BumbleBooks

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Will the bookstore feature ONLY independent authors/self-published books?
  • Yes! As of 2021, self-published books accounted for over 60% of all books published that year—and the numbers keep growing! Data aside, we are determined to help both authors and readers break through the outdated notion that "self-published" equals "subpar". Many indie authors invest significant amounts of time, money, and passion into creating and curating books that rival traditionally-published works, and we want to give them the shelf space they deserve!
• How will you find (and stock) these books?
  • Full disclosure: we've been eyeing some pretty fantastic novels recently debuted! But we want books from all genres, all voices, so we will be launching a massive campaign for indie authors to submit a galley (aka proof) copy of their book for consideration. Should the cover design, formatting, and overall quality meet retail specifications, we will purchase 2-4 copies of the book to stock, with reorders possible (depending on customer demand). 
• What are the requirements for bookstore retail placement?
  • Great question! This is where many indie authors struggle, and the exact reason why we started out as Tala Editorial (to help bridge the gap between author and retail). Here are the basic minimum standards that MUST be met in order for a book to be considered for shelf stocking:
    • Size of book must be relative to content (it needs to make sense—no short novellas in huge 6x9 hardcovers!)
    • Professionally edited—NO self-edited-only works, please! (We can tell)
    • Professionally formatted *or* you did it yourself but you could totally be doing this professionally, it looks that amazing
    • Professional cover design that looks like something you'd definitely buy at a major retailer
    • 55% wholesale discount
    • Price needs to make sense (i.e. an 85k word 5x8 black and white paperback is reasonably $16.99; a $30 price tag raises questions as well as eyebrows)
    • Returns allowed—but please note, we will never bulk order a book we're not confident will sell out quickly! 
    • Available through distribution channels (i.e. IngramSpark catalog)
• What happens if a proof copy submission doesn't meet the retail standards?
  • One thing we'll definitely never do: ghost the author. It's important for both the author and booksellers to work with high-quality publications, so if we receive something that just doesn't cut it, we will (privately) let the author know why. But here's where we're different from other retailers: we'll also provide recommendations, and when available, offer the services necessary to fix the issue(s). Have a phenomenal story but not-so-great cover? We'll introduce you to one of our in-house designers! Have a great story concept but the writing execution was...eeehhhh...? We'll direct you to our educational platform for free and paid training/coaching options! And once the author has made the necessary adjustments, we'll happily review the new-and-improved copy and, hopefully, stock it on our shelves. Win-win for everyone!
• Will you buy from Amazon?
  • No. Which does mean that indie authors who wish to be stocked in bookstore retail MUST have their books available through additional distribution channels, whether it's IngramSpark or Itasca, etc. This isn't just us being picky—this is standard for bookstore retail. Not only is Amazon the #1 competitor for book sales internationally, it also does not have the means to adhere authors/publishers to high quality standards, which in turn means that we can't guarantee the quality of the books we'd order through them. 
• Will you sell other things besides books?
  • Of course! Better yet, we're driven to support and promote our community neighbors, which means our first places to find non-book retail will be the incredible small businesses in the Amana Colonies! Did you know: Main Amana is home to the last still-operating weaving mill in the entire state of Iowa? We've touched the soft weave of their cotton blankets and can guarantee the best "burrito wraps" for a rainy/snowy/foggy reading day! And don't get us started on the handcrafted chocolates from Chocolate Haus (or how hypnotic it is to watch them pour caramels...), or the heavenly Amana Coffee Co. blends...or the beautiful and one-of-a-kind art pieces from countless artisans...
• What if you don't meet your crowdfunding goal?
  • We'll work with what we've got! We completely understand—it's a hefty goal. $500,000 is nothing to sneeze at. But if there's one thing we know from decades in retail, small business administration, and general bootstrapping endeavors for the last several years, it's this: never do anything by half. Quality is everything, and it's better to go all-in with this focus on quality than to cut corners and short-change the experience for everyone. So even if we only raise half of our goal, we'll still find ways to operate and support indie authors, as well as our community.