Writer’s Corner: Debunking Library Myths

Libraries as Institutions

When I was a little girl, I used to love going to the library. Sometimes, my mom would take me for story hour, where one of the kindly librarians would read a story aloud to a group of children. As I grew older and my reading abilities improved, I would visit the library on my own, and carry home stacks of books, because there were soooo many books that I just had to read. I might have to renew my checkout on some, but I was a voracious reader. (Still am.)

As an adult, I relished in taking my own children to the library, and practicing using their ‘library voices’. We would make a day of it, going to the park first, which was right down the street, and stopping at the drug store for a soda on the way home. The kids would each have two or three books which they had chosen, and I got to renew my book stack, as well.

With the rise of the internet and digital books, there were rumors that libraries would fade out of the picture and no longer be necessary when you could buy a book with the click of a button. But not everyone can afford to click that button, especially not with the sheer volume of books that are available today. Thank goodness libraries have learned to shift with the times and seem to still be thriving.

For me, with the feelings I have associated with libraries, it only makes sense that I would want to get my books into libraries. But not all authors feel that way. Many authors look at having their books in libraries as being detrimental to sales or that authors loose money by having their books in libraries.

Myths About Having Your Books In Libraries

Myth 1: If someone can walk into a library and read my book for free, then why would they go buy it? That’s like giving your work away.

Not true. In fact, many readers go to libraries to discover new authors. Once they find one they like, they may buy more books by the same author. I think this may be especially true for genres where whale readers are typical, like romance. When you read a lot of books, it might be smart to be sure you’re going to like their stuff before dropping a lot of coinage on an author.

Myth 2: If a library buys my ebook, it’s a once-and-done type deal. Then they can check it out as many times as they want, so I lose money.

There are two pricing models through library services which list the ebooks available to libraries.

The first, is the One Copy, One User model. This model is the one used most by library services. The library pays a set price for your ebook, higher than the price paid through retailers for each copy of your book . In the other model, they pay a certain price for each checkout made. In this model, you make money from the initial purchase, whether anyone checks out your book or not. With the second, the amount you make is in direct relation to the number of people who are reading your book.

The second model is the Cost Per Checkout model. In this model you get paid a small amount, under a dollar, everytime someone checks out your ebook. With this model, the amount of money you make is in direct relation to how many library patrons are reading your book.

Either method used, having your book in libraries offers exposure which could lead to recommendations by word of mouth, or maybe even a review. And that is gold for authors.

How To Get Your Books Into Libraries

There are two things required to get your books into libraries.

1. Access
2. Demand

Access

If you want to get your books into libraries, librarians must first have access to them. Librarians do not purchase books from Amazon or any of the other major retail distributors, but there are outlets which serve libraries specifically,including Overdrive, Bibliotheca, Odilo, Baker & Taylor, Hoopla, Borrow Box, and Palace Marketplace. These services provide lists of books which they have available to libraries, and that’s the main route librarians use to find and order books.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre wrote a book called How to Get Your Books Into Bookstores & Libraries (Purchase link at the end of this article). You can see my review of this book here.

In it, he talks about building relationships with local bookstores and libraries. They can’t support your books if they don’t know that they exist. Librarians are in contact with many readers every day. They are more likely to recommend the book of a local author they know and can put a face with the name. They are also more likely to purchase your book for their library if they know you, so here the underlying motivator is developing a relationship with your local librarian, by getting to know them and making yourself available for readings and/or author talks at their facility.

You can also listen to Mark discuss this subject and share his wisdom on Stark Reflections episode 292: https://starkreflections.ca/2023/02/24/episode-292-learning-by-doing-and-baptism-by-pyromancy-with-oskar-soderberg/

Demand

Library patrons coming in and requesting your books increases the chances phenomenally that they will order and carry your book. With the help of readers, who are also library patrons, it is often as simple as having them ask their acquisitions librarian to carry the book. So, it pays to encourage readers to request your books at their local libraries.

Purchase Link for An Author’s Guide to Working With Libraries & Bookstores: https://www.amazon.com/Authors-Libraries-Bookstores-Publishing-Solutions-ebook/dp/B082DJ1GZ6

Building Relationships

Getting your book listed on Overdrive and the other library services provides the access, and if people are requesting your book it demonstrates demand. But you can tell everyone over and over to walk into their local library and request your books, but there’s no way to assure they will follow through. And if they do, that’s great! Your books may now be carried in local libraries wherever it has been requested. But what about local libraies in your area, or in the area where your book is set?

This is the part that requires work on the author’s part. Just like books don’t sell themselves, they also don’t magically appear in libraries.

The library is a great place to discover local authors, and many folks are really into that. If your book is available in your local library, the folks who are into local authors may just discover your book, and go on to buy other books written by you. And if you write with settings in local areas, those libraries are likely to have folks interested in a book set near their homes. For example, my Women in the West series is set on the Colorado frontier, with stops in towns such as Leadville (Delilah) and Glenwood Springs (Sarah), and since they are historical fiction, they feature events and people from the local histories for those areas, so people who live there could be interested in those stories. The Leadville and Gunnison libraries are likely places where I’d like to see my books carried.

Local libraries are the easiest to build a relationship with, because it’s likely that you are already a patron, and a familiar face there. But you can’t just walk in and say, “Hey, I’m a local author, so you should carry my books.” That would be too much like a cold call, unless your face is very familiar there. But it also takes research to build the right relationships. Chances are, there are several librarians working in your local library, and while it doesn’t hurt to be familiar with all of them, the acquisitions librarian is the the one who offers the most benefit, because they are the person who decides which books to purchase for the library. If you can build a solid relationship with the acquisitions librarian, you might even get them to carry your print books, too.

I know one local author who just walked into the library and asked if they would display and sell her book there. They were quite agreeable to this, and she left a stack of print books, which they kept stacked on a corner of the checkout desk, where library patrons would see them, as they prepared to depart. Her book wasn’t even carried on the library shelves, but library patrons found her book there. She had her foot in the door, but didn’t build on the relationship. It’s too bad she didn’t take that next step and ask the library to purchase a copy, or even offered to donate a book for their shelves.

So, how do you build a relationship with your local librarians? You might start by introducing yourself, and letting them know what it is you have to offer. I’m not just talking about your books. Offer to do readings or to speak on a topic of your expertise. Libraries are always on the lookout for guest speakers, and often host local authors for readings. These are events that will draw patrons into their library, and they like that. Once you’ve done a reading of one of your books, the library is much more likely to carry on their shelves.

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For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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