Up until a few years ago, Indie authors were considered players in a publishing fad. Self-published books and their authors were considered second-class citizens in the publishing world. Today, that has all changed. Indie authors are the movers and shakers of the publishing world.

With all of the Indie authors and publishers out there, it is still almost impossible to get major chains to carry books in store. Many Indie publishers offer a return policy with their packages. This option is costly. In order to take part, authors must give a 55% discount to the book chain. This still doesn’t guarantee that the book will be ordered by the book store. Competition for shelf space is fierce and book pricing is a factor. Another factor is the sales force that large publishing companies have to sell their books. Placement in stores is usually given to well-known authors.

So, you are probably wondering if it is possible to get bookstores to carry your books at all. The answer is yes, if you are willing to develop relationships with store owners in your area. Should you let this discourage you? No, the publishing world is a rapidly changing market. As more Indie authors prevail on the best seller lists, the industry will change. Amazon is still the world’s largest book store and it caters to Indie authors.

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of four novels and CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self-publishing company. If you are interested in publishing your novel, call us at (661)251-6900 or e- mail juliet@julietclark.com.