How to Sell on Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble is a major bookstore chain that is headquartered in Manhattan, New York. Some believe that having your book in this store is a sign that you have "arrived" as an author or publisher. If your book has a market and is well-packaged and well-promoted, you might be able to get it listed in stores or online at BN.com.
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Instructions
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Create a media kit for your book. Include a professionally written press release, marketing plan, sell sheet with details about the book (including a picture of the cover), reviews, an author bio sheet and cover letter.
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Send a copy of your book and the media kit to major distributors and wholesalers who might be interested in your title. These distribution companies can connect you to Barnes & Noble. See "Resources" (below) for a direct link to a list of popular distributors and wholesalers, as well as more advice on how to be accepted by one. Call beforehand to make sure the company distributes to Barnes & Noble.
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Apply to become a "Vendor of Record" directly with Barnes & Noble as an alternative. You must send your media kit and a book to the company's small publisher division.
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Wait for a response from Barnes and Noble or one of the distributors. If accepted, you will receive an initial purchase order for one or more books.
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Fill your first purchase order promptly. Once the company or your distributor receives and processes the books, it will show as "In stock" with Barnes and Noble. Allow about one to two months for the book listing to appear and show as "In stock."
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Modify your book's description on the Barnes & Noble Website (BN.com). Click the "How to Submit Content" link under "Resources" (below) for instructions.
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Tips & Warnings
To sell CDs and DVDs at Barnes and Noble, you have to contact Alliance Entertainment (aent.com). For magazines, contact M2 Media Group (m2mediagroup.com) or Zinio (zinio.com).
Ask friends and family to read and give positive reviews of your book on the Website. You must drum up interest in your own book in order to keep the purchase orders flowing in.
Your book might not sit on shelves in brick and mortar stores--they might simply be sold online at BN.com and ordered on an "on-demand" basis by individual stores in the chain.
