Why re-invent the wheel?
Welcome to The Peer Brain Trust: a collection of content for booksellers road-tested by SIBA and SIBA member bookstores.
Discover and share useful documents and downloads, media and graphics, and much more you can use in your store or adapt for your store's specific needs and challenges.

Do you have great ideas or useful content to share with fellow booksellers? Click here to let SIBA know!
Peer Brain Trust- Useful forms for dealing with authors, both local and otherwise.
Author Information Form Link
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Administration
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9/25/2017
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SIBA17 Handout
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What Authors Need to Know
PDF (681.43 KB)
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Administration
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3/2/2016
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This is a great brochure to use with authors that visit your store or website and could benefit from education about the indie bookselling industry.
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Regrets Template: Refusal to Stock Authors Book
DOC (24 KB)
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Administration
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3/2/2016
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[Date]
Dear [name]
We recently received the information you sent to us on your book along with your request that we stock it. We have reviewed the information and, regretfully, decided not to carry it at [store name]. We have limited resources and shelf space for adding on new titles or publishers and, therefore, have to choose our stock very carefully. We receive an enormous number of solicitations for books that we cannot accommodate, so please do not consider it a reflection on the merit of your title that we are unable to satisfy your request. We will hold the book under your name at the front counter for two weeks should you wish to come by to pick it up. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to look at it.
Sincerely,
[your name] [your title]
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Terms Letter Template for POD
DOC (24 KB)
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Administration
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3/2/2016
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Date]
Dear [name]
Thank you for contacting us about your book. We do not order directly from [pod publisher] or other internet publishers, due to their policy of not crediting returns from booksellers. However, we would be willing to stock two copies of your book on a consignment basis at 40% off the retail price. If we sell those, we would send you a check for those two copies and request more. If they don’t sell, we would return the books at your expense, or donate them to our semi-annual charity sale that raises money for Books for Kids. If those terms meet with your approval, please send us two copies of the book with your mailing address (no P.O. box, please) and how you would like us to deal with any unsold copies should that be the case. If not specified, we will donate them to Books for Kids.
Sincerely,
[your name] [your title]
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Refusal Letter Form
DOC (24 KB)
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Administration
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2/28/2016
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Informing a writer that you will not be carrying their book
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Author Merchandise Review Form
PDF (26.12 KB)
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Administration
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2/28/2016
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Malaprops shares their form for writers who leave merchandise at the bookstore.
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Resources for authors looking to work with independent bookstores.
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