Marketing Guidelines for Authors and Publishers

What We Look For

Pasadena Public Library seeks information about books that are written and/or published locally. We are especially interested in titles about Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley As a public library, we select books containing content that is written for the general reader rather than for the specialist or professional.

In general, Pasadena library does not acquire textbooks required for school curricula. Workbooks and other materials with pages designed to be filled in or torn out by the reader are not appropriate.

Because library books get heavy use, we look for those with a sturdy binding that is sewn or glued. Spiral and comb bindings do not stand up well to the multiple uses library books will receive.

How To Let Us Know About Your Book

The best way to present your book as a possible addition to our collection is through reviews. A positive review in one or more of the review journals, such as Library Journal, School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist or Kirkus will give your book an excellent chance of being bought by Pasadena Public Library. We also take note of books reviewed or profiled in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Pasadena Star News, the Pasadena Weekly and other local news outlets.

Mailing a flyer to our collection team is another method to market your book. You can send the flyer to the Pasadena Public Library Reference Department. Collection development librarians generally have only a few minutes to review your flyer. It best to keep the content as brief as possible and to focus on the following questions:

What is the book about?
Why the book is appropriate for our collection? Include quotations from reviews or reader comments. If the book has been reviewed, attach a copy of the review.
Who is the intended audience for the book? Is it intended for adults, young adults, or children? Do you have a target audience of business persons, hobbyist, or parents, etc?
When and where the book was published? We need complete bibliographic data, including date of publication, price, (including discount price, if available) ISBN, edition statement, type of binding.
When and where the book was published? We need complete bibliographic data, including date of publication, price, (including discount price, if available) ISBN, edition statement, type of binding.

Send flyer to:
Pasadena Public Library
Reference Department
Attn: Collection Development
285 E. Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91101

Because we are unable to keep track of unsolicited material, sending review copies is not necessary and drop in visits are discouraged. We are unable to return review copies, regardless of the library’s purchase decision.

Finally, you may want to consider attending library conferences. As an exhibitor or advertiser, you can reach many librarians in a short space of time. Major conferences for library professionals are listed under “Library Organizations”.