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Invite Your Readers to Help Get Your Book Into Libraries

All they have to do is ask.

I remember the first time I “discovered” the concept of interlibrary loan. I was around nine years old, and until then I had assumed that libraries were limited to the books that were currently on their shelves. If I wanted to read something my local library didn’t have, I was out of luck—until I learned that I could ask a librarian to get it for me.

Suddenly, my reading possibilities were endless. Sure, I had to fill out a few forms and wait a few weeks, and sometimes there was a fee, but if I wanted to read a specific book, the library was ready to help me get a copy.

If your readers want to check out your book from the library, they could do an interlibrary loan request—but if you’re an indie writer who probably doesn’t have a lot of library distribution yet, it’s a lot better if your readers ask their libraries to add your book to their collection. That’s how my novel, The Biographies of Ordinary People, got into at least one library: a reader made the request, and then sent me a very excited email letting me know the library was now stocking four copies of my book.

Not everyone knows that you can make these kinds of library requests, so it’s your job as a writer to empower your readers to reach out to their libraries and librarians. This is where having an active mailing list comes in handy; you can reach out to a large number of interested readers at once, and give them detailed instructions on how to get your book into their library system.

Yes, Your Mailing List Is Important

Here’s what they need to know:

1. Many libraries will have online forms through which readers can request a book. I use the Seattle Public Library system, and their form asks readers to include their library card number (to prove they’re a library patron) as well as basic information about the book like title, author, and ISBN. These types of forms should only take a few minutes to complete.
2. If the library does not have an online request form, or if the form isn’t easy to find, your readers can also ask a librarian. If there’s one thing we know about librarians, it’s that they want to help people get the information they need—and this includes information on how to request a book.

I offer my novel in both ebook and paperback, meaning that libraries who want to stock my book have the option of ordering the paperback through Ingram Book Group. However, libraries can also order ebooks, especially when the ebooks are easily available from distributors like OverDrive and Bibliotheca.

You don't need a library card to check this out.

If you’ve already published your novel through Pronoun—or if you’re planning to publish soon—you’ll want to go into your account and click the boxes that open up OverDrive and Bibliotheca distribution. Then email your readers, reach out to your social media followers, and let everyone know that if they want to check your book out of the library, all they have to do is ask.

Nicole Dieker is a freelance writer, a senior editor at The Billfold, and a columnist at The Write Life. Her debut novel, The Biographies of Ordinary People, published in May 2017.