Dealing with retailers and the "vanity press" prejudice

Hi everyone,
I've just started to market my paperback and have the first inklings of a problem. I'm sure this problem can be overcome, and I wanted your thoughts on how that could be achieved.
The problem relates to bygone days when authors who couldn't get published otherwise would self-publish - this was called "vanity publishing", and lower end mags were filled with adverts for "publishing your book" or whatever, and often it was a scam. Then people would stuff handkerchiefs in their mouths and read the books, which were usually dreadful.
The problem came up like this: A friend of mine was in a shop and it occurred to him to mention my book. The lady owner was apparently aghast at the thought some self-published book in her store, but he got her card for me. Now it's my turn to persuade her that just because it's self-published doesn't mean it's a joke.
Of course, good writing, good proofreading and good cover design will help start the conversation. Also, reviews, which I'm working hard to get. But what do you suggest is a way of expressing that this is an entirely new way of thinking about publishing? How do I address that initial negative reaction, the "vanity publishing" kiss of death?
David Roddis
"From the moment I picked up your book until I put it down I was convulsed with laughter. Next time I intend reading it." —Groucho Marx
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My Books:
https://voidwheretaxed.wixsite.com/rockandfirepress/about
Tell store owners you'd like them to stock books from local authors.
So, thanks in large part to the ease of self-publishing, it is an uphill battle for the self-published author.
Skoob_ym is right, though, in what he suggests: Show your local bookstores that you in fact have something of quality that would be worth devoting shelf space to.
Reviews are a very good thing, too, especially if the reviews are from respected sources---either someone with a recognizable name (as opposed to, say, pulling comments from Amazon reviews) or a newspaper or magazine. Likewise, quotes from known authors or personalities (which you can solicit via advance review copies) look great on the cover or back cover.
And I, too, have seen a great many bookstores, both independent and chain, who maintain a section devoted to local authors. Some will often host events such as signings and readings.
(And here is something that is probably bound to start an argument: I don't see much difference between self-publishing and vanity publishing. In both cases, an author is undertaking the publication of their own work, underwriting all of the expenses involved. It's really only a "new way of thinking" technologically. Authors have been self-publishing for centuries, undertaking the very same tasks and facing exactly the same problems---including marketing---that face Lulu author/publishers.)
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
Bookstores order from pre-existing contacts. If a book does not sell it goes back to the publisher. The inability of self-published authors to offer this 'sale or return' facility is a stumbling block.
Self-published books work best with print on demand. Rather than trying to get your book into a bricks and mortar store you need to stimulate the online demand.
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas
On a different note, the primary difference between a self-publisher and a vanity press is that we cut out the middleman who adds nothing. And with POD, we're not stuck with a trunk-load of books to sell so that we can break even.
My Books:
https://voidwheretaxed.wixsite.com/rockandfirepress/about
The proper industry term for "vanity publishing" is "subsidy publishing." This is when the author of a book is entirely responsible for its publication, including any costs or expenses. This is, of course, exactly the case with any self-published author, by definition. They are their own publisher and are consequently responsible for any costs attached to the publication of their book. With POD publishing an author who is willing to dispense with commissioning any professional help, such as editing, design, etc., and/or commercially available distribution/marketing packages, may have little or no out-of-pocket expenses. This doesn't really change the underlying identity of self-publishing/subsidy publishing.
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
The only identification in a book of who the publisher may be is whatever is put on the title page and elsewhere. For instance, all of my Lulu books bear the Black Cat Press name and logo and nothing else. There is nothing in any of the books that points to me as the actual publisher.
By by the bye, you are a “fully published author” no matter who your publisher is. Whether or not you are published competently is another matter entirely...but you are still published.
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful comments and suggestions - they certainly have helped. I certainly think the "local author" route is a definite sales angle,
More often than not they are books, often very thin ones, about local things. Local history or guides, stuff like that. It's always better when written by a local who lives in and knows the area. But it would be interesting if there are any statistics to do with how many people in the area some famous novelist lives actually bought their book. I would bet the demographic percentage would possibly be the same as sales in any other place.
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas
Here's something which can change anyone's mindset on this subject. Get a pal to open a Lulu account, he can call it, I dunno - Fred's Books, say. Then he can publish your book for you; he's a publisher, you're an author, to the world at large (outside the You and Fred gang of course!), you are then a fully published author. It may be contrived, it may be based on friendship rather than making it beyond the reject pile, but, it still counts. Just a thought.
Very contrived because if using a Lulu ISBN then it will still state that Lulu (a self-publishing site) is the publisher, and if the book is only sold direct from a Lulu Storefront, then it's very obvious it's still published on a self-publishing site, even by proxy.
Interestingly, I publish e-books direct to Amazon (for Kindle, not ePubs) and it marks me as the publisher. However I do not use any ISBNs there.
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas
Regarding what you suggest about well-known authors, I suspect you are right.
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
Local authors will also write stories and novels with local settings or based on familiar events.
Some possibly do, but I cannot say I have seen any. But I do recall reading an SF novel by someone I have never heard of, and some of it was set not far from where I used to live. But every one I asked had never heard of him either, so if he was local, no one knew! Incidentally, local history books etc., are normally found for sale in local newsagents' shops and post offices (often printed by some small local printers, too) I do not recall seeing any in a book shop. But that SF novel was the opposite.
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
Try a search for “regional authors” or “literary regionalism.” That might be a good start.
Would one not need to tell a search engine which region?
I recall one strange thing from around 30 years ago. A tiny local 'pub' in a small place local to me had a guest reader night. Oddly, it was Stephen King. It's hard to get less local. I think six people were there.
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
Finally, this book store sells new and used and she basically said forget having it in the used section, she won't waste the space, since someone could easily buy the book new at any time online.
I could be off on some of her reasoning and explanations, it was a lot to take in and she was super kind to explain it to me. I'll see how things go, maybe I'll take her up on the offer eventually.
Hulsey
Would it not be more cost effective to do a giveaway promotion on Amazon? That way you could reach many more than the 20 people who buy your books, and give away perhaps two or three copies. While it is possible that those who want a book for free have no interest in buying a book, I do find that I often make sales of other titles when I do a promotion.
Perhaps if a book is permanently free it doesn't create the same buzz as a giveaway. People might figure they will come back tomorrow and download it. Actually, while on this subject I don't often buy a second book by an author whose book I have already bought, but that could be because I have such eclectic tastes.
You will need an Amazon account to create a giveaway. Go to the page your book is displayed on then navigate to the bottom of the page where you will see a link to create a giveaway. You then log in with your password and follow some easy steps. You can either create a sweepstake lasting the number of days you choose, or set the odds of an entrant winning a prize, or award the prizes on a first come, first served basis (probably not advisable). You can also choose whether entrants have to follow you on Twitter, watch a short Youtube movie, etc or do nothing at all.
You could have over 1000 people enter your giveaway competition. That's potentially 1000 people who will visit your book's web page or remember your name (or not as the case may be; this is book selling after all). If someone wins a prize they might tell a friend about your book. That's the theory anyway.
All I know is that book selling is a stressful roller coaster ride. My sales go up and down all the time, though strangely with roughly the same amount sold each month, except at year end.
http://www.lulu.com/shop/li-jung-yuen/kung-fu-scholar-methods-internal-strikes-in-100-days/paperback/product-23908600.html
Reflections of a Christian Kung Fu Master
Well, here’s something to start with. Note the reference to writers associated with individual states as well as the large number of literary journals devoted to writers of this region. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/no-there-wasnt-an-advanced-civilization-12-000-years-ago/
That seems to be dealing with some chap called Hancock. Göbekli Tepe in Turkey is fascinating, though, and I last saw it dated to 15,000 years ago. Whoever did them were astonishingly skilled with just stone tools ...
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas
Here is the correct link (which I also added to the original post) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_literary_regionalism
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kevinlomas
My Books:
https://voidwheretaxed.wixsite.com/rockandfirepress/about
Black Cat Studios http://www.black-cat-studios.com/