How to Sell 1,000s of Books to Giant Discount Stores and Groups

How cool would it be to get an non-refundable order for 10 to 50,000 copies of your book?

Enter the relatively secretive world of what’s known as “special sales.” Massive, non-returnable bulk order for either retail or internal distribution.

I”ve been fascinated by how these orders happen, so I tracked down Brian Jud, the president of The Premium Book Company, an organization focused on selling books on a non-returnable, commission-only basis to non-bookstore buyers. Brian is also the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books (aff link) and the Publishers Weekly title, Beyond the Bookstore. He’s the editor of the free, bi-weekly ezine, Book Marketing Matters, and he’s even written five books on career transition that are distributed internationally.

Here’s what happened when we got talking…

JF: You operate in an alternative universe to the mainstream bookselling world that many authors don’t even know exist, what is premium or special book sales?

BJ: The term “special sales” typically applies to books sold in non-bookstore markets. But most people think only in terms of libraries or the big discount stores. I break the special-sales segment into two parts. The first is retail (airport stores, specialty stores, gift shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, museums, zoos) where sales are made in the same fashion as to bookstores.

In each case you work through a distributor or wholesaler. The other is non-retail, which includes corporations, associations, schools, government agencies and the military. Publishers can sell directly to buyers in these organizations.

JF: When you sell in bulk in this way, are those sales returnable the way they are from bookstores?

BJ: In most cases, sales in the retail sector are in small quantities and are returnable. The discount stores may also seek an escrow account in the amount of potential returns. In the non-retail sector the sales are in large quantities and are non-returnable, especially where any customization is required.

JF: What type of book tends to do well in this area?

BJ: In retail selling it depends on the outlet. You have to think about who their customer is before selling to them. For example, the typical customer in an airport store is a business traveler or families traveling on vacation. They seek books with content important to them. Museums want books with content related to the museum theme – the same with zoos and aquariums.

They also prefer hardcover, and price is less of an issue than in a supermarket. Specialty stores seek books with information related to their customers, such as Home Depot, Michael’s Crafts or Bed, Bath & Beyond.

In the non-retail segment, it depends on how the book will be used. Corporate buyers may use the book as a premium, ad specialty, gift or motivational device for employees. Associations may want to use a book to support its cause, to resell in their bookstore or to use as a fundraiser. Schools want information related to their students’ grade level and curriculum.

In general, know your customer’s customers and show the buyers how your content can help them be more successful.

JF: How do you find the buyers for bigger volume sales like this?

BJ: In retail sales, you go through the standard wholesalers and distributors for each segment. In most cases you will use Ingram, B&T, Levy or Anderson Merchandisers. Anderson News and Hudson sell to this segment, too. But in the non-retail sector you are selling directly to the buyers.

You can find them at trade shows, networking, or by searching SIC/NAICS listings. You can find lists of associations at www.weddles.com. There are rep groups to take you to gift shops and corporate buyers. You can reach the military through www.aafes.com. The Marketing and Sales Group is one national rep organization that can sell for you to most non-retail buyers. You can reach them at Guy@msgpromo.com.

JF: I know some mega-stores like Costco carry a very limited selection of books and sell a huge volume, any tips on getting into stores like that?

BJ: My advice is to start locally. Go to your nearby store and speak with the book buyer. Offer to do an in-store event. If your subject is of local interest, this will help you. Tell the buyers how your promotional efforts will help build their store traffic and profit per square foot.

JF: When trying to get into the big mainstream booksellers, being self-published tends to be a big barrier, is this true with premium/bulk sales too?

BJ: In the retail segment, the reputation of the author is important. Here, cover design and pricing are vital decision criteria, too. But in general, special-sales buyers are looking for content – not necessarily books. If your content is relevant to their customers and can help them increase their sales, motivate their employees or increase store traffic then they should be open to hearing your proposal.

JF: What’s the most important thing to think about when actually writing your book to give it the best shot at being well positioned for special sales?

BJ: Think about how you will sell your book. If you are writing a cookbook, think about how you can approach the producers of the ingredients (Heinz ketchup, Kraft cheese) to use your book as a premium. If you are writing fiction, keep in mind the concept of product placement.

Use brand names for certain items (cars, soft drinks) and propose that the manufacturers of those products sell your book, too. It is relatively easy to change the names when using digital printing. Also think about cross-merchandising opportunities. If your cookbook has barbecue recipes, then it could be used at Home Depot as a premium for selling barbecue grills. Marketing is a process that may be implemented at almost any stage of the writing and publishing process for books sold in special markets.

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You can learn more about Brian at brianjud@bookmarketing.com or www.premiumbookcompany.com