We get many requests to carry books from self-published and traditionally published authors. Here is some of our most commonly requested information:

I wrote a book. Will you carry it?

Congratulations! It is no easy feat to write a book. Black Dog Books aims to support as many authors as possible. Even so, we cannot carry every author and every book. With many self-publishing resources available now, we receive numerous emails each week from authors who would like us to sell their books. We carefully consider whether the book looks professionally published or illustrated, and whether it fits our Black Dog Books customer base. Some genres are not in demand here, and we have to keep this in mind.

If you have been published through a traditional publisher and feel we have the right audience for your work, we are happy to order it through you or through our regular distributors on standard industry terms. If your book is self-published or not available through distributors, we ask for a 60% consignment to the author and a 40% consignment to Black Dog Books. We generally start with three copies and reorder if they sell out. 

Books must be professionally bound with the title printed on the spine. If you do not have a title printed on the spine, no one will see it in our shop. The better your cover, the better your chances of selling a book. 

We refuse to accept books produced by AI. This includes using AI for editing, leaving prompts in your work, or using AI-generated art for your covers. We cannot carry books that do not meet standard publishing wholesale rates.

Can I have a signing at your store?

We try to book our events 3-6 months in advance. If your book is already published and in print, the likelihood of a successful event is less so. If you are planning to publish in the near future, an event is much more likely. Events can be a signing, a signing and reading, or a story time if it’s a picture book. Events are at our sole discretion and subject to availability. Fill out the form here, and if we are interested in an event, we will get back to you via email.

Do you have any tips for making my book successful in a bookstore?

To end up with the best product, a book to proud of and one that people want to read, here is our advice:

• Have your book professionally edited. Potential readers flipping through it in a retail environment will walk away from it if they find errors. 

• Think about hiring a professional graphic designer to do your cover and layout. The public is more likely to pick up a book that looks good. 

• Buy an ISBN and have a barcode printed on the back. 

• Go with an affordable publishing company so your price is reasonably priced within its genre. Look at other books in your books genre to get a general idea of pricing. Your book should sell at the same price everywhere. 

• Send people you know to buy your book from us. Friends or family are always welcome here and list us on your website with a link to our store’s website.

• Don’t give away free copies unless it’s an ARC.

• Whenever you do publicity for your book, list us and others who carry it as an outlet. People won’t buy your book if they don’t know what stores carry it. 

• Have you planned promoting your book yet? Having it published is a huge accomplishment and very exciting but it is only the first step of getting your work into the reader’s hands. You need to market your book. 

How long will it take for me to hear from Black Dog Books?

We receive many inquiries each week, and book events 3-6 months in advance. Depending on when in our cycle a request arrives, a response may take several weeks.