Guest Post: Getting Your Book Into Libraries

A Month of Rain and Reads Features3 months ago15 min readAdd comment

Welcome to A Month of Rain and Reads, a celebration of self-published and indie SFF throughout the entire month of November. To find out how you can take part and view the whole list of content, visit our introduction post.

Today, we’ve got a little something for the writers among you. That said, even if you’re not a writer, you’re still welcome to read it. Who knows what you might learn?

So you want to get more indie books into libraries. I’ve got a guide for you.

Why would I need a guide? I know how libraries work.

I love libraries. I used them my whole life. As a child, I was trapped in a rural area with no car, no internet, and no cable TV. The library was my only portal to the outside world. Having used it constantly, I thought I understood how it worked.

As an adult, I was blessed with the chance to work as a desk clerk at my local library without a library science degree. I quickly realized I had no idea how libraries functioned.

Stick around.

Aren’t all libraries the same?

There’s no such thing as a universal library system.

Libraries in the United States are different from Canadian or Belgian libraries, for example. These differences can often drastically change the user experience.

In the early 2000s, my Nova Scotian library allowed me to order books from any other library in my county for free. In 2025, Nova Scotian library users can access nearly the entire network of libraries in the province at no cost, giving them access to countless titles.

While living in Belgium, transferring a book to Ghent from another library cost 8 euro per book, which is half the cost of buying a paperback outright.

Library budgets are also drastically different, even within my own province. The largest region in Nova Scotia has a balanced budget of almost $30 million per year. My local county works with just over $1 million per year, and is constantly in an income deficit because of government underfunding. My local library has gone through periods of freezing or minimizing book purchases in order to save money. Meanwhile, when I check Libby for a digital book, Ohio almost always has 20 copies available of even the most obscure title I could look up.

I could spend an entire article just talking about what libraries actually do, how they work differently than people think, and how there are still massive barriers to accessibility in libraries world-wide. For now, it’s critical to understand that what works for my local library may not work for yours.

But how can you get indie books into libraries?

Many libraries have a form on their website where patrons can request the purchase of a book. This is the simplest option. The library then assesses if they can afford to make the purchase and if it’s a wise choice for their collection. Some libraries purchase every request, some don’t.

Indie books that are available Wide are more likely to be purchased by a library. If the book you’d like to request is available for purchase on places other than Amazon, it’s some degree of wide. If it’s only available on Amazon, it’s not.

Why can’t libraries purchase from Amazon?

Amazon has exclusivity clauses. Sometimes, ebooks and audiobooks are under Amazon exclusivity clauses, which can prevent a library from accessing the title.

If an ebook is in Kindle Unlimited, its author is not allowed to list that book on any other platform, including the library catalogue. If the book isn’t in KU or Kindle Select, the book is allowed to be hosted anywhere.

Audiobooks on Audible with the Audible Exclusive tag are only available on that platform, which does not allow for distribution to the catalogues that libraries purchase from.

Physical books are not required to be exclusive for any purposes, and if they’re an Amazon product, the books are printed at one of the print-on-demand Amazon warehouses across the world, then shipped to your home.

Many times, a library wants to purchase through one distributor, or has to use a specific digital catalogue for compatibility with their apps like Libby. This limits their access to exclusive items.

Amazon has started rolling out a system that connects libraries to their bookstores, but because this is a newer concept, it’s hard to know what the future of this relationship will be. I’ve heard many library employees state (in person or on social media) that they’d prefer not to purchase from Amazon, because of the company’s role in monopolizing the industry. As well, some of the large book distributors that libraries purchase from are closing their doors, so nothing is certain.

What’s the alternative to Amazon?

That’s what’s known as being printed Wide. Most often, an author uses Ingramspark, Draft2Digital, or other print-on-demand competitors to access a long list of markets like Kobo, library catalogues, and indie bookstores. These distributors work with ebooks and physical books. Audiobooks that are distributed wide tend to be partnered with InAudio (the new version of Findaway Voices), Spotify, or other direct upload sites.

How do digital platforms work?

Purchasing methods for the libraries can differ depending on the platform they’re using. Some digital books are purchased as pay-per-use, while others are more like a subscription for a length of time or number of uses. Libraries will examine the demand on a book, what platforms are available to them, and choose what the best option is for purchasing a book. The biggest romantasy of the year will probably be worth purchasing 20 digital copies of the book to make sure that their patrons aren’t stuck in line for a decade waiting for their copy, while other titles might be very low demand.

Hoopla’s catalogue is entirely pay-per-use. My library tells me how many checkouts I’m allowed per month, and the library pays Hoopla when I check a book out. These books are always available and there are no lines. Libraries don’t need to individually purchase the books, and are charged for the usage. Additionally, as an author, when a Hoopla patron checks out my books, I usually get paid under a dollar per reader.

Libby, however, is a catalogue that the librarians must purchase books for. In this model, the library needs to calculate the number of copies and number of uses which seem appropriate for each title. The library patrons put a hold on a book and get in line.

Authors with books available on Libby have to set their library price when they also set their store prices. The platform recommendation for libraries is to set the purchase price to double or quadruple the standard sales price. I don’t do this. If a library wants to stock my book, I charge them the same as a store price, because I’d like to remove barriers for libraries taking a chance on my work. This is a personal value, but not all authors can or should reduce their possible income this way.

A tip: Readers and authors who want to suggest ebooks for their libraries to buy can also do so through the Libby app. After searching the title in the app, hit the Refine button that looks like three lines, and hit Deep Search. Once you’ve located the title, you can tag it under Notify Me, which might ping your local library as a request to purchase. If this doesn’t work, email the library or request it on their website.

Books can’t be requested on Hoopla, since all books available on Hoopla are already on the app for all users. If the book isn’t there, only an author can fix that by having their book available wide.

I requested a book but it didn’t work! Why?

Libraries also have different policies on indie books. The unfortunate truth is the term indie covers any book not published through a traditional publishing house. People self publish AI-created junk, books with no editing that act as money grabs, and even completely empty books every single day. Some libraries might get burned too many times by purchasing truly bad indie books, and decide not to take risks on them. Other libraries will be open to the concept, but only if they can prove through Goodreads and other review sites that the book is worth investing in.

My local library has to be careful about indie book purchases because of their tight budget, but will often purchase the books of local authors. The area has a strong appetite for local work, and many of those books go out frequently.

Would donating books help?

Donating a book is an excellent way to get around the purchasing cost of a book.

As a reader, donating books that you’re finished with is a great way to help your library and community. Patrons of the library can also consider making charitable donations to libraries to contribute to their collection or programming, which is a big deal for lots of smaller institutions.

For authors, donating a book may be the best way to start a long term relationship with your library. This means paying for the book yourself, but does remove the burden of cost from the library, making it easier to say yes to shelving your work. To get started, call, email, or go into your local library to have a conversation about donating a copy. Be prepared to receive a yes or no graciously. It’s possible to just drop the book off and run away, but if the library decides not to keep the book, it’s a waste of your funds. It’s important to know their policies around donating and adding books to the collection.

In most cases, donation only works for physical books. This is because libraries purchase their digital books through a specific online catalogue. If a book is available wide, they can usually order it through Libby, and if it’s on Hoopla, it will automatically be in the collection. Libby and Hoopla are popular in North America. Many library systems exist around the world source their books through other catalogues, but that’s beyond my scope of knowledge.

Some libraries offer an option to authors where they can donate money towards the purchase of their own books in the digital catalogue. For example, I was able to do this with the Queer Liberation Library, a digital-only library serving queer communities. When I asked how I could add my books in their collection, they weren’t able to take my files for free because of technical limitations, but I was able to donate the total purchase price of those books from the catalogue.

But why would anyone want to pay for the cost of purchase?

In the case of the Queer Liberation Library, it’s a place where my readership hangs out, and a lot of new readers will find me that way. Currently, there are 8 readers waiting for my debut novel via that library alone. Those readers may go on to purchase my books! But more importantly to me, everyone deserves access to art and culture. I want my books to be available to people who can’t afford to pay for them. I was one of those people for most of my life, and it was only by the grace of libraries that I’m an author today.

The financial reason however…

Wait, are you saying you can get paid for books being in libraries?

Yes! Several countries have a program that pays authors for their books being on library shelves.

Every year, I receive a cheque in the mail from the Canada Council for the Arts, paying me for each copy of my books that a Canadian library has in their collection. In 2022, I was paid $121 CDN for two copies of The Goddess of Nothing At All being on shelves in Canadian libraries. There are maximum payments, so this benefit doesn’t stack infinitely, but if the paperback I donated cost me $15 and I’m making $60 per year, it’s an easy return on investment.

Canadian readers have incredible power. If they request a Canadian book from a Canadian author for their local library, they can help those authors make life-changing money. A single copy of my book in a library is the same as 13 ebook purchases, or 20 physical books.

I don’t know how many countries world-wide participate in programs like this, but as either an author or a reader, it’s worth finding out!

What happens to the books over time?

By necessity, libraries have to “weed” their physical collection. For my modest local library, this meant using a computer system to check for books that haven’t been taken out once in the last five years, and deciding if they needed to be removed from the collection. A book in bad condition may also be removed. Once again, there’s no such thing as a universal system, so bigger, busier libraries might be forced to remove books after a shorter shelf life because new stock keeps arriving quickly.

I’m confident that my library will keep my books on the shelf for a number of years to come, in part because my books are being checked out periodically, and in part because I have a relationship with the librarians.

Why would I want a relationship with my local library?

A lot of reasons! Your library is an excellent community resource that needs your support, but you can also leverage your relationships to your benefit. It doesn’t even have to be a tactic, you can just be professional and kind.

Depending on your library’s budget, staffing, and capacity, they may throw author events, including book fairs, author signings, and book readings. They may have book clubs that are interested in local books, and the librarians might be inclined to recommend your work to patrons. As an author, you can approach the library and ask what options you may have to get involved with events, and as a reader, you may be able to suggest local authors to your library.

In Conclusion

Libraries have more to offer than we know, and despite the large collection of traditionally published books they have on their shelves, many will be glad to form a relationship with a local author!

So don’t forget to:

Request indie books on library websites
Talk to your local librarians about donations
Ask about local and indie books that you can take out
Check online library apps for indie books
And look into your country’s library collection payment systems

Cat Rector

Cat Rector grew up in a small Nova Scotian town and could often be found simultaneously reading a book and fighting off muskrats while walking home from school. She devours stories in all their forms, loves messy, morally grey characters, and writes about the horrors that we inflict on each other. After spending nearly a decade living abroad, she returned to Canada to resume her war against the muskrats. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing video games, spending time with loved ones, or staring at her To Be Read pile like it’s going to read itself.

Find her on social media or visit her website, CatRector.com