How to be a bookshop-friendly author

As debut authors, no sooner is the ink dry on your contract than you start learning how little you know about the world of book publishing. You might be able to write the words, but when it comes to how those words become a book, reach bookshop shelves and eventually make it into the hands of readers, you’re an innocent abroad. So since our debut novels The Miseducation of Evie Epworth and The Smallest Man came out, in July 2020 and January 2021, we’ve learned a lot, and one of the most interesting things has been discovering how important good booksellers are to the success of a debut. If you’re Philippa Gregory, Margaret Atwood or Lee Child, no one will have trouble finding your book – but for an author at the beginning of their career, it can be tougher to get visibility. So when a shop likes your book enough to put it in the window or on a table, or say to a regular customer "I think you’d enjoy this one", that’s really worth having.

Both of us were lucky enough to get incredible support from booksellers for our debuts. Matson visited over 50 indies and that personal contact has paid off in recommendations to customers, social media shoutouts and the welcome they’ve given to his second book. Frances however hit the Covid jackpot and launched her debut into the closed bookshops of lockdown three, so visits were impossible – but her launch was rescued by Ben Moorhouse of Our Bookshop Tring, who held a fantastic  Zoom event, attracting over 100 people and selling the book online as part of the ticket price, a model he continued for other lockdown debuts including Nikki Smith, Philippa East, Caroline Bishop and Lorraine Brown.

Ben’s Zoom launches are just one of the creative ways bookshops work with authors: The Stripey Badger in Grassington runs "Meet the author" cream teas; Barnett’s of Wadhurst have their very civilised Literary Lounge, with wine and nibbles. And it’s not just about events: Dan Bassett, senior bookseller at Waterstones Cribbs Causeway in Bristol is a whizz at connecting with authors on Twitter and Instagram, posting much-followed reviews and "Instagram live" interviews. 

Our own tips for visits are, buy a book, or at least a birthday card, while you’re there (it’s only polite), and be sure not to outstay your welcome – these people have got books to sell!

When the partnership works, it’s a win-win, so as an author, how do you make bookshops love you? A good way to start the relationship is to drop in a proof, says Paul Jones-King at Chapter One Loftus; "We love to know what’s coming up and if we love it then it’s easier to sell". Diane Park of Wave of Nostalgia in Haworth suggests asking your publisher’s rep to make an appointment for you, "rather than just dropping in and possibly catching us at a busy time". Not all shops order through reps though, so if you are going without an appointment, avoid weekends. "Come during the week when we’re more likely to have time to chat about your book," says Ali Jinks at the Wallingford Bookshop. Ask if the shop wants POS material or bookmarks (if they’re available), which your publisher can send.

"Don’t be offended if a bookseller hasn’t read your book," says Lucy Rawnsley at the Beverley Bookshop; "It’s not personal, we just get a lot of books in, and we can’t read all of them. But we really do love meeting the authors of the books we’re selling." Our own tips for visits are, buy a book, or at least a birthday card, while you’re there (it’s only polite), and be sure not to outstay your welcome – these people have got books to sell!

If you’ve got an idea for an event, by all means, suggest it, especially to a shop that’s local either to you or to the setting of the book, but be aware that it needs to make sense for the shop, not just financially but in terms of the work involved. Booksellers know their local market well, and if they don’t think people will pay a fiver to see a debut author on a wet Tuesday night, they’re probably right. Consider getting together with one or two other local authors, or writers in the same genre - you might be able to offer more pulling power together.

When you work together with a shop, whether it’s just popping in to sign the stock, or with a bigger event, take photos and post them on social media. "We’ll share them on ours, and then customers will often follow you," says Paul Jones-King. "But don’t commit the cardinal sin of giving Amazon as your buying link – that won’t make any indie bookshop love you! If you have to use an online platform, bookshop.org supports indies."

Once you’ve established a relationship, keep in touch. "Come and tell us what you’re working on next," says Paul Jones-King. "Then when we’re selling your current book, we can tell customers we’ve got a bit of inside info from the author, and get them on the lookout for the next one."