Trip to B&N

The visit to the Barnes and Noble bookstore was very rewarding. I was unaware that only 10% of a book’s price will actually land in the hands of the author. I was surprised that 50% of the profits are received by the actual bookstore. Also shocking, classics, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, make up 80% of the books sold at Barnes and Noble.
The Deptford Barnes and Noble store makes an average of 1500 transactions every day, including books, music, and café items. For books and materials that are not bought, the employees use “PDT’ guns to locate the proper location of books.
Being able to listen to the perspective of a writer made the trip worthwhile. According Jonathan Maberry, “writing a book is less than one-third the work” involved in getting your work onto a bookstore shelf. He explained that editors often tweak original titles so that they will contain popularly searched keywords, increasing sales. He continued by describing the relationship a writer must have with his/her editor, and encouraged us to pursue freelance work as a good starting point.
In edition to the tips Maberry offered in working with a publishing company, he told us what sells and what doesn’t. Stephen King writes “thrillers”, not “horror;” horror doesn’t sell.