Author's Frequently Asked Questions

I want you to carry my book. What should I do? 

First, please email us and let us know a bit about you and your book. Please send emails to events@learnedowl.com. A brief synopsis is all that’s necessary. We’d also like to know if you are local, or if you have a local connection. If it seems as though your book would suit our shop, we will ask you to drop off a sample copy with us. In about 2 to 4 weeks, we will let you know if we can carry it. 

What books suit your shop? 

As a general book shop, we carry just about everything, but not absolutely every book is for us. Very occasionally, we find that we cannot carry a title. Sometimes this is because we do not maintain a significant collection in the genre, or because the author has no particular connection to the Northeast Ohio area. In very rare cases we must turn people down due to the extremely graphic nature of their work, or because of bad spelling. These decisions are made entirely at our discretion and are final. 

You didn’t email/call me back. Does that mean you hate my book? 

Not at all! Because we wear many hats here at the Learned Owl, sometimes things can fall off our radar. We keep very busy waiting on customers, ordering stock, checking special orders, hunting down hard-to-find titles, making our displays look tempting and just generally making the world of the book shop continue to turn. Feel free to follow up with us. 

Where will you get my book from? 

Probably from you. If you are a self-published author or are published by a small house with which we or our distributors do not have a relationship, we offer to carry books that you provide us on consignment. See our consignment sheet for terms. If you are with a conventional publisher, we will likely purchase directly from them. 

Do you report to the New York Times Bestseller List? 

Yes. 

I’m doing a book signing at your shop. When should I get there? 

Punctuality is important, but you only need to arrive at the Learned Owl Book Shop ten or fifteen minutes before your signing. If you aren’t sure how long it will take you to get to the shop, feel free to arrive early and enjoy all the rest of what Hudson has to offer - we have a charming and very walkable downtown, as well as a number of cute places to relax with a cup of coffee or tea before your signing. 

Should I bring snacks? 

If you are a cookbook author, bringing one of the goodies featured in your book is outstanding. If not, refreshments for your audience are our responsibility, so no worries. We will also provide you with water, hot tea or whatever you need to keep you going while you chat with customers. 

What should I wear?

The best thing to wear to your book signing is something comfortable, nice, and neat. Keep the season in mind, too. Make sure you are as pleased with how you look in your shirtsleeves as with your jacket on. By the same token, it’s always good to bring a sweater if you think you may get chilly. In some special cases, you may want to gear your look to the sort of book you have written. For instance, hiking boots and shorts are perfectly acceptable if your book is a guide to local trails. A track suit makes sense if you are an athletic coach who has written a book about sports. But don’t get too cute - a deerstalker on a mystery writer just looks odd. 

Where will you put me? 

During the summer months, we find authors enjoy the foot traffic they get sitting at a table just outside the shop’s front door. If this is something you would not like, just let us know. If it is not nice weather, we may set up a table for you just inside the door or elsewhere in the shop. If you have a complex presentation or very big audience, we may host you in our large lower level. 

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