Increase Your Shelf-Life With Library Insider--by Linda Kozar

Library Insider

Have you ever heard of Library Insider? If not, keep reading!

I made the decision to sign up for Library Insider recently and wanted to share my experience working with the wonderful Judy Gann, the expert librarian and mastermind behind the service.

First, what is it? Basically, Library Insider is a website offering a selective database of United States libraries, as well as expert training to help authors engage those library contact most likely to purchase your books.

Did I say purchase? That’s right. Libraries have budgets and they do purchase books. Many authors donate their books to libraries, and while that’s fine to do, in fact a wonderful gesture, it defeats the purpose of building your sales and audience. Libraries are often overlooked by authors as a market for building book sales, yet they spend $1.6 billion on books ever year! They often buy multiple copies of author books. Also, library sales are FINAL—no returns. Unlike bookstores, the books libraries purchase stay on the shelf!

Subscription packages are offered in three options:

1.              Unlimited Access—Provides 3 months unlimited access to the entire list of 2,500+ library systems in the U.S.

2.              Unlimited Access—Provides 12 months unlimited access to the entire list of 2,500+ library systems in the U.S.

3.              A’La Carte By State-Provides 3 months access to specific states in the library locator database.

Option 3 is what I chose, as it was more affordable. I chose one state—Louisiana, since my novel, Alligator Pear is set in New Orleans. Besides the fee for the database of libraries in Louisiana, I also chose to pay an additional $15 for mailing labels to those libraries (what a timesaver!) AND $25 for a report on sales garnered from this mass mailing.

The whole experience is sort of an experiment for me.  I’m one of only a couple of indie-book authors to try this! (Though I am traditionally published as well). So I’m anxious to see if the work and expense (which wasn’t bad at all and I believe, is tax deductible), pays off in increased sales.

I encourage you to check out this site. Judy Gann was extremely helpful to me. Besides her experience as a librarian, she is also a published author, so she knows and understands both sides of the shelf. If you have any questions to ask about my experience with Library Insider, please feel free to volley away. I’m glad to help.