Author Smarts: Getting Your Book into Airport Bookstores

Do you want your book in the airport?   

If you do, you need to know that Hudson News (NJ based) or The Paradise Shops (GA based) are the only players for airport book sales.

 Pitch it to headquarters—it’s all about the book … has to be designed and written well. The book hook is critical. Offer a special “Cooperative Rate”—i.e., you offer a special reduction on the first order only that amounts to a $2 credit per book over the regular discount.  Alert: return rates are 60-70% … unless the book takes off and then reorders happen.

Seek out the bookstore at your airport the next time you are flying. Spend some time and discover what types of books they are carrying. Ask the manager which types of books move. If she has the time, tell her that you are weighing the possibility of marketing your book to Hudson News or The Paradise Shops—the owner of the store— for inclusion. Have your SHORT book pitch on the tip of your tongue and state who the reader is. Does she think your book could move?

Caution—many of these stores only have one, possibly two people working, so be precise and honor their time.

If you land a spot on an airport bookstore, you have a very short window to support it. Massive email time to all you know within your social media channels: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, etc. You need to, you must, create shout outs from you to your communities. Remind them that the book will be in the airline stores for the timeframe and encourage them to pick up a copy … and tell others as well. Write a blog and post a picture of your book in one of the stores. Market, Market, Market.

Airline Specialty Magazines. The captive audience is what the author desires to shout out their book to … and airlines provide that audience every day of the week. Next time you are on a plane, take the magazine in the pocket in front of you … study it. What types of articles are included? Could the genesis of your book be a fit? All the contact info is on an interior page.

Airports and airlines may be a perfect fit for you and your books.

Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd, the Author and Publishing expert and the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Author U, a membership organization created for the author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. She’s the author of 30 books including Author YOU: Creating Your Book and Author Platform that has won multiple “best” in the writing/publishing categories in book award competitions. Her next book is Snappy, Sassy, Salty … Wise Words for Authors and Publishers. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Your Guide to Book Publishing on the www.RockStarRadioNetwork.com.

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and TheBookShepherd on Facebook. Join the Author U LinkedIn Group and the Author U Google+ community. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.