Getting the Word Out: Selling Your Books to Libraries

Now thatI’ve finished my first collection of short-stories and am searching for a publisher, it’s interesting to look back and see how the textbook I edited sold. The Anthem Guide to Short Fiction was aimed at advanced high schoolers and undergraduate students. So it’s no surprise that it was used in high schools and colleges–and plenty of sales came that way. Other sales came from people I know and word-of-mouth recommendations. One sales avenue that I did not consider were libraries. Publishers send libraries copies of their catalogues and many sales can occur from this if your book offers them something new. You can also contact librarians yourself, though this generally only works if you have some connection to the area. It’s also important to bear in mind that acquisition librarians use Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly to help them decide which books to purchase. Being advertised or reviewed here helps the people in charge select your books.

I’ve found there are four main types of libraries: national libraries, college libraries, community college libraries, and town/county libraries. These can be a useful market, and a place where people can read your work for free. For library listings you can check out the American Library Association, Gale’s Directory of Libraries, and the LibDex. (Note: National libraries do not pay for their copies. In many countries, by law, the publisher has to send the library a copy.)

Some of the libraries that own copies of The Anthem Guide to Short Fiction are listed below:

Virginia Tech

Roanoke County Public Library

Northern Virginia Community College

Library of Congress

University of Maryland Libraries: Theodore R. McKeldin Library

Harris County Public Library (Houston, TX)

University of Wyoming: William R. Coe Library

Trinity College Library Dublin

National Library of Scotland

National Library of Wales

Newcastle University

Oxford Bodleian

Durham University

The British Library

Zentralbibliothek Zürich

Hutt City Libraries (New Zealand)

Queensland University of Tech Kelvin Grove

University of Zululand