SHELF LIFE IS CURRENTLY AT CAPACITY FOR LOCAL AUTHOR BOOKS WITH A WAITLIST. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT INTEREST FOR CONSIDERATION WHEN SPACE BECOMES AVAILABLE, PLEASE READ THROUGH THE REQUIREMENTS AND FILL OUT THE FORM IF YOUR BOOK QUALIFIES.

AGE AND RESIDENT REQUIREMENTS:

  • Authors must be 18 years of age or older.

  • Authors must have legal residency within a 60 mile radius of Shelf Life.

  • Authors who used to be, but no longer are residents of this region will not be considered.

BOOK REQUIREMENTS:

  • All books must be complete and finalized, professionally proofed, edited and corrected by a person or company actively working in the field. Grammarly or other online services do not constitute "professional editor" for the purposes of this requirement. Please do not present books that are unfinished, or that you are aware still need work of any kind.

  • All books must have the title clearly legible on the spine for shelving purposes- the exception to this are children’s books, and poetry chapbooks. Spiral bound books are not accepted.

  • All books must contain a synopsis on the back or cover jacket. Author blurbs are fine, but cannot be the only description of the content.

  • Shelf Life is currently shelving full length novels and non-fiction (memoir/biography/history/science), short story and essay compilations (flash fiction excluded), poetry, local history, and children's books.

  • Books of blog, tweet or other social media compilations, cookbooks, faith-based or religiously proselytizing books, political opinion and satire, how-to/DIY, annual compilations or ephemeral content are not accepted as they do not sell well at Shelf Life.

  • Shelf Life is not currently accepting new local author books that include any AI generated artwork or content.

  • Books that agendize the promotion of hate or violence are not accepted.

  • Shelf Life is not currently accepting anthologies, or books with more than two authors.

  • Books accepted can be either self or independently published. Traditional publishing is not accepted.

  • Cover art and titles matter, and are a primary factor in whether or not a reader will purchase a book. Please submit only books that have clear and legible text with tasteful cover art that is relative to the content of the book.

AUTHOR REQUIREMENTS:

  • Books or authors that are in a contract or other obligation with a publisher, distributor, illustrator, co-author, bookseller, or printer that prevents them from directly selling to an independent bookstore will not be accepted. Authors are strongly encouraged to be familiar with all of their contracts, including print-on-demand terms, prior to bringing in their books. In short: know what you’ve signed before filling out the form below. Please check your contracts, you will be required to sign an assumption of liability at the time of purchase, in the event of wrongful distribution

    • Shelf Life does not purchase from distributors or publishers. If you have an agency or contract that requires this, Shelf Life cannot shelve your book(s).

  • Actively promoting your book on your own website, social media, in print or other platforms is not required, but strongly suggested, and the inclusion of Shelf Life as a seller of your books will be acknowledged as reciprocating efforts to support your work.

SUBMITTING YOUR BOOK(S) FOR CONSIDERATION:

  • A complimentary physical copy of each complete and finalized book must be submitted for review at least 4 weeks before shelving and will not be returned (this book will not be sold). Unbound and electronic formats will not be considered.

  • In-store drop off is preferred. Do not mail a book to the store without making these arrangements prior to. Books received in the mail without prior knowledge will not be considered.

  • A review of your book will not be offered. Please do not submit a book if that is what you are looking for- please leave this to a professional editor or reviewer. Owner opinion of the local author books in the store is inconsequential to whether or not it will be shelved.

PURCHASE INFORMATION:

  • Shelf Life will offer a percentage of the lowest available retail price (retail price not to exceed $25) set by the author. This amount will be paid prior to shelving. How many books and titles purchased is dependent upon the cost and size of the book(s), shelf space at the time, and other incoming inventory.

  • Shelf Life pays all authors electronically for record-keeping purposes. This amount will be paid up front in full. Shelf Life does not offer cash or check payments. Electronic payments are made via Square, Inc., as a bill-pay from Shelf Life that requires the recipient to enter their checking information on their end through a valid email address (this information is not shared with Shelf Life; and this method of payment does not require a Square account or app to receive payment. Venmo is another option for electronic payment. If you are unable to take an electronic payment, your book(s) cannot be purchased for the store.

    A NOTE REGARDING EVENTS: Shelf Life local author events are exclusive to those that have been shelved at the store for a period of time that is mutually beneficial. If you are looking to get on board with an upcoming event and this is the reason for bringing in your books, please understand that with the high volume of requests to be shelved, and effort to support and expose these books to Shelf Life customers, reciprocating support is expected, and spaces for events are reserved with respect for authors who have a history of selling at the store.