OnlineBookClub.org

Since marketing and promotion is all about getting the book/ebook out there, free or not, I can only guess this is the forum for this question.
Have any of you considered giving your book/ebook to a library system?
I'm considering this.
Sure, that means the ebook would be free, but many play that game, anyway, through Kindle and the other ebook services.
What are your thoughts?

I know several authors who have had trouble getting the library to stock their book even for free.

Over 2 million books are published each year. Like readers who have limited time, libraries have limited space. So they are very selective about which books they choose, even if the book is free.

A $10 price tag on the book shouldn't be the deciding factor for a library or a reader. Time/space is the hidden price tag. A book needs to be worth thousands of dollars for someone to invest the time to read it or the valuable space to stock it. What's $10 compared to thousands?

If an indie author finds the $10 price tag makes the different, then I would absolutely give them the book. If the library wanted the indie author to pay the library to stock the book, that would probably be a good idea to. The new or indie author is unfortunately fighting an uphill battle.

Instead of stocking your book with a library, have you considered contacting your local library to do a meet the author and a writing class? A lot of libraries have writing groups and usually enjoy having local authors come in talk about their book, their writing process and give out some writing tips.

But if you really want to get your book into circulation, the easiest way would be to donate a hard copy. Most libraries don't refuse donations, but might if it is an eBook as that requires a bit more labor.

That's food for thought,MJ Chantel. Thank you for the suggestions.

I've had good luck with libraries in my area, as far as stocking my first book and letting me do a couple of paid classes on the art of writing. But I guess it would depend on the library, and how well the librarian in question likes your book and your work. I try to make it a point to make friends with them- it pays off later on.

karolinka wrote:I've had good luck with libraries in my area, as far as stocking my first book and letting me do a couple of paid classes on the art of writing. But I guess it would depend on the library, and how well the librarian in question likes your book and your work. I try to make it a point to make friends with them- it pays off later on.

That is a great plan. Libraries can be great, but it is a hard market to break into.

I'm not a writer, but as a reader I can say that public libraries are a great way to promote your books. I visit the library pretty often and that's usually how I discover new authors. I'm only speaking for myself here, but I'm more likely to read books by authors I've seen in a library than ones I haven't. Anyways, I think libraries are the way to go, even if they are free.

Dh_ wrote:I'm not a writer, but as a reader I can say that public libraries are a great way to promote your books. I visit the library pretty often and that's usually how I discover new authors. I'm only speaking for myself here, but I'm more likely to read books by authors I've seen in a library than ones I haven't. Anyways, I think libraries are the way to go, even if they are free.

I would love to just donate copies to libraries for people to check out. what usually happens with donations, though, is that they end up just selling the donated copies for almost nothing in sales to help with their funding. I don't really mind that in the grand scheme of things, but it keeps me from donating as often as I would like because copies aren't cheap.

Public libraries are hard to get your books into. If you know key figures that are involved in the library, it will be easier. Actually, some libraries let local writers come and promote their books by having an event. That way, you can gain some attention to your book and build a relationship with the library. So in the future, getting your books into the library will be a lot easier.

Good advise... library is worth a try, especially if you have a good relationship with them.

This was the recognized traditional thing to do back in day. However, today I would suggest indirectly introducing your book on the sideline by offering writing classes and let it be promoted organically.

It is true, public libraries are hard to get your books into especially if that is your first book

It would be difficult to get your book into a public library.

Libraries will be tough just because of the sheer amount of books out there. A reader to a library will likely be looking for the latest bestsellers, or classic books, or may be browsing to find something really good that takes their interest. And *all* library books are free to the reader. So you're competing with the best writers and best selling books out there for readers. And, from the point of view of the librarian, there are so many self published books these days too, they couldn't possibly all be stocked - nowhere near all the regularly published ones can.

That said, local libraries are a great idea to try, especially if your book is set locally, and if you offer to do events as well. Has to be worth a punt.

Many public libraries have a very specific system to get books on their shelves. While they don't turn down donations, the truth is many of those actually go into "library sales" days, and are simply sold to support the library.
Of course, contact your local library to learn about their methods, and other ways they can promote you!