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Bookshop Santa Cruz Consignment FAQ

Program Basics | Promotional Package | Restocking & Payment | Displays & Events | End of Consignment

Who can I contact about the Consignment Program?


  • Please contact our store’s Local Author and Consignment Coordinator at: locals@bookshopsantacruz.com
  • Our Information Desk can review general program details and process in-person registration. You can stop by or call 831.423.0900 during business hours. 

Note: Most Consignment Program business is processed on a biweekly basis, with emails usually responded to within 3 business day -  but may take longer due to high numbers of inquiries. If you feel you need to speak with the Consignment Coordinator over the phone or in-person, please send an email to schedule an appointment.


Program Basics


How do I know if I’m eligible for the Consignment Program?

Please see our Consignment Program Submission Guidelines.
If you have specific questions not addressed, please send an email to our Local Author Coordinator.

How do I sign-up for the Consignment Program?

Online: 
  1. Submit your Registration Form
  2. Submit your Registration Fee (“CONSIGN”)

Online submissions will be processed by a member of our web team and will notify you with next steps for dropping-off books and/or contacting the Local Author Coordinator. Consignors will be required to sign Consignment Program Agreement at first drop-off. 

In-store:
  1. Bring 5 copies of your title to our store’s Information Desk during business hours.
  2. Complete the paper Registration Form and sign Consignment Program Agreement. 
  3. Purchase the Registration Fee (and additional Promotional Package fee, if desired)

Books will be processed and entered into inventory. Promotional authors will be contacted regarding additional information and next steps for their promotional packages. 

Please fully register your title and pay fees either online or in-person. Please do NOT register your book online, and then come in to pay fees in person - the structure of our website makes it difficult for our Information Desk staff to locate and verify online registration without a payment attached.

What is a competitive price for a consignment title?

Books should be competitively priced at or below comparable non-consignment titles.

What is a 60/40 split?

Bookshop Santa Cruz follows the book industry standard of 60/40, where 60% of the retail sale price is payable to the author.

Am I financially responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen items?

Bookshop Santa Cruz will only pay for items that were sold. On consignment, books remain the property and sole financial responsibility of the consignor until sold. Bookshop Santa Cruz is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged books.

How do I drop-off my consignment title to Bookshop Santa Cruz?

Books can be dropped off to the store’s Information Desk, which is located near the Front Street doors. We will initially take up to 5 copies on consignment. Please let our staff know if you have already submitted the registration form and fees online or will be registering the book in-person. Bookshop Santa Cruz is not responsible for authors who leave their drop-offs outside the store or at the Pacific Avenue register. 

Can I mail my initial 5 books to Bookshop Santa Cruz?

Yes, authors can opt to mail their books to their store. For additional information on the address and process, please reach out to our Local Author Coordinator. Please do not mail copies without first reaching out to the Local Author Coordinator. 

Where will my book be shelved in the store?

All Consignment books, unless requested otherwise, are initially shelved in both the Local Authors section, specifically featuring local self-published and small-press authors, and in the section of the store most appropriate to your book's subject matter (e.g. Fiction, Mystery, Biography/Memoir, Poetry, etc.). As sales occur, stock may be shifted to have the book be featured more prominently in the section sales are occurring from, as space allows. 

Promotional Package


If I’m paying the Promotional Package, do I also need to pay the $40 Registration Fee?

Yes, an author purchasing the Promotional Package will need to pay the Registration Fee (SKU: CONSIGN) and promotional package fees (SKU: CONSIGNPLUS). Books cannot be sold on Consignment until registration fee(s) have been purchased and processed. 

What is the general timeline for the Promotional Package?

Please note that due to the high volume of promotional package submissions, it can often take at least 4-6 weeks for books to be placed in the New & Recommended section after the initial drop-off. Each package element is staggered to maximize exposure for the title. Depending on the number of active promotional titles, Local Author displays may take a minimum of 6-8 weeks from package start date. Newsletter features occur in the order by which authors sign-up for promotional packages and often occur after in-store display periods have culminated.)

When my Promotional Package ends, can I sign-up for another Promotional Package on the same title?

This is handled on a case by case basis. We ask authors to wait about 12 months after the end of their initial Promotional Package to re-enroll. For questions on your specific title, please reach out to our Local Author Coordinator regarding adding another Promotional Package. 

Restocking & Author Payment


How do I know when it’s time to restock my book?

Our Consignment staff run sales reports on all Consignment titles on a weekly basis. During the consignment period, our Local Author Coordinator will contact the consignor to request additional quantities for sale. Authors will be requested to drop-off a specific number of restock copies to the Information Desk - just let our staff know and they can write you a receipt. 

As a reminder, all books in our Consignment Program are generally shelved in at least two places - the Local Authors section and the 

When do payment checks go out to consignment authors and payees? 

Bookshop will pay the consignor quarterly for items sold. The quarters are:

  • Quarter 1 (Q1): January - March
  • Quarter 2 (Q2): April - June
  • Quarter 3 (Q3): July - September
  • Quarter 4 (Q4): October - December

Sales for each book in the Consignment program within the quarter begin being processed after the last day of the quarter. Checks are sent within 6-8 weeks of the end of the quarter. If you have specific questions regarding invoicing, please reach out to locals@bookshopsantacruz.com

How long is the consignment period?

Books are sold on consignment for a minimum of six months. After this period, program staff will either extend or close the consignment period. A strong and consistent sales history will increase the likelihood of an extended consignment period.

Events and Displays


How can I get my book on display?

The optional paid Promotional Package for the Consignment Program guarantees that an enrolled book will be prominently displayed in the Local Authors section, and in a New & Recommended section of the book's subject section (or a suitable equivalent), for at least 2-3 weeks in each location.

Any other inclusion in displays, including the larger cross-genre seasonal displays (e.g. Valentine's Day, Graduation, Winter Holidays, etc.), are at the discretion of Bookshop Santa Cruz staff. Consignment staff will attempt to include your book on seasonal displays as is appropriate for your book, and as space allows, but inclusion or continued inclusion in such displays is subject to the direction of Bookshop's Marketing Department, which may cycle books through the display.

How do I book an event at Bookshop Santa Cruz?

If you would like Bookshop Santa Cruz to consider an event, you can send our Events team a proposal via email at bookshopevents@gmail.com

Please include the following information: 

  • The publisher of your book and the book's ISBN
  • When it was or will be published
  • The number of audience you expect to bring in
  • Your marketing and promotional plan (for both the book itself and an event)
  • Any organizations that you plan to do direct outreach with(also for both the book itself or an event) 

Please include all of these pieces of information, even if the Consignment department has them already, so that the events team can more easily access all pertinent information while evaluating your proposal. Please include any additional information as to why and how an event at Bookshop Santa Cruz at this time will be a success for you and the store. Keep in mind that Bookshop has a relatively limited events calendar, given our space and staffing restrictions, but the Events team do consider each proposal carefully.

I'm having an event! Can I bring by additional copies of my book?

If you are scheduled for an event at Bookshop Santa Cruz, our staff will coordinate with you to bring in additional stock for the event.

If you have scheduled an event elsewhere in the Santa Cruz community, please let us know! Depending on the location and size of the event (and on if you will be selling copies of your book at the event), we may request additional stock ahead of the event. Please let us know of any events booked - we love to know what our authors are up to, and we will keep a closer eye on Consignment titles being featured in the community via events, to be able to restock more quickly as needed.

After Your Consignment Period Ends


Can I re-enroll my book when my consignment period ends? 

Yes. To re-enroll your title, please resubmit the registration form and fees.

How will I be notified when the consignment period ends?

When your consignment period ends, you will be notified via email by our Local Author Coordinator. Please make sure that your contact information is current. If an active email is not recorded, authors may receive a phone call regarding the culmination of their consignment periods. In cases where we cannot contact authors, books will be donated on behalf of the author to a local community organization.

How will my books be returned to me when the consignment period ends?

Books will be set aside for pick-up at the store’s Information Desk. Authors can respond to the Return Notification email and request for their items to be sent (at no additional cost) via USPS Media Mail. If an author cannot be reached by phone (or shipped items are returned), books will be donated on behalf of the author to a local community organization. 


For any questions not answered about the Bookshop Santa Cruz Consignment Program by the above FAQ or the Submission Guidelines, please email locals@bookshopsantacruz.com.