Once you’ve written and printed your book, you need to sell it. Sometimes this is easier said than done, especially since bookstores seem to promote the same well-known authors over and over. Since you’re a creative type, you’re going to try to sell your book on your own. Now what?
There are lots of places where books can be sold, and as long as you can set up a table and collect money you can probably sell your book. The easiest place is after a speaking engagement, because you’ve already got an audience who is interested in listening to you. This suggests they’ll also be willing to give you their money because they want to read what you have to say as well.
If your book has a particular niche then you might think about approaching local businesses that cater to that niche and asking them if you can sell your book at their place of business. This would work especially well with books about travel and travel agencies (though these aren’t as frequented as they once were). Another example is if your book is about wedding planning you could sell it at wedding related outlets and events. You might want to visit a high school event to sell your young adult novel – perhaps an open house or a night that has fundraisers for a cause. Perhaps you’ve written a cookbook; see if the local natural food store or cooking school will let you do a cooking demo and sell your book afterwards. If your book is about the history of sports, look into selling it at the local ball park, sports complex, or high school sporting events (with a portion of the proceeds going to the school’s booster club).
Check in your community to see what kinds of events are happening where you might be able to sell your book, such as a community fair, summer concert series, or street fair. Some communities are very supportive of their citizens, and might very well be willing to accommodate you in your efforts to sell your book. Also, look for larger conventions. It’s often possible to purchase a booth at conventions and you could set up shop in the booth to sign and sell books. You might split the cost and space with another local author (with a non-competing book). The options are only limited by your imagination. Learn to think outside the retail box and expand your book sales!
Thank you, that's a good perspective.