Conversation Threads: Frontline Booksellers and Sales Reps
This thread was created by Emily Oran Johnson, a sales rep at Abraham Associates. Comment anywhere on this thread and the author of the document will post a reply. You can also email Emily at emily@abrahamassociatesinc.com.
The sales rep relationship doesn’t begin and end with the owner or buyer of a bookstore. Reps love to get to know the frontline booksellers! Here are some benefits you can receive from having a relationship with a rep, and also ways to get connected.
WHAT BOOKSELLERS CAN GAIN FROM REP RELATIONSHIPS
Galleys and free stuff
You can get advanced copies of forthcoming books that you’re excited to read, and also books you may not even know about yet. These are definitely not just reserved for the main buyers in the stores. Sometimes you can even get finished copies and other swag.
Shared access to catalogs so not just buyers can know what’s coming
It’s incredibly useful and fun to get access to the electronic (or paper) catalogs so you can discover and anticipate books that are coming out from your favorite authors or publishers. Reps share their own notes with buyers as well, so that they know which books will potentially be getting press, which books are good for fans of other popular books, and other notes that are helpful for general bookselling knowledge.
Knowledge about what’s going on elsewhere in the territory
Reps tend to get lots of industry information as they travel around and visit stores and talk to other booksellers. They love to share this info in an effort to help everyone know more and do better.
Meals and drinks and mentoring
Reps love to share meals, drinks, book talk, industry talk, general ideas, and especially connections. They know a lot of good people in bookselling AND publishing and like to make sure good people know other good people.
HOW TO GET CONNECTED WITH A REP
Pay attention to publishers/imprints that you like
It’s true, the labyrinth of publishers, imprints, and distributors can feel overwhelming. But it’s not so bad if you start small and pay attention to the trends in your reading preferences. If you like a couple books by the same publisher, it’s not too hard to figure out who reps that publisher. Ask your manager or the owner (or even another bookseller) if there are reps that you should know, or if they know who reps a particular publisher you’re excited about. You also also ask your regional bookselling association or one of the bookseller groups on Facebook.
Email your rep
Send a rep a note to introduce yourself, or just to say hello if you already know them. Reps see a lot of booksellers and don’t always remember what each bookseller likes to read. They can send galleys that are better suited to your tastes if they have a reminder as to what you are interested in.
Ask for galleys/arcs
This is key! If there’s a book you’d like to read, ask your rep for a copy. Also, if you don’t get it right away, you can nudge or ask them again. This helps reps get to know your preferences better and they can recommend other books to you in a more thoughtful way. You can email them directly or ask your manager/owner if they can request for you.
Send reviews/feedback
The best way to ensure you get all the best galleys/comps/perks from your rep is to give them feedback. This goes a very long way with publishers. Indie bookseller feedback is extremely valuable to publishers.
A review on Edelweiss with an Indie Next nomination is most coveted, but even a brief email saying “I really enjoyed _____” is much appreciated. The more reviews you write for publishers, the more likely they are to send you fun stuff directly.
Tag your rep on social media
Did you love a book and post a review about it? Make a cute display in the store? Host an author or write on your chalkboard about an upcoming event? Reps love to know what’s going on in stores and with booksellers, especially in the time between their visits. If you only tag a publisher, often it’s just their social media person who will see the post. But if you include the rep as well, they can make sure that the key people behind the scenes are aware of your hard work.
Attend rep nights
Yes, rep nights often occur on a night when most employees don’t want to come back in to work, but they can be really valuable! It’s a chance to get a sneak peek at titles that are coming out in the future and can sometimes expose you to books that won’t be getting full page spreads in Publisher’s Weekly. It can also be a great way to build relationships with other book people.