A note for those who want to sell Zines, little press, and self-published books in bookstores

Working as a bookstore clerk, I receive a great many inquiries and unsolicited submissions regarding the handling of Zines, little press, and self-published materials.

In particular, as a former bookstore clerk who worked at a store that received many sales pitches, I would like to share some key points that will increase the probability of your ZINE being stocked and the likelihood of it being thoroughly reviewed.

Whether it is a small personal shop or a large bookstore, the work of a bookstore clerk is basically very busy. Second-hand bookstores, independent bookstores, and medium-sized new book stores that handle Zines are no exception; in between customer service, stocking shelves, and administrative tasks, they respond to sales pitches for self-made Zines and judge whether they are a good fit for the store.

Including myself, I want to reduce the burden on bookstore clerks as much as possible. I also have a desire to reduce misunderstandings in communication by minimizing the need for rejection notices and words. I decided to write this note in the hope that it might help with that.

Before pitching your ZINE or little press to a bookstore

Prerequisite: Did you create that finished book with the intention of it being displayed in a store?

Try imagining when you go to a supermarket.
You can see that the vegetables and fruits lined up on the shelves have certain standards, such as size and color, and that appearance is highly valued.
I believe the same can be said not only for generally distributed books but also for Zines and little press. It is a motivation for buying (reading/viewing), and it is the same act as picking up a bright red tomato rather than a green one.

Of course, if you are selling books yourself at your own online store, or selling them by hand at literary flea markets, ZINE festivals, Comiket, or art book fairs, like a farmer's direct sales stand, there is no need to be particular about appearance or standards. In that case, you can just compete on the quality of the content.

However, if your premise is to sell them, I would like you to create them with the awareness that they will be displayed in a bookstore.
It is important to give sufficient consideration to design, bookbinding, and pricing. I hope you will thoroughly research what kind of Zines and books are lined up in bookstores before you pitch them, and even before you make them.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that it is also extremely important for the text, photos, illustrations, etc., to be interesting, intriguing, and enjoyable.

Based on those prerequisites.

▶︎Did you research what kind of books are sold at the store?

Research is important for everything.
What kind of designs, photos, and text are sold at the store, and what do they handle? It is important to research Zines, little press, magazines, and books.
You should be able to find things like, 'I want to make a book like this,' or 'This part is good.'

▶︎Are you making Zines or books all of a sudden?

I think there are many people who think, 'I want to make a ZINE!', but just like with sports, you should practice diligently, such as learning the basics of design or writing a blog, rather than jumping straight into making a ZINE at first!
If you step up gradually by designing a single A4 page or creating a two-page spread, I think you will be able to create something that conveys more, gets picked up more, and is more attractive.
Learning the basics of design software and printing is important.

Personally, I think the best approach is to ask a designer or someone who can do design.

▶︎Is the text easy to read?

No matter how good the writing is, if the font size is too small or too large without intention, it is difficult to read.
Also, be careful because text placed over photos is often unreadable due to the colors.

▶︎Is the text justified (aligned at both ends)?

Especially for reading materials like essays and novels, what is important is "justification," which aligns the ends of the text. Many people really fail to do this, and even if the content is good, it can become difficult to read. In fact, this is a common occurrence.

If you like, please try comparing left-aligned and justified text in PowerPoint or similar software.
When you compare them, you will see that while the ends of the text are jagged with left alignment, the text is neatly arranged, very easy to read, and beautiful with justification. Designers and those involved in DTP (desktop publishing) do this as a matter of course, but it is also a very important point when creating and reading text.

▶︎ Did you convert your image data from RGB to CMYK? Did you also adjust the colors?

A common thing for those who bring in photo book ZINEs is that they just lay out the image data and print the ZINE as is.
If you print the colors (RGB) as you see them on your monitor, the colors may turn out poorly. If you convert them to CMYK for printing, the colors are less likely to turn out poorly.

Furthermore, if it is a photo book where the photos are the main attraction, I would like you to convert to CMYK and, after making a test print, definitely adjust the colors (color proofing).
In addition, if you are finishing it as a photo book, I want you to be properly particular about the paper, printing method, trimming, and layout!

▶ Did you make enough copies to sell?

When it comes to selling, what you need is a certain amount of stock.
Even if a bookstore wants to stock it, if you tell them you only made 5 copies, they can't help but wonder, "Did you really come here to sell with the intention of selling?"
If you are producing it with the firm intention of selling it, I would like you to make at least 50 copies. (There are various opinions on the number of copies to print, so please refer to various sources.)
Of course, there is also the method of starting with about 20 copies and printing more if they sell, but it is important to have a certain amount of stock ready from the beginning.

Let's study how bookstores work

Bookstores and the publishing industry have their own unique rules.
It is difficult to write about it here, but reading Shintaro Uchinuma's "A Reader for Future Bookstores" is educational, so I would definitely like you to read it.
By the way, you can read the whole thing on note. Also, this podcast is recommended.

◆ What is a wholesale rate (kakeritsu)?

In the world of retail and distribution, the term "wholesale rate" is extremely important, and you must understand its meaning.
In particular, those who are thinking of selling books at a bookstore should know about this term in advance.

Simply put, "wholesale rate" refers to the ratio of the store's profit to the creator/producer's share of the product.
For example, in the case of a "60% rate (6-kake)," the distribution is 60:40.
If the list price is 1,000 yen (excluding tax), the store's profit is 400 yen, and the creator's profit is 600 yen.

Also, along with the wholesale rate, you should remember“list price (jodai)”and“wholesale price (gedai)”.

List price: Retail price (the selling price at the store)
Wholesale price: The price sold to the store (if it is a 60% rate of 1,000 yen, it is 600 yen)

It is important to determine the list price while considering that printing costs, design costs, shipping costs, packaging costs, etc., must be covered from this wholesale price, and only then will a profit be made.

By the way, in general bookstores, products are placed through a middleman wholesaler called a toritsugi. The wholesale rate for books through that toritsugi is said to be about 78%. I will write about the general wholesale rate for direct transactions that do not go through a toritsugi later.

◆ What are consignment sales and outright (buyout) sales?

For books sourced directly from authors or creators, such as ZINEs and little press, there are two methods: consignment sales and outright sales.

【What is consignment sale?】
A sales method where books are sold for a certain period, the number of copies sold is reported, and the sales are settled. Unsold books are eventually returned.

・Consignment benefits:
[Creator side] If a store is hesitant to stock books because they aren't sure if they will sell, they might agree to stock them on consignment. Sometimes they may order more copies.
[Store side] Books can be returned, so there is no risk of them remaining as dead stock.

・Consignment disadvantages:
[Creator side] If they don't sell, you make no profit.
[Store side] Almost none. Inventory management, reporting sales numbers, and settlement can be a bit troublesome.

【Outright sales】
A sales method where the store buys the books at the time of stocking and sells them until they are sold out.

・Outright benefits:
[Creator side] You get paid upfront. There are no returns.
[Store side] In the case of outright sales, the wholesale rate is often more favorable than consignment, increasing profit.

・Outright disadvantages
[Creator side] Generally, you need to lower the wholesale rate by about 5-10% compared to consignment to create a difference. The store may be cautious about the number of copies they stock, leading to smaller orders, which might mean the books won't be displayed face-up or stacked.
[Store side] If they don't sell, there is a risk of them becoming dead stock. If they remain unsold for several years, they may be written off as a loss and discarded.

◆ General wholesale rates for consignment/outright sales

As mentioned above, the general wholesale rate for books distributed through wholesalers is 78%. The bookstore's profit is about 20%.
Books distributed through wholesalers are sold on a consignment basis, with the exception of some books/magazines.

On the other hand, the standard wholesale rates for ZINEs and little press made by individuals are as follows:

・Consignment sales: 60 - 70%
・Outright sales: 50 - 70%

Regardless of whether it is consignment or outright, if it is not 70%, the bookstore will have little profit, and even if it is a good book, we often have to decline if asked for 80%.

Therefore, when deciding on a wholesale rate, it is a good idea to create a difference of about 5-10% between consignment and outright sales, or to offer preferential rates based on the number of copies ordered.

◆ Regarding shipping costs and bank transfer fees

Although you don't need to worry too much about it, you should keep in mind the issue of small expenses.
Regarding shipping costs, the sender usually bears the cost in many cases.
When sending to a store, the creator pays. When returning books from a store, the store pays.

Bank transfer fees for payments also vary from store to store and are subject to consultation, but in the case of large stores, the creator often ends up bearing the transfer fee.
Regarding this as well, be sure to confirm thoroughly in advance when conducting business.

The above is the preliminary knowledge before pitching to a bookstore.
Once you have made a proper book and have the knowledge, it's time to try pitching!

How to pitch ZINEs and little press to bookstores

▶︎ Is cold-calling/dropping by without an appointment a no-go? Why email inquiries are better

When your book is printed, many people want to have it stocked in a bookstore with that same enthusiasm, but it is important to first inquire in advance whether the bookstore will actually stock it.

The reason why it is better to inquire by email is that you can present the transaction conditions such as wholesale rates and outright sales in text, and you can also have them look at the book by attaching PDF or JPEG data.
Furthermore, email communication does not take up the other party's time and allows you to proceed efficiently.

Of course, it is important to have people see the actual book and feel its texture, such as the binding and the touch, but much of the quality of the content can be sufficiently judged even through a screen.

Depending on the store, after email correspondence progresses, the conversation often expands into requests like 'please mail us the actual item' or 'please come to the store so we can talk'.

▶︎What if you really want to bring it in and have them look at it?

If you want to bring it in directly without sending an email or similar, it is best to call and make an appointment, even if it is for the same day. If you visit unannounced, the person in charge of purchasing or the manager is often absent, and you will end up leaving it with part-time staff, which often leads to nothing. In that case, you won't even get the chance to explain what kind of book it is.

In particular, if you visit unannounced on weekends when there are many customers, or on days when used bookstores are busy with buying trips, your first impression may be quite poor.
At the very least, it might be good to make one phone call before visiting to confirm if it is okay to come. You will find out if it is convenient or not.

▶︎Let's make sales materials! What content is needed for the materials?

When you have communicated via email or phone and it has been decided that you will send a sample copy, it is convenient to have a one-page A4 sales document. If you have this, it is much easier for them to actually look through it, and you can also convert it to PDF and attach it to an email.

It is good to include the following content.
However, if you include too much, it will be difficult for the other party to read, so it is important to summarize it to a level that is easy to look through.

▶︎Be generous with sample copies

A sample copy is the biggest chance to promote yourself.
If you are told that it is okay to send one, do not send a color-copied galley, but generously send the book itself. As a general understanding when sending sample copies, you should assume that for large bookstores or when having them look at it via mail, the book you sent will not be returned.
Especially for stores that handle many sales pitches, it is extremely difficult to kindly return everything they have looked at.

If you want the sample copy returned, enclose a return stamp and an envelope with your address written on it, or a cash-on-delivery slip, and clearly communicate that intention.
However, if there is a bookstore you want to have your book in, I recommend distributing sample copies freely without worrying about returns.

If the sample copy you sent is accepted, it will be placed on the storefront as a sample, and many people will pick it up and read it. As a result, your book will be delivered to more people.

▶︎Be humble with your sales pitch

A common trait among those who have made ZINEs, photo books, or collections of works is an arrogant attitude that forces upon others how excellent or good their work is. It is clear that you have confidence, but I would like you to be as humble as possible. The bookstore side will also respond with a humble attitude, so let's build a good relationship with each other.

I want the exchange of products and money to be pleasant, and I think being humble is truly important.
You must not forget that the staff at the store are the ones who know the books, understand the books, and understand their store's customers the best.

In conclusion

I have written about many things, but what is important is content strength and quality. Bookstores want to stock books with excellent writing, cool photo books, art books that make you think 'This is it!', and magazines or little presses that incorporate new sensibilities or meticulous research and content.
I am not saying you should imitate the books and magazines stacked in bookstores or that you should create things commercially. However, they do require a proper format.

I want you to go ahead and publish as a form of expression without hesitation. I believe that if independent creative works increase, the atmosphere and mood of the publishing industry, the bookstore industry, and even Japanese society will change.

One of the reasons I decided to write this note is that I felt there was far too little information available for people who want to have their self-published books handled by shops.
People who actually come to pitch their work often tell me, 'I don't know what to do.' I also hope that those of us who work as bookstore staff, myself included, can make our jobs easier.
And so, I wrote this note with the hope that creators will take a step back and re-examine their ZINES, in part to reduce the painful moments of having to turn down a pitch.

The joy of a book becoming a reality, being lined up on a shop shelf, and reaching an unknown reader is irreplaceable. If you are interested, I truly hope you will try making a ZINE or a book.

Books about ZINES