A Note Before We Begin
Everything I share in The Business Behind the Book comes from my own experience as an independent author. I don't claim to know everything, and I'm still learning every single day. What works for me may not work for every author, and that's okay. My hope is simply to share the lessons I've learned while building my publishing business in case they help someone else on their own journey.
One of the biggest shifts I made in my business was changing the way I thought about inventory.
When I first started publishing, I completely understood why so many authors only printed books after an order came in. Buying inventory upfront can feel intimidating. Most of us aren't sitting on thousands of dollars to fill a warehouse with books, and many of us don't have a warehouse or extra space to begin with. For a lot of new authors, that's simply not realistic.
So let me be clear: I am not saying you need hundreds of copies sitting in your home.
What I am saying is this:
If you can, keep a small inventory of your most popular books on hand.
For me, that means aiming for around five copies of each of my bestselling titles. That's enough to fulfill orders quickly while I prepare my next print run, and it keeps the pressure manageable.
You don't need a storage unit. You don't need an office. You don't even need a dedicated book room. Sometimes all you need is a single bookshelf.
Build your inventory little by little. As books sell, use a portion of those earnings to restock before you run out. Instead of trying to buy hundreds of books all at once, you're creating a cycle that allows your inventory to grow right alongside your business.
That approach has helped me see inventory as an investment rather than an expense.
Think Like a Business
Readers remember how you make them feel long before they remember your shipping policy.
When someone orders a physical book, they're excited. They want to hold it, smell the pages, flip through it, and add it to their shelves. The faster you can deliver on that excitement, the stronger the experience becomes.
And here's something else I've noticed: when readers consistently receive their books quickly, they tend to be far more understanding the rare time something goes wrong. Delays happen. Printers make mistakes. Shipping carriers lose packages. But trust is built through consistency. If every previous order arrived quickly, most readers will extend grace when an unexpected delay occurs.
Keep Your Store Open
This is probably my biggest piece of advice:
Leave your bookstore open.
Sometimes we close our stores because we're overwhelmed by the thought of fulfilling a rush of orders at once. But ironically, keeping your store open and maintaining a small inventory often helps prevent that overwhelming feeling. Orders come in steadily throughout the week instead of all piling up at once, giving you the opportunity to package, ship, reorder, and repeat.
It creates a steadier rhythm for both you and your readers.
Leave the bookstore open. Build your inventory as you grow.
Your Book Doesn't Have to Live Only on Your Website
If keeping your own bookstore open feels like too much right now, remember this: your books don't have to live only on your website.
One of the beautiful things about being an indie author is that there are multiple ways to get your books into readers' hands, and one of my favorites is independent bookstores, especially Black-owned bookstores.
These stores exist because they believe in books, stories, and community. Many of them actively support independent authors and are actively looking for new voices to introduce to their readers.
Reach out. Build the relationships. Ask about wholesale opportunities. Ask about consignment. Attend events. Offer to host a signing. Get to know the people behind the bookstore.
Even if you don't have shelves in your own home filled with books, imagine walking into a neighborhood bookstore and seeing your novel sitting there, waiting for someone to discover it.
That's still your bookstore. That's still your book finding its reader.
Your website is your home. Bookstores are your ambassadors.
The goal isn't simply to sell books, it's to make your books accessible.
You Don't Have to Do Everything Yourself
If packing and shipping orders isn't realistic for your lifestyle or business, there are companies that can help. Services like IngramSpark, Amazon, and other distribution partners can print and ship books directly to your customers, depending on how you've set things up.
For some authors, that's a much better fit than storing and managing inventory themselves, and that's completely okay.
The important part isn't how the reader gets the book. It's that they get it.
Whether someone orders directly from your website, purchases through a fulfillment partner, or discovers your book while browsing the shelves of an independent bookstore, you've accomplished the same mission: you've made it easier for a reader to find your story.
Sometimes we spend so much time trying to do everything ourselves that we forget there are bookstores, communities, and distribution partners that genuinely want to help independent authors succeed. Don't be afraid to use them.
Remember the Reader
One of the sayings I live by is this:
I'm a reader writing for readers.
Before I ever published a book, I was a reader. I know what it feels like to eagerly wait for a package. I know the excitement of opening a new book. And I know the disappointment of waiting far longer than expected with little to no communication.
That's why I try to make every business decision by asking myself one simple question:
If I were the reader, how would I want this experience to feel?
Sometimes that means adding a bookmark. Sometimes it means slipping in a little surprise. Sometimes it simply means shipping the book as quickly as I can.
Because the reading experience doesn't start on page one.
It starts the moment someone trusts you enough to click Place Order.
One More Thing
Everything I've shared here is especially geared toward newer authors, or authors who don't yet have the capital to keep a large inventory on hand.
If that's you, start small.
Five books. One bookshelf. One shipping station. One system. Build from there.
As your business grows, your fulfillment strategy should grow with it. Some authors choose to open their bookstores on specific dates each month. Readers know exactly when books will be available, the author fulfills those orders within a set window, and then the store closes until the next opening. That model works well for some businesses because it allows the author to manage demand without becoming overwhelmed.
The important part isn't which system you choose, it's choosing a system you can consistently deliver on.
One of the biggest mistakes we make as indie authors is allowing ourselves to sell more than we can realistically fulfill in a reasonable amount of time. So ask yourself honestly: if you work a full-time job, if you have children, if you're balancing writing and everything else life brings — how many orders can you actually package each day without burning yourself out?
Five. Twenty. Maybe fifty.
Whatever that number is, build your inventory and your store around it.
It's okay to sell out. I'd rather sell out and reopen once I've caught up than continue accepting orders I know won't ship for months. Readers understand "Sold Out." What's harder to recover from is when expectations and reality don't match.
The goal isn't simply making a sale. It's creating a buying experience that makes someone excited to order from you again.
Being an author is creative. Being an indie author is running a business, and a business isn't just about making a product. It's about delivering that product well.
I also know that not every reader can travel to book signings or literary events. Between tickets, transportation, meals, and the cost of the books themselves, attending an event can be a significant expense. Your website is often the most accessible way for many readers to support you. That's another reason I believe in keeping my bookstore active whenever I can. I want my books available to the reader across the country just as much as the reader who can meet me in person.
At the end of the day, I come back to the same sentence that guides almost every decision I make:
I'm a reader writing for readers.
Before I ask what's easiest for me, I ask what's best for the person who's trusting me with their money.
That question has shaped my business more than anything else.
What has been one of the biggest lessons you've learned about operating a bookstore/ author site? I'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.
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