Independent Authors’ Books at the Library – and How You Can Help Get Them There

You don’t always have to buy the books reviewed here at Upstream to help spread the word about them….

Artwork by Caroline Furlong via NightCafe

Ah, the library. That building full of all the knowledge that you can get in hard copy when the internet fails you – or when you just can’t stand to look at a screen anymore.

Or so some think. With digital media so prevalent, a large number of university libraries are using it as an excuse to ditch their books. Locally, I have seen colleges purge very old books by literally throwing them in dumpsters. This included books on cassette, which only makes sense when one does not stop to consider that there are collectors who will purchase tapes on cassette. Why dump them when you could sell them or even give them away?

It is true that libraries – public, school, and private – have always weeded out old books. Public libraries in particular are meant to bring information as well as fiction to the public, and they need to cater to popular tastes. But even commenters at the previous link draw the line at tossing out books published before 2008 that are still in good condition or which have value beyond the merely physical. As The Christian Science Monitor quoted one professor:

“For humanists, throwing out these books is as devastating as locking the laboratory or studio or clinic doors would be for others.”

More to the point, if you are a regular here at Upstream Reviews, you might have noticed that a lot of the “new” books on public and school library shelves are of questionable quality. Private or public schools, it doesn’t make much difference. Several schools have scrapped books without seeking parental or official input in the past decade or more.

To some degree, weeding would account for this – if the book is not popular, then a public library would be well within its rights to put it on the sale shelf or donate it. But school libraries and university libraries, apparently, think it best to just dump them.

Advising families on how best to get better books on school library shelves is beyond Upstream Reviews’ scope. But as far as public libraries are concerned, there are possibilities to make sure independent authors’ books appear on public libraries’ shelves.

You see, it is not only possible for patrons of a public library to request independently published books, it is more than likely that the library will purchase these books. There are many benefits to this for the independent author, the author’s fans, the library itself, and public library patrons.

Most obviously, of course, is that the author is paid when a library buys his book. Somewhat less obviously, the author’s work gets circulation with a wider audience that may never have heard of him or found him online.

By requesting that your local library buy an independent author’s work, you have a chance to show that book to friends or family without pushing them to spend money on it. You also get to introduce the book to people whom you do not know and may never know because it will be on the shelf where they can just “stumble” on it at some point in the future.

If you are worried about what traditional publishers are feeding impressionable youth and children, then putting alternatives where they can be found more readily is a good idea. Aside from the nightmare of removing books from shelves, we have all heard about the graphic books assigned to students at various schools all across the country, even in Alaska. Unfortunately school libraries are not the only places to find these books – public libraries have more than their fair share as well.

People will say “this is what teens want to read,” but teens themselves dispute this. Some have been traumatized by it, though that hasn’t stopped these books from being pushed at either a local or a federal level. You want something better than this at your public library? Well, requesting some of the books we have reviewed here at Upstream would be a good place to start turning the tide. It is not book banning, after all – it is leveling the playing field. If they want to push sewage into the public library system, then we can pump in some better material right back at them.

Here is how you request an independent author’s book as a fan and (hopefully) a library patron:

Artwork by Caroline Furlong via NightCafe

Requesting as a Fan

The first thing to remember is that (a) the library has a finite amount of space and (b) they WILL weed out books that are not borrowed much. It may take a few years to do this, but it will happen; most sources suggest that two years is the usual time frame for a volume to remain on the shelf before being purged. However, libraries vary by locality, so it may be longer or shorter in some places. You may want to check how long books are kept on your local library’s shelf before you request an indie author’s book.

J. M. Anjewierdan, an author and librarian whom Upstream consulted on this point, cites studies that say that a public library’s shelves ought to be about two-thirds (2/3) full. Anything beyond that point makes it look like the library is too full, which means patrons give up searching for books to read; anything under that number makes them appear too empty.

Mr. Anjewierdan adds that some libraries will order indie books without being asked, though that may not be a common practice. He also mentions that libraries will move a book from one section to another if a patron thinks it does not belong where it has been shelved; though whether or not the book is moved ultimately depends upon which staff librarian reviews it. If you find a book in the YA section that you think has things in it that only adults should read, you can gently suggest that the library move it to the adult fiction section because it is not appropriate for teens. Likewise if you find something in the YA section that might work better in the juvenile part, you can ask that it be moved there, and so on and so forth.

It is ultimately the decision of the librarians in charge of reviewing those books. Keep in mind that your suggestion to move an item is not a guarantee that it will happen. At least you tried.

For the actual request process – in American libraries – you have the option of filling out a request form for a specific book either online at the library’s website or on paper. This means you need a library card for that library system. If you are going to request that your library pick up, say, one of Mr. Anjewierdan’s books, here is what you need to do:

1) Supply the title and author on the request/suggestion form (paper or online);

2) Add your name, email, and the format you want the book (paperback, in this case);

3) Input or write out your library card number on the request form so the librarians know who to contact when it comes in, and –

4) The single most important step: ADD THE ISBN NUMBER TO THE REQUEST FORM.

That last point is absolutely critical, as it is most likely to help the library know you are serious about wanting that book, specifically, please and thank you. If you leave it off they may think you want the ebook or they may confuse it with another title entirely – see Oni the Lonely, which is not the sole novel in existence with that title. The ISBN number also tells the library you want the physical book, not the ebook.

Sometimes, the library will purchase a book but put it in a section where it will not be read due to the listed genres or categories under which it is sold. When this happens, remember that you can suggest it be moved, but you might want to do that after you borrow the book. Even if you already have a copy of the book in your home or on your device, you should borrow it and take it home with you.

The reason for this is that it will signal to the library that they made a wise purchase and that there is an audience or “market” for that title. Remember, public libraries are meant to serve the public. They need to make sure that they are actually getting a return on investment when they purchase this book – otherwise, what is the point of having it?

It is also good to recall that, if your library is part of an inter-library loan (ILL) program, then the librarians will search to see if they can borrow the book you have requested from other libraries instead of purchasing it themselves. This has happened to me on several occasions, which is very interesting, as it tells me that I am not the only person seeking to get more indies on public library shelves.

Be prepared for your library – if it has an ILL program – to request the book you asked them to purchase from another library. I very rarely ask them to please send the book back when this happens, as the fact that it was requested at all will show on the book’s record.

Remember, the goal is to get indie books on shelves and keep them there so others can find them. If requesting a book does not work to your satisfaction because it seems like the librarians “got out of it” by borrowing it from another library, make lemonade out of lemons. No, it is not what you wanted, but that does not mean you should get angry at the library. You will get further and do better by accepting their understandable best efforts to please you, taking the book, and keeping it with you so others can see you reading or carrying it. Word of mouth is a powerful tool; if the library didn’t do precisely what you wanted, that is okay.

Use what they gave you. Turn it to your advantage and the advantage of the author whose work you enjoy. Borrow the book and any others by that writer which the library might bring to you via ILL. After all, if another library has one book by that author, they may have more.

This is particularly true if that author has one or more series extant: if the library that has the ILL relationship with yours has one book by that indie author, and they see it has been borrowed all the way across the country, then they will have a reason to keep it on the shelf a little longer. The market is wide, but it is there, and that means they can benefit from keeping that book on the shelf when they might otherwise purge it.

This is one of the more concrete ways you, the reader of Upstream Reviews, may help indie authors. Spreading the word by discussion or sharing reviews helps, but if we want to get more people reading and help those whose love of reading has been prematurely smashed by schools intent on disarming them, then this is an important tool in our arsenal.

It will not work everywhere. Each library has its own policy and it is best for you to judge how receptive your library will be on a case-by-case basis. If you know your local library will resist your request(s) or that the librarians will balk for some reason, try another tactic, like building your own mini-library or gifting the paperback to someone you think will enjoy it. There are plenty of options for you to explore, and each one is worth investigating!

Now, as for how an independent author can request his local library pick up his books….

Artwork by Caroline Furlong via NightCafe

Requesting as an Indie Author

An independent author requesting that his local library purchase his books has a somewhat higher bar to pass than a regular patron does. Most important among the reasons why indie authors need to be careful in how they get their books into libraries is, as Mr. Anjewierdan says, the fact that libraries receive unsolicited books ALL THE TIME.

He explains that most of these unsolicited books come from vanity presses and independent authors with extremely high opinions of themselves. So it is not hard to see why librarians would refuse to accept author copies to shelve, whether they were donations or requests from the independent author himself.

Therefore, the first thing you need to remember as an independent author is not to personally request the library buy your own book. Ask your fans to request it at the library instead, and do so while the book is rising in the charts on Amazon. The ranking on Amazon – as well as the number of reviews it receives – will influence a librarian’s decision to buy your book and add it to the shelves.

On the subject of reviews, purchasing a professional review from the likes of Kirkus Reviews may not be worth the cost for most indies. As Mr. Anjewierdan notes, the return on investment from paying for a professional review will likely not cover the cost of said review. It will likely not bring in a profit, and you may not break even either. This means that for most indies a professional review is not going to boost their sales or make them more appealing to libraries or other entities.

Professional reviews are also still tied to traditional publishing time frames, so not only is the review pricey, it can take anywhere from seven to nine weeks to be completed. That is, roughly, two or two and a half months. If you want a professional review but are going to release your book this weekend, that plan is not going to fly. Even if you want the review ahead of your planned publication date, that is money the review itself may not help you to earn back.

Now, that is what Mr. Anjewierdan has to say about professional reviews. When it comes to Amazon and/or Goodreads reviews, the more you have, the more likely the librarian will buy your book. The reviews do not all need to be five or four star reviews and ratings, either; Mr. Anjewierdan notes that is not helpful but suspicious.

So, when you ask your fans request your book at their local libraries, please make sure to tell them:

A) To make the request in the first couple of weeks when your book comes out and is near the top of the rankings;

B) Ask them to make the request at the start of the year. Although later in the year is still workable, early on is when the libraries’ budget are less likely to be modified so that would be a good time to make the request;

C) Recognize that the librarians cannot read everything they have coming in through their doors. So if your book ends up in a section where it will not be read, remind your fans to politely request the library move it to the appropriate section after a little time has passed.

Mr. Anjewierdan is not sure that Library of Congress Control Numbers (LCCNs) are a big factor in a library purchasing an indie book. However, if you want to acquire one, there are tutorials on how to do so and there is no cost to acquire one. You can learn a little more about LCCNs and what they are for here.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, for libraries, purchasing an indie book through Amazon’s expanded distribution keeps their costs lower and makes it easier for them to order the book. Brodart, which distributes books to libraries, usually buys the book (in Mr. Anjewierdan’s experience) and prepares it for the library shelf. If they have to purchase an indie book directly from Amazon without utilizing the company’s expanded distribution option, then Brodart will add a relatively small charge to the book for the library that puts in an order for it. Making your book cost less will make the librarians happy, which may make them eager to buy from you again.

Amazon’s expanded distribution does not net many sales for authors most of the time, and the royalties from it are smaller than those that come through their main distribution format. If you do not mind taking the hit in your royalty check to make it easier for libraries to purchase your book(s), then that is great. If you would prefer not to go with expanded distribution, then know that while it may not stop a library from buying your book (the customer is always right), it will mean you are, perhaps, not their favorite author to pick up for their eager patron.

Artwork by Caroline Furlong via NightCafe

Conclusion

Requesting that your local library purchase an indie author’s book or book series (request individual installments, at least for a start, so as not to overwhelm them) is really a very easy process. Most of the work that needs to be done is on the author’s side – first he needs to make the book, then to get it in a format besides ebook. While ebooks outsell the paperback and hardcover editions, it is good to recall that the internet is only ‘forever’ so long as there is electricity.

Natural disasters can certainly take down the internet, if only for a time, and they make electrical power precious. Having a book on your computer means nothing if you do not have the ability to charge the device and turn it on. Considering, too, the push to make everything digital, it would be wise to have hard copies available wherever possible. If your local library does not have your book in hard copy, then the next time the internet goes kaput in that location it is likely that no one will be able to read it when they are desperately seeking either a distraction of some kind or need one little gem that they can say, “At least this didn’t get destroyed.”

Personal experience with forced upgrades to devices such as Kindle or Apple also suggests that – while purchases will remain possible – all the other functions on that device will be rendered so slow as to be useless. Not everyone has the inclination, money, or time to transfer what was on an old device to a new one, and some people would prefer a device they bought to have a longer shelf life in the bargain.

Then there is the potential for hacking or some other intrusion leading to an alteration to the book you have written being made either without your knowledge or without your will. The internet is not a one-way street, and your work can at least be temporarily compromised by bad actors. If your book is in hard copy then you will have these benefits:

1) It will be available to scan page by page and then republish, if this becomes necessary for some reason;

2) If it is in hard copy and on a shelf, people can find it who would otherwise never see it because not everyone finds things on the internet;

3) Most important, if your ebook is somehow altered by bad actors, the paperback or hard cover will take longer to alter. Furthermore, anyone who already possesses a copy in these formats will not be affected by the meddling done to the ebook.

Digital media is a blessing and it is fun to use. But it is not, contrary to what some like to believe, actually permanent. Paperback and hard covers have a much longer shelf life and are more durable, both long and short term. Remember all those comics showing someone older than the internet asking for a newspaper, only to be handed a tablet with a lecture about how technology has moved on and he is an old fossil, whereupon the older person uses the tablet to swat a fly, destroying the tablet in the process? There goes your e-library in one fell swoop….

Ebooks and digital media are more fragile than many like to think or admit. If we can take the time to backup our computers, why not make sure to add some analog backups to our stories? Formatting a paperback book is possible even with Word Documents, and once one gets the hang of it, it is relatively easy to do.

So, indie authors, make sure your book is accessible to fans in more than one format. Readers, please consider filling out a request form at your local library for any of the independent books you have seen reviewed here at Upstream. We are counting on you to help spread the word! Find out if your library is interested in anything we have to offer today!