How Libraries Can Help You Earn Out Your Book Advance

While the systems and processes for how libraries acquire books differ from library to library, writers should know and should care about how public libraries purchase books.

I’m a writer but I’m also a collection-development librarian for a library system in southern Alabama. Recently, I was asked by a fellow writer about the process I use to purchase books for my library system. I shared this process on my Twitter page, thinking no one would really care, but the thread spread like wildfire. Immediately, I was amazed that most writers are not aware how writer-friendly libraries are. Additionally, it surprised me that this information was not readily available. While the systems and processes for how libraries acquire books differ from library to library, writers should know and should care about how public libraries purchase books and how it helps them earn out advances.

As a collection-development librarian, I’m responsible for purchasing all the adult titles for my library system. I also order all adult DVDs, audiobooks (CDs), and electronic materials consisting of ebooks and e-audiobooks. My annual budget to purchase adult materials for my library system (which consists of one main library, two branches, and a bookmobile) is approximately $120,000. This is not a hefty budget considering Americans read 25 percent more last year, according to the American Time Use study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Faced with tight budgets, tough decisions must be made by librarians when selecting and purchasing titles for their libraries.

When I purchase a title, most of the time, I purchase that title five times. That’s not five copies of one title, but one title purchased in five different formats. For example, I recently purchased Kim Michele Richardson’s latest title, The Book Woman’s Daughter, the sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I ordered it in print, ebook, e-audiobook, audiobook (CDs), and large print. Most people are surprised by this. Why? Because libraries are about normal books, right? Wrong! Over the years, libraries have evolved their collections based on the needs of the people they serve, understanding patrons read differently and across a variety of formats. Thirty years ago, reading a book on a device would have been unheard of, whereas today, reading electronically has become increasingly popular. In 2017, libraries spent 27 percent of their collection budgets on electronic materials. That’s up from 16.7 percent spent on electronic content five years before that, according to data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Even more so, patrons who listen to books have grown exponentially. According to a survey by the Audio Publishers Association, the percentage of people who listen to audiobooks at home jumped to 55 percent in 2020 from 43 percent in 2019. In addition to purchasing books in print, ebook, e-audiobook, audiobook (CDs), and large print, there are two other formats: trade and mass paperbacks. In a year or so, when The Book Woman’s Daughter is released in trade paperback, libraries will order that version as well because some patrons face difficulties holding a hardcover book in their hands.

Let’s talk cost. Five formats of The Book Woman’s Daughter cost me roughly two hundred dollars with library discounts (the most expensive format is the e-audiobook version, at sixty dollars per copy). Again, that’s one title, one copy per format. The Book Woman’s Daughter hit the New York Times Best Seller list in its first week of publication, so it’s in high demand: One copy per format will not suffice. To satisfy demand and keep wait times down, I purchased one additional copy of it in print, ebook, and e-audiobook. That brings my new cost to $380 for one title. I also decided to purchase additional copies of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek as demand increased—because patrons wanted to either reread the first book or read it for the first time before reading the sequel. In addition to increased interest when an author writes a new title, older titles are often reinvigorated with the release of a movie or television series.

With my limited budget, spending $380 on one title may seem expensive, but that’s affordable for one title compared to others. Take Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson, for example. This title has been one of the most popular books in my library system since its publication—the demand is truly astronomical. As of today, I have purchased seven print books, two ebooks, four e-audiobooks, two audiobooks (CDs), and one large-print copy. Total cost? $810. And that’s still not enough to satisfy ongoing demand, as evidenced by the long waiting lists. However, part of my job (and one of the toughest aspects) is being a good steward with my limited budget. In a few months, demand for Run, Rose, Run will eventually subside. I could keep purchasing more copies, or I could purchase other titles by other authors. James Patterson publishes at least one book per month and is extremely popular in my library system; I’ve learned that my library patrons would much rather have access to all his titles instead of multiple copies of one title.

What does all of this mean for writers? Simply put, libraries purchase books, which helps writers earn out advances. Most authors focus solely on selling their books in bookstores, but it’s not unheard of for my library system to purchase more copies of a recent title than my local Barnes & Noble had to sell to customers. Libraries also do not return books, which counts against writers in their royalty statements. Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with writers focusing on selling their books in bookstores, but writers should also consider marketing to libraries, especially collection-development librarians or anyone responsible for purchasing material for their library. My publisher, Sourcebooks, does this very well, offering a Well-Read Librarian newsletter to librarians that features new and upcoming titles.

Let’s also take a moment to talk about royalties. The $810 spent on Run, Rose, Run, the $380 spent on The Book Woman’s Daughter, and all my other purchases will eventually land on author’s royalty statements. Using the percentages I earn for hardcover books, electronic materials, large print, and audiobooks outlined in my two-book deal from Sourcebooks, the $810 my library spent on Run, Rose, Run would have equaled $106.55 in royalties for me, though of course every book contract is different. The percentages I’m scheduled to earn for hardcover and electronic materials may differ vastly from what James Patterson or Kim Michele Richardson will earn. As more established authors, they possess the ability to negotiate much more favorable percentages with their publisher. However, this does not dilute the fact that $106.55 takes me—or any other author, well-known or not—one step closer to earning out the advance. And all writers with book deals understand the importance of earning out their advances!

Simply put, libraries purchase books, which helps writers earn out advances.

According to the Public Libraries Survey, conducted by the IMLS, there are over 9,057 public libraries in the United States. If a thousand libraries spent $810 on Run, Rose, Run, with the example calculations I’ve run, that would mean over $105,000 in royalties. Obviously, Run, Rose, Run is the exception: It’s cowritten by a popular author and the beloved Dolly Parton. Unfortunately, my library system does not have the budget to purchase every title by authors across all formats. However, at the very least, my budget allows me to purchase the print book and ebook of most titles. I live in a small town in Alabama, but a larger system will have a higher budget and will purchase a lot more titles. The $810 my library system spent on Run, Rose, Run pales in comparison to what a larger system with a larger budget would spend. A quick search of the San Francisco Public Library’s OverDrive consortium reveals forty-nine e-audiobooks and sixty-eight ebooks of Run, Rose, Run in their collection. That’s a total of $8,285 spent on just electronic materials (ebooks and e-audiobooks) and an estimated amount of $2,071.25 in royalties from one library system alone.

A writer doesn’t have to cowrite a book with James Patterson or be an über-popular author like Kim Michele Richardson to get their book into a library. Libraries purchase books not only across different formats but across all genres and levels of popularity. For every patron who reads Patterson books, there’s a patron at a local assisted living facility who loves cozy mysteries from debut authors, or the patron who enjoys steamy romance novels by a midlist author. If your local library has not purchased your book, request it, and even ask other patrons of your local library to make the request as well. It’s as simple as calling the library or checking their website for a suggest-a-book-for-purchase link/form. Most libraries take patron requests. In your newsletter or on your website or your social media platforms, ask your followers to request your book (in all formats) at your local library. These requests land in the inboxes of collection-development librarians like myself, and multiple patron requests of the same title show me that there’s a demand and that it will circulate well in my library.

As a collection-development librarian, it’s vital that I provide library patrons with access to titles across a variety of formats. Equal to that duty is the importance of helping writers earn out advances. It’s especially important to me now, as an author myself, that other writers understand how libraries acquire books, since I will have the unique advantage of purchasing my own book for my library next July.

It’s worth mentioning again that the process outlined in this article is how I purchase adult materials for my library system. Based on budget and library size, my process may differ from your local library. But what remains the same is the impact libraries can have on book sales. Libraries are silent champions for writers, and that doesn’t just include putting your book in front of readers; it also means making one more dent in earning out your advance.