You got a book contract with a small publisher and are thrilled. But after a few years, the small publisher stops selling your book.
The dream of becoming a published author often involves seeing your book on shelves, receiving royalties, and connecting with readers. In other words, it means having your book available for sale.
For many authors, signing with a small publisher offers a chance to achieve these goals, especially when large publishing houses seem out of reach.
But when your book is no longer available for sale, it’s disheartening and frustrating, and, unfortunately, it’s not uncommon.
Small publishers sometimes discontinue titles or even cease operations entirely, whether due to financial difficulties, a shift in focus, or poor sales.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
This situation recently happened to me. My small publisher stopped selling my four children’s books. As a ghostwriter and rewriter, not having my own books published and available for sale is an enormous problem.
I contacted the publisher and asked for the rights to the text be returned to me, which she willingly did. Then, I contacted the illustrator of the books and asked if he’d allow me to use the illustrations. He got his rights back from the publisher and was happy to form a partnership.
If you find yourself in this position, here’s what to expect and how to navigate this situation effectively.
IMMEDIATE IMPACTS ON YOUR BOOKS
-Loss of Availability When a publisher stops selling your book, its availability may quickly diminish. This can mean that your book is no longer listed on major retailer websites like Amazon, is marked as "out of stock," or is pulled from physical bookstores.
Potential readers might struggle to find your work, leading to declining sales and exposure. Just as bad, it will most likely be available through unscrupulous third-party sellers.
This loss of availability will also affect your credibility as a ghostwriter, freelance writer, and author.
-Royalties Come to a Halt If sales stop, so do royalties. Even if your book was selling modestly, the sudden loss of income can be disheartening.
-Rights Reversion Questions One of the biggest concerns for authors is the status of their publishing rights. If your contract does not automatically revert rights to you when a book is no longer sold, you may find yourself in a ‘legal limbo.’ You may be unable to republish or distribute your work independently.
-Marketing Disruption Many small publishers provide some marketing support, whether it’s book launch campaigns, social media promotions, or connections with reviewers. When the publisher stops selling your book, these efforts often cease entirely, leaving you to manage promotions on your own.
Note: Most, if not all, very small publishers don’t market your book. They don’t have the resources or funds.
UNDERSTANDING WHY IT HAPPENED
The reasons behind a publisher's decision to stop selling your book can vary. Understanding the root cause is critical to making informed decisions about your next steps.
-Financial Struggles: Small publishers often operate on tight budgets. Poor sales, increased production costs, or insufficient funding can force them to prioritize newer or more profitable titles.
-Shifting Priorities: Publishers sometimes change their focus, deciding to specialize in a specific genre or audience, which may leave your book outside their strategic interests.
-Low Sales: If your book didn’t meet sales expectations, it might not be viable for the publisher to keep it in circulation.
-Publisher Closure: In unfortunate cases, a publisher may go out of business entirely, leaving its authors in a precarious position.
STEPS TO TAKE WHEN IT HAPPENS
If your small publisher stops selling your book, you don’t have to let it fade into obscurity. Here’s what you can do to regain control and revive your work:
-Review Your Contract Check your publishing agreement to understand your rights. Look for clauses related to rights reversion, out-of-print status, and termination. If the publisher stops selling your book, you may have the legal right to reclaim your intellectual property.
-Request a Rights Reversion If the contract doesn’t automatically revert rights, formally request a reversion. This is what I did, as mentioned above.
Most publishers will honor such requests, especially if they are no longer profiting from your work.
-Consider Self-Publishing Once you regain your rights, self-publishing becomes a viable option. Regaining your rights allows you to retain control over your book’s distribution, pricing, and marketing. Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital make it easy to relaunch your book as an e-book or print-on-demand title.
-Rebrand and Relaunch Use the opportunity to give your book a fresh start. Consider updating the cover design, editing the content, or adding bonus material to entice new readers. Relaunching with a renewed marketing strategy can breathe new life into your book.
For my picture book series, The Adventures of Planetman, the books’ illustrations and cover are the same as the original. I did revise the stories somewhat, and thanks to advice from Carolyn Howard-Johnson, I’m adding “Second Edition” to the covers and title pages.
My chapter book, Walking Through Walls, will take more effort. I couldn’t get the original sketches and cover illustration, so I’m hiring 100 Covers to create new ones.
I’m using AI images to give the illustrator an idea of what I’d like. And I found the perfect dragon for the cover.
This is the OLD cover:
This is an example of the dragon I’d like to use for the new cover:
It’s so interesting that in my original story, the dragon was ‘golden’ but the artist at the publishing house thought red and silver was better.
-Seek a New Publisher Alternatively, you can pitch your book to another publisher, especially if it received positive reviews or has an untapped audience. Be transparent about its publishing history and provide a clear plan for how you’ll help it succeed.
-Take Control of Marketing With or without a publisher, promoting your book is essential. Build your online presence through social media, create an author website, and engage with your target audience.
Collaborate with book bloggers, participate in literary events, and explore advertising options to reach potential readers.
-Preventing Issues in the Future While you can’t predict every challenge, taking proactive steps during the publishing process can help protect your work and career:
-Negotiate Contracts Carefully Insist on clear reversion clauses and terms that protect your rights if the publisher ceases to sell your book.
-Maintain Backup Files Always keep your manuscript and supplementary materials so you can re-publish or repackage your work if needed.
I have my files on Dropbox and backed up to Carbonite. And I have an external drive that I backup to periodically.
SUMMING IT UP
While it’s disheartening when a publisher stops selling your book, it doesn’t have to mark the end of its journey.
Take decisive action and explore alternative paths. This strategy will allow you to keep your work alive and even find new opportunities for success.
Many authors have relaunched their books with tremendous results, proving that persistence and creativity can overcome even the toughest setbacks.
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, editor, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.
