Thank you for considering Readings as a potential stockist for your new book. 

Readings supports small publishers and self-published authors in our local community, and in other parts of Australia, by offering the opportunity for their books to be placed on consignment at our shops.

What does consignment mean?

Selling titles on a consignment basis means small publishers and self-published authors leaving books with us for an agreed period (2 months) to sell on their behalf. Over this period our staff closely monitor any sales. At the end of the agreed period, we pay the authors for any copies that we sell, and we return any unsold stock to them.

When does Readings accept books on consignment?

Readings’ Consignment Program runs between 1 March and 30 September (dates inclusive) each calendar year.

We do not accept titles after 30 September as we’re unable to give the program our full attention during the busy festive season. Only in exceptional circumstances will titles be stocked on consignment outside this period. This will be at the discretion of Readings’ personnel.

Is your self-published or small press title right for Readings?

We curate the selection of books, paying careful attention to the specific customer base at each shop location. Our primary consideration is simply ‘will this book reach its intended audience?’ Our Consignment Buyer considers the following criteria: subject matter, author profile (which may include social media following), market trends, planned publicity, and book design. This is the same criteria we use when presented with titles from major publishers.

Please be aware that we are offered many, many more titles than we can stock. We can only accept around 5-10% of the books offered to us, so please don’t be disheartened if we decide not to stock your book. 

What is the process for getting your book stocked at Readings?

Please complete this online form to submit your title to the Readings Consignment Program.

Each year our Consignment Program receives a large volume of submissions. Readings has a dedicated Consignment Buyer responsible for assessing submissions for all our shops. Because we are working with a large number of individual suppliers, we ask for your cooperation with our Consignment procedures to help this run smoothly.

Should your submission be successful the Consignment Buyer will contact you to enter into a Consignment Agreement to supply Readings with your book. Alternatively, we may decide to purchase a quantity from you upfront, on a wholesale basis. In any case, we will place your book at the store/s where we feel it will be successful. 

Please note we do not accept unsolicited samples at our shops. Please wait until you are invited to submit a sample.

As we receive such a high volume of submissions, we cannot respond to every request. If you have not heard from us after three months, we are not able to stock your book.

What information does Readings need to consider your book?

When you submit your expression of interest through our online form, you will be asked for some specific information. 

In addition to basic contact information, you will need to provide 

• the ISBN, title, author/s, and a synopsis of your book (max. 400 words) in appropriate detail, indicating your intended audience
• jacket image (flat, front cover only, not exceeding 5MB)
• the Recommended Retail Price (RRP) 

We will also ask you to indicate whether you have an ABN, and whether you are registered for GST to help us determine the cost price. If you don’t have an ABN, you will need to fill out an Australian Taxation Office (ATO) ‘Statement by a Supplier for not quoting an ABN’ form.

Please use this link to fill out our Consignment Submission Form.

Please note consignment submissions are assessed on a monthly basis ONLY.

Please do not use this form to submit a magazine/periodical, or other product line, for consideration, or if you would like suggest an event.