Christy Peterson
Christy Peterson, Author and Bookseller at Vintage Books
In a recent radio interview with Christy Peterson, we delved into the essential steps for authors aiming to get their books into independent bookstores.
Christy emphasized the importance of ensuring that a book is professionally edited, as a polished manuscript is crucial for standing out in a competitive market.
She also highlighted the need for a compelling book cover, which serves as the first impression and can significantly influence a reader’s decision.
Additionally, Christy discussed the necessity of having a comprehensive and ongoing marketing plan, demonstrating that the book is not only well-crafted but also marketable.
This strategy helps to assure bookstore owners that the book will attract customers and generate sales, making it a worthy addition to their shelves.
Christy shares more about what authors can do to improve their chances of getting their books into independent bookstores at http://northwestbooktalk.com/christy-peterson/ and at her website.
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Books by Christy Peterson
After our radio talk Christy shared answers to more questions. Enjoy!
Question 1:
The book doesn’t have broad appeal. An example from among requests we have received are family history stories that don’t have broader themes or a picture book that is too generic, not offering anything beyond what 1,000 books before it have done. To any bookstore, shelf space represents potential earnings, so a book has to be likely to sell to the community of readers that frequent that store.
The book has clearly not been edited. For example, typos are clearly present, grammar hasn’t been corrected, story hasn’t been “tightened” up as would happen if it had been through several editing passes.
The book has been poorly designed. Design includes the front and back cover, typesetting, and layout.
Question 2:
My favorite example of this is local hiking book author Jessica Becker.
She has written a series of guidebooks that share hiking trails in the region that are good for families and kids.
She mentions us as a local place to purchase her guidebooks in nearly every social media posts.
As a result, her books have sold really well, and we continue to keep them on the shelves.
Question 3:
This applies specifically to self-pubbed authors, but usually before an invitation is extended for an interview, we like to see that the author is honoring their consignment agreement by actively letting folks know they can purchase the book at Vintage.
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