Want to get your book in the library? Argyle Fox Publishing author-illustrator-comic-book-creator Michael Adam Jones explains how he did it. Watch the video above or read the full transcript below for the scoop.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Meeting Michael and His Work
Daniel Brantley: All right. Michael, thank you so much for joining me and being willing to share your story of getting your book into libraries. I think it’s a helpful tool for authors.
In fact, research shows people who go to libraries are more likely to buy books. You would think it would be the other way around, right? You think they’re going to libraries because they want free stuff, and they do, but these are people who find books they like, and then they go buy them. So, with that in mind, before we jump into how you did what you did tell us a little bit about yourself and about your first book, Nerds in the Burbs, Book One.
Michael Adam Jones: So, this was my sister’s brainchild back in 2001. [Note: Michael’s sister is Argyle Fox Publishing author Lauren Connelly.] And obviously it has been a very slow road.
Sometimes it would just sit by the wayside collecting dust for a couple of years and so on and so forth. I didn’t feel like I could write kids’ books and she and my brother-in-law were starting a family and everything, so her priorities changed, so the whole project fell on me, and I still kept the characters, so it’s a weird motley crew of characters like you’d see in a kid’s book, but then spending my twenties with a bunch of dead-end jobs and crazy roommates, apartment hunting, all that, stereotypical twenty-something stuff.
That just filled in the blanks as far as character development and whatnot, and—yeah, it’s been a long road, but finally came to fruition and it’s very surreal to hold a physical copy of the book after daydreaming for years.
Daniel Brantley: When you started the process of publishing, what were your goals? What would you like to see happen with Nerds in the Burbs?
Michael Adam Jones: Just to get the work out there and be seen. My sister and I wanted to make something that would be a series, something to pick up and develop. And over time, maybe, who knows we pitch it to—I don’t know if I’m dating myself here—like Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, all those types of things maybe see if we can turn it into something along that line.
We’re trying merchandising, we use Redbubble right now. And we’re working on book two and will see where it goes.
Deciding to Pitch His Book to Libraries & How He Did It
Daniel Brantley: Very cool. And where does getting your book in the libraries fit into kind of your goals or just your overall marketing efforts?
Michael Adam Jones: Just to get it in front of people. I don’t mind if it’s checked out a hundred times and no one makes a sale. As long as those people have seen it, that is fine by me. I’ve been buying the copies of my book for use in independent bookstores as well. Local ones especially want to highlight local authors, first-time authors, especially, because it benefits them, and it benefits you as well.
Daniel Brantley: Your journey to Argyle Fox Publishing was unique. You published it before and then you pulled it out of their hands and brought it over here and we’ve redid it. Did you attempt to put it in libraries before? If not, what drove you to want to do it this time?
Michael Adam Jones: To tell you the truth, I have no idea why it didn’t hit me two years ago. But this last time, my sons are old enough that they’re reading Hilo and Dogman and all these other books. And I’m there like, “Wait, what? I could do this, right?” Maybe I just didn’t have the confidence that it could be in a library, but I asked our local library, and they gave me a link. The link led to a form, and I just had to order one copy. I sent it in and got an email and from a Joy Jones who said, “Congratulations, just send us seven more copies.”
I’m not sure if it’s one copy for eight libraries or maybe two copies for four, but I’ll take it. And I’ve grown up in numerous different towns in different states. So, I’m trying different counties as well. I noticed the form I filled out. They wanted to know how you’re part of the community.
Warminster, Pennsylvania, for example, I spent my teen years there. That library wanted my library card number. Each county kind of has a different form, but that won’t deter me. I’ll just call and be like, “Hey, I used to go there like once a week for eight years, can I get around the fact that I live 10 hours away now?”
A Simple, Localized Process
Daniel Brantley: So really, you got your book in the library by asking and then filling out a simple form and then sending your book in for consideration.
Michael Adam Jones: Yeah, it took probably less than—just waiting for the book to arrive to me, with that aside—probably two weeks. I’m kicking myself I didn’t try it sooner.
Daniel Brantley: Yeah, that’s fantastic. And is your book already in the libraries or is that a process also where within a certain amount of time they’ll have it in the system?
Michael Adam Jones: They said it might take up to a month before they have them all in the system and sent out to the specific libraries they’re going to.
Daniel Brantley: Do you have any plans to let folks know that they’re over there at the library, go grab them and check them out?
Michael Adam Jones: Oh, yeah. I’ll be doing selfies with my own book unabashedly in the next couple weeks.
Daniel Brantley: And have you communicated with the library about a potential event?
Michael Adam Jones: My local library has tons of events a lot of first-time author events based on the genre of books. So, like cartoonists, I could do that one, could do a first-time author, local author. That’s three categories right there. Comedy, I don’t know if I fall into the sci-fi category, but graphic novel.
I think over time more doors will open and then I can try the other libraries also in the same county and see where that takes me.
The First Step to Getting Your Book in the Library
Daniel Brantley: If there are writers out there who released their books and they’re thinking, “I want to do the same thing. I want my book in my local libraries and possibly in my old local libraries where I used to live,” what’s a good first step? How can they get started?
Michael Adam Jones: Got to your local county website. Here in Wake County in Raleigh, North Carolina, we’ve got a dropdown of local libraries. I think it’s one of the options to click on or you can call and then they can send you the link or the form itself. I just happen to be there with my sons at the library, so I just took a quick photo of the link and typed it in and took all of five minutes to fill out. Then they’re going to hang on to the one copy that you send as a proof and just use that as one of library copies.
Daniel Brantley: So now that you’ll have your book in libraries, do you have other things up your sleeves, other ways that you plan to get your book out there in the public?
Michael Adam Jones: Definitely independent local bookstores. We have some of those. Everyone thought with Kindles and stuff like that, print would be dead, but it’s absolutely not.
We have quite a few little bookstores opening and it’s good for them and it’s good for you if you set up a book signing. I’m just sending out feelers right now. I’m actually going to order more copies today for several small bookstores that opened up recently around here.
Daniel Brantley: Fingers crossed! Yeah, that’s fantastic. So, you’ve already been in discussions with the local bookstores about carrying your book?
Michael Adam Jones: Yes, and some have also community boards, bulletin boards. I can make up a quick flyer with a logo QR code to the website. And they’re more than happy to put those out.
Once Local, Always Local
Daniel Brantley: Fantastic! Is there anything we haven’t touched on about the process of getting your book in libraries that you want to make sure other authors know about?
Michael Adam Jones: Again, some of them really were dead set on making sure that you’re local. Again, like Warminster Library wanted my library card number.
I lived in Seaford, Delaware, for a while, and Sussex County wanted like a little blurb on my background living there. Even without that, I could be like, “Nerds in the Burbs takes place in Philadelphia, so I can try other counties around there and just use that as a push—even though I don’t live up there anymore, it would be a good addition to their libraries.
Daniel Brantley: And where can readers and authors find you online?
Michael Adam Jones: I’m at nerdsintheburbs.com.
Daniel Brantley: Fantastic. Thank you so much for jumping in and telling us how you got your book in libraries. Hopefully, this will be helpful for other authors looking to do the same thing. And here’s to more success!
Eager to get your book in libraries? The first step is publishing. If you’re looking for a publishing company, learn about us to see if Argyle Fox Publishing is the company for you.