The number of book stores in this country has declined in the last decade. And the inventory in existing book stores has gotten smaller. As a result, I’ve heard many people complaining that their favorite types of books are no longer available on the shelf.
Many of you have asked book stores to stock more of what you liked and have felt powerless when you felt you were ignored. At a recent book signing, a Barnes and Noble staff person gave me information that will point in the right direction to harness your power and make an impact on the inventory. The secret is pre-ordering.
When someone pre-orders a book before its official release date, it tells book stores that the book is in demand. If more than one person orders the same title in advance, it lets them know that buying additional copies to stock the
shelves is a good idea.
If, for example, your store doesn’t carry any or very few true crime books, start pre-ordering ones you will want. If you like novels with a strong female protagonist, pre-order those books before their release. If you order before publication and get your like-minded friends to do the same, before very long, you’ll see a change.
The pre-ordering habit
requires that you pay attention to what’s about to come out but there are
a kajillion places on line to track that and if you band together with
reader-friends, you can share information with one another—making it easier for
everyone. Post a comment here letting
others know where you’ve found the best source for future book releases.
Pre-ordering is the single best way you can help your
favorite authors be successful and continue to write the books you want to
read. Start your pre-ordering habit this
week—we’re all counting on you.