For Authors
According to ISBN database (citing UNESCO), there are about 2.2 million books published every year. And, although it’s nearly impossible to measure, ISBN database further estimates there are nearly 130 million unique books in the world.
A number for comparison: Our bookstore has two full-time staff members.
Many people may walk into a store like ours, see thousands of books and ask “Is it really that burdensome to carry one more?” Every book in our collection has an important job to do and a prospective audience it is meant to reach. If you choose to fill out our “For Authors” form, please keep in mind that questions about audience are some of the most meaningful to us. To be frank, a prospective audience is the thing a traditional publisher and editor help an author with most.
We are not able to stock all locally-written or published books. We cannot stock self- or hybrid-published books.
In terms of events, as a general rule, Fireside books our events through a service called Event Grids by Edelweiss. If you are interested in doing an event, please check with your publisher to make sure you are listed as a prospective event. We generally sort Event Grids by authors with Bay Area connections. So, if you are a local author on Event Grids, you will likely hear from us.
If you are unable to have your event listed on Event Grids, a few quick notes:
- We support many offsite events. If an author builds an event, has an audience and just needs a local bookseller on site, this significantly changes our cost/benefit for supporting the event.
- We are much more likely to consider an event if we hear from a publisher, agent, or publicist connected with a reputable and well-known source.
- We no longer do events for memoirs, self help, or financial wellness books. These are both the books we are pitched most often and also the ones we have the most trouble selling.
- It is up to the author to drive attendance. We promote all of our events in the same way – our newsletter and our Instagram page, and many of our events are very well attended. Unfortunately our lowest attended events are often for authors. If you don’t bring friends, family members, coworkers, etc., your event may end up sparsely attended.
If you fill out the author form and it is clear that you have not read this page, you will not receive a response. Please do not call the store to discuss a potential event. If we haven't responded in a month, please assume we aren't able to accommodate your request for an event or order.
If you'd still like to discuss book stocking or an event with us, please fill out this form.
