/Whalin

Do you use your local library? Are you selling your books into libraries? Let me know in the comments below.

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