19 Ways to Secure Non-Returnable Book Sales

Surprisingly, book stores are not always your greatest source of book sales. Most authors and publishers do want their books to be available in all of the book stores, and rightly so. You want your book to be there, too. You want your book to be a “household name” – a topic of conversation in coffee rooms and at dinner tables everywhere. Your publicity campaign is designed to create interest in your book, and to drive buyers to the book store market.Unfortunately, those traditional book store sales aren’t always “sold”. The books might be returned over and over again. That’s the sad reality of the book retail industry.Your book’s fame, however, can help you to acquire nonreturnable sales in the nontraditional market where a sale actually is a sale – where sales of 25,000 copies and more are not uncommon. Here are 19 strategies that will help you acquire those sales:1. Write your book for a very broad market – nonfiction works best.2. Write a book that people will be happy to give as a gift.3. Add as many photos and illustrations as you can afford.4. Keep the topic light – avoid heavy social commentaries, controversial topics, scientific theories and other “heavy” subjects.5. Have your book professionally designed.6. Have your book professionally edited.7. Give your book a catchy name – avoid boring titles such as How to Have a Happy, Fulfilling Life.8. Make sure that the cover design is appealing, appears three dimensional and can compete with all of the major publishing houses. Hire a professional designer.9. Sell the benefits of your book on the back cover. That is where you will sell buyers on the reasons why they just can’t live without your book.10. Price the book competitively in your genre.11. Make your book look like it is good value for the price – it’s all about perceived value in the minds of the buyers.12. Don’t write for yourself – write for the end buyer. Fulfill a need for them or make them feel better.13. Think of the corporate market when you are writing. Make a list of corporations that can benefit from your book, and then contact them.14. Submit your book to the book clubs at least six months before you publish.15. Find an agent who sells to the gift market.16. Find an agent who sells foreign rights.17. Find an agent who sells to the display market.18. Don’t be afraid to offer large discounts on nonreturnable sales.19. Seek licensing agreements – they are a great source of income for no work on your part. A professionally designed book opens many doors while an amateurish appearance closes many doors. It is vitally important that you invest in your book at the beginning to create sales in the long term. Plan for publicity and marketing before you print your books – printing is not the final expense in your marketing plan. It is the beginning. You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it. Create a book that buyers just can’t resist.