The writings of Buckminster Fuller have had a great influence on me.  I guess I just really relate to someone who relys primarily on what they have learned through personal experience.   You listen to the wisdom of others, but if your personal experience does not bear it out, then you file it away as less valuable.

Such is the case with advice I have been given about “getting the big chain book stores to stock your book”.  I have been told by various people at various times a variety of “facts” related to getting a self published book on the shelves of my local Barnes and Noble.  So I decided to walk up to the manager of my local Barnes and Noble and get the real story.

She told me, “it couldn’t be done”.  I nodded in sad agreement and started to walk away.  She then grabbed the business card of their resident community relations manager and told me to contact them in case there was something she “was not aware of”.  So I  contacted the community relations manager via email telling her simply,

“I am a local author with a book being released by Dog Ear Publishing in mid February.  How would I go about getting it on the shelves of your store and/or arranging for a book signing event?” 

She replied with two very concise process documents that gave me the information I needed, at least for Barnes US.  And, guess what?  It can be done.

Barnes and Noble Small Press Acceptance Criteria 2006

Arranging an Event at Barnes and Noble  

The caveat to this information is the 2006 date associated with the Small Press doc.  We can assume that things haven’t changed, but until we actually try and pursue the processes detailed we won’t KNOW if they have changed them for 2008.

I plan to pursue these instructions, but based on these criteria I have some additional homework to do relative to Small Press item 6  “What is your marketing plan?”.  Otherwise, I believe Dog Ear has me well postioned to meet all the other criteria.  My book is a bit pricey, but that’s part of my marketing plan.

I suspect it will be at least a month before I start chasing placement in the local book stores, so if any of you  have some first hand information you would lke me to post here, send it in!