With the demise of many of the big bookstores, independent booksellers have been rising to meet the needs of the reading public. Independent bookstores, or more popularly indies, carry a wide assortment of books similar to those found in the larger chains, as well as ebooks.

Apart from serving the reading public, independent bookstores also offer authors, especially those who are self-published, the opportunity to get their books on the book shelves. However, many of these independent booksellers have very stringent criteria for accepting books, in many cases similar to Barnes & Nobel or any other large bookstore. If you do decide to approach one of these indies, do your homework well and be prepared to answer questions other than what is the title of your book and the retail price.

According to Hope Clark of Funds For Writers, some of the questions asked by indies as well as traditional store owners are: Who is your publisher? What is their background? Why do you want to place your book in my store? Are your books returnable? Etc. etc.
Have you had any dealings with an indie, as a reader or writer? Please leave a comment and let us know what it was like.