Sell More Books to Libraries, by Fern Reiss

So it's important to be sure your book is reviewed in those publications. If you've published traditionally, you can expect your publisher to handle this step (though it can't hurt to ask the publicist or editor if this will happen automatically--and follow through to make sure it does.) If you're self-publishing your book, be sure you send a bound galley (not a finished book) to these publications at least five months before your publication date--that is, five months before the books become available to bookstores, Amazon, etc. A good review in one of these review journals (and for the purposes of publicity, usually even a bad review is a good review) can lead to several thousand library sales.

If you don't get a review in one of the major publications, consider taking the back door approach if appropriate: Go for a review of the audio version of the book. (Hadn't considered doing an audio book? Start thinking about it.) The audio review section of Library Journal, for example, is easier to get into than the print section, so in lieu of a review of your printed book, think about whether it might be worth producing an audio version--if only to make librarians aware of your book title. If they review the audio of your book, be sure to make it clear that there's also a printed version--in which case they'll mention it in the context of the review.

Libraries are always trying to fill gaps in their collections (as opposed, for example, to bookstores, which are only trying to fill collection gaps if they see a strong consumer demand for the niche). But for librarians, niche books are very desirable. So if you can position your book so that it's a 'the only' title--the only book on cooking whole meals in a fondue pot, the only book on how to have a six-figure career without ever leaving your house, the only book on how the world might have been different if JFK hadn't been shot--you have a strong shot at library sales. I positioned my book, The Infertility Diet: Get Pregnant and Prevent Miscarriage (www.InfertilityDiet.com) as the only book on how to treat infertility and miscarriage nutritionally. I positioned Terrorism and Kids: Comforting Your Child (www.TerrorismandKids.com) as the only book on how to talk to your kids about 9/11. (That's not true anymore--but it was when the book first came out, shortly after September 11th.) With The Publishing Game (http://www.PublishingGame.com) books I had a problem, because they were not the only books on how to find a literary agent, how to self-publish, and how to successfully promote your book. So I figured out another tactic and positioned them as the only 30-day step-by-step roadmaps to these topics. Because I was able to position my books as 'the only' books in their category, they all enjoyed reasonable library sales.