One of your biggest selling points, especially if a novelist, is that you’re “local.” While that can only take you so far, you’d be foolish not to fully harness it. A lot of businesses and institutions “local” products or those about their region. Among them:
• Libraries
• Tourism bureaus and historical societies
• Gift shops
• Book stores
• Stores related to you book’s topic (If you’re book is book hiking, why not get a local outfitter to carry it?)
• Bed and breakfasts
Simply approach the manager of the business or institution about carrying your books. Offer to give them a percentage of the sale with you providing the books. Mom-and-pop or locally-owned stores usually are the most interested. And don’t forget that local newspapers and radio stations almost always are interested in press releases about local authors