Are you using a distributor? If so, how many books do they carry? How many in your genre?

The answer is usually there are plenty of books in my genre and my distributor does not always pay a lot of attention to my book. There may be many reasons for this. If you are an unknown author, your book becomes more difficult to sell to the bookstores and libraries. If your cover design is not what the distributor likes, the book may be shuffled to the bottom of the pack.

If you do not have a distributor, find one that will work with you. This means find a distributor that has a big enough presence in the marketplace but is not so big that they only look at you as net profits. Once you have a distributor in place, get the names, addresses (including email), and phone numbers for all the representatives. Send a copy of your book by Priority Mail with your marketing plan, press releases and all types of testimonials from reviewers, friends and so on. The more material you provide, the easier it is for them to sell your book.

If your distributor is attending a trade show such as Book Expo America or any of a number of smaller shows. Offer to be there and help out. You want them to get to know you so when you call, they will recognize your name. You want them to know who you are without being a pest.

If you have press coverage for your book or yourself, send an electronic version the reps immediately so they can use it. The more information you feed your distributor, the better your relationship.

Find out when the distributor has marketing calls and get on the call list for them to tell you what they want. When you do find out, go out and do it - don't procrastinate on this one. They are there to work for you and make money on both sides. If you do not actively participate, don't count on their support to sell your book. YOU are the active ingredient in the whole process.