My novellas have been stocked on consignment at both Better Read Than Dead and Galaxy Bookshop — two Sydney indies with genuinely different customer bases, but the same underlying process. If you’re self-published and want your book on a real shelf, consignment is usually your way in: most bookstores buy from distributors, not directly from indie authors, but many carry a curated consignment selection alongside their regular stock.
What is bookstore consignment?
A bookstore consignment is an arrangement where you supply your book to a store to sell on your behalf, rather than the store buying stock upfront. You get paid only once copies actually sell, with the store keeping a percentage of the retail price. The split I agreed to was 60 (me) / 40 (bookstore) — but this varies store to store, so always confirm terms upfront. Unsold copies are usually returned to you after an agreed period.
In short:
- You supply the stock, and restock as needed
- The store tracks sales and pays out periodically
- Terms are set upfront — split, consignment period, return policy — usually in a short written agreement
Finding the right bookstore for your book
Not every bookstore takes consignment, and not every one that does is a fit for your genre. Two Sydney indies worth knowing if you’re writing genre or indie fiction:
- Better Read Than Dead (Newtown) — known for actively supporting indie and self-published authors
- Galaxy Bookshop — Sydney’s dedicated sci-fi, fantasy and pop-culture specialist, a natural fit if you’re writing in genre (Gentle Sci-Fi included)
Before you approach any store, do your homework first:
- Look at what they already sell. Browse their shelves — in person or on their website — and get a feel for what their customers actually buy. If your book doesn’t sit naturally next to what’s already there, it’s a harder pitch.
- Check their website for a consignment policy. Most stores that accept consignment publish their requirements and a contact for it, so read this before you show up or email — you don’t want to ask questions they’ve already answered publicly.
What to include in your consignment pitch
Most stores will ask for the same core details, so have them ready:
- Title
- Author name
- ISBN
- Blurb
- RRP (recommended retail price)
It’s worth going a step further and putting together a short, attractive info sheet for your book — think of it as a one-page snapshot a manager can glance at in seconds: cover image, blurb, RRP, a line on who the book is for, and your contact details. A polished info sheet does a lot of the work a longer pitch would otherwise need to do.
A note on chain vs. indie stores
Consignment is mostly a small-and-independent-bookstore arrangement. Larger chains generally stock through distributors rather than dealing directly with individual authors, so your best odds are with indie stores that already have an appetite for local and self-published work.
Whether to accept a consignment is entirely at the store’s discretion — a well-prepared pitch to the right store just makes it easier for them to say yes.
Drafted by Claude AI.