How to Market Your Book to Public Libraries

From Big 5 to indie and self-published too, today’s authors increasingly find themselves in the position of marketing their own books. And while there’s lots of advice on getting your title into bookstores, there’s less on approaching libraries. So how do you do it?

First, know who to ask. Decision makers differ by library size. Let’s start with the harder sells: public systems in metropolitan areas like Boston, Seattle, or New York. These libraries are often a long shot for all but Big 5. That’s because larger publishers are more likely to have established relationships with acquisitions librarians and also tend to have dedicated library marketing teams. These marketers are separate from the ones who target booksellers and readers. In order to reach library buyers, they network at events like the American Library Association (ALA)’s annual conference and Library Journal’s biannual Day of Dialog. Exhibit booths and speaking opportunities there are bought and paid, making it hard for non-Big 5 authors to get exposure.

There are two ways, though, for others authors to crack through. One is a positive review in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal (for K-12 titles), or Kirkus. (Note paid reviews don’t count.) Reviews are especially important for self-published books: Most larger library systems won’t buy them unless…