Capitalizing On the Public Library Book Market: The Public Lending Right Program

One of the most important markets available to self-published authors and the independent press are libraries.  Having your book stocked on the shelves of your public library, as well as public libraries around the world, provides easy access for your book to be read by tens of thousands of readers.  It’s also a great way to promote and market your work.  Readers who like your book will often order a persona is l copy, recommend it to their friends, and search online for other work you may have published.

When you’re promoting your work, you can say “check out my book at the Edmonton Public Library,” or when putting together a sales pitch, you can mention that your book can “be found on the shelves of eighteen Canadian libraries.”  This will immediately lend weight to your status as an author, as well as pique curiosity and generate interest about your book.

There’s a great program here in Canada called the Public Lending Right Program, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, which financially compensates Canadian authors when their titles are found in public library catalogues.

For more information about the Public Lending Right Program, please look here.  You shouldn’t hesitate to register your book because registration only runs 15 February – 1 May, 2012.

Talk with your local librarian about how to get your book stocked on their shelves.  Your librarian will also be able to help market your book to other public libraries.  As an author, encourage others to request that your book be stocked in their public library.  Post it on your website, blog, and send an email to everyone in your contact list.

Books sell through sweat equity.  Books stocked in public libraries may be read by tens of thousands of readers – here, a minimal amount of sweat investment yields maximum results.

–  Wolfgang Carstens