Well, it would seem I hit another hitch in the perilous path of self-publishing.
Who knew the all-important mega-bookstore chain, Chapters, had two catalogues? One is the online catalogue. The other is the in-store catalogue. Being listed in one does not necessarily mean the book will be listed in the other. And if you’re listed in the online catalogue, but not the in-store catalogue, that means stores cannot purchase your books directly from the distributor. They can take the books on consignment. But once the consignment stock runs out, it also means the author has to be sure to follow up in a timely fashion, acting as his/her own fulfillment house, and thereby guaranteeing sales.
So, here I am, three book signings confirmed, and none of the Chapters stores can order my books from Ingrams. Yep, that’s right; my books are only listed in the online catalogue.
Simple, you think. Just get listed with the in-store catalogue. Uh-huh. Takes weeks. Won’t happen in time for the books to be ordered, let alone shipped. Which means I’m doing consignment, which isn’t peachy, but is better than no books sold and no signings booked. And it also means I have to stretch my limited cash flow in order to facilitate the mega-chain, and hope they will indeed pay in 30 days.
As my dear friend Vandy would say: Farfle!