Selling Books to Libraries

Thinking of selling your book to libraries? There are many of them, both in number and category: public, school, military, etc. However, there are several considerations that could slow the sales effort.

For example, libraries frequently prefer to order from only one or two companies, such as Baker & Taylor or Quality Books. Thus, their operating costs are reduced because they only need write one or two checks, rather than a multitude as would be the case when purchasing from many companies.

Another aspect of library sales is making sure your book fits within the library's scope. For example, is your book appropriate for a military library? Similarly, your book needs to fit within the school's grade levels and/or a particular curriculum area.

Lastly, libraries are keen on your book having an ISBN. However, they are not as stringent about Cataloging in Publication data or Library of Congress control numbers.

As always with self-publishing, know what you want to do with your book and to whom you want to sell it.