For Authors

Have you self published a book? Or are you thinking about it? Or has your book been published and you want to find out if we will stock your book? At Book Space Cardiff we understand that the next steps can be confusing but we want to support our local authors as best we can. We are offered thousands of new titles each year and can only take a small proportion of what is offered to us.

The following is what to think about if you are approaching independent bookshops about stocking your book:

  • How much does your book retail at? Is this price competitive with other similar books?
  • What is your trade price? A margin of no less than 40% should be offered, in line with standard trade discount.
  • Does the format include a spine and a thirteen digit ISBN?
  • We purchase any books that we have in our shop, but they are generally on sale or return, so you must be able to reimburse us for any unsold returns after a period of time of our choosing. Can you meet this requirement?
  • What category would you put your book in?
  • Who is your target market?
  • Is there a local angle?
  • What press and media would you do to promote your book?
  • Is your book stocked with wholesaler Gardners at a standard discount with returns? We generally stock 1 copy of each title, and this makes re-ordering much easier. 
  • Does the print quality and design of the book and its cover stand up to other books in our shop?

You will need to satisfy all of these requirements before we consider stocking your book. We are a small shop and we stock about a a small percentage per month of the thousand or so new titles that we are offered by publishers each month.

 

If you do satisfy these requirements, please get in touch and we can discuss how to go forward. Please do not drop in to discuss your book or leave copies with us without having been in touch first to arrange an appointment.

 

For more information check out this guide from the Bookseller's Association: https://www.booksellers.org.uk/Industry-Info/Industry-Info/Getting-your-book-stocked-in-a-high-street-bookshop

 

We do not stock books published by Amazon.