To Land a Publisher, an Author Prints Sample Copies for Stores - WSJ.com

To Land a Publisher, an Author Prints Sample Copies for Stores - WSJ.com: Sometimes an independent bookseller's word can help push an author's manuscript toward publication.

Author Michael Ennis submitted a draft of his novel, "The Malice of Fortune," to New York publishing houses but was rejected. He revised, edited and submitted once more but was rejected again.

Then he got a tip from his agent: Try booksellers first.