Colorado Local Author Program

 

 

Celebrate local authors and discover the newest titles from all over Colorado!

The Colorado Local Author Program is Tattered Cover’s initiative to provide a space for local writers to present and sell their work. We believe Colorado has a rich literary scene and that local authors are critical to our ecosystem. The program is specifically designed to promote, celebrate, and maximize opportunities for independent and self-published novelists, poets and playwrights.

Interested in checking out the current selection of works by local authors available at the Tattered Cover?  Come browse the selection of dozens of local author books we have on display at our Colfax Ave and Aspen Grove locations.

Looking to be considered in our next intake of local author submissions? Keep reading below.

Thank you for supporting local Colorado authors and businesses.

 

- HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS -

The Tattered Cover accepts submissions for its Colorado Local Author Program twice per year only via an online submission form. All submissions MUST go through our website. Please do not bring your books to any of our stores for consideration. Our local author program is managed behind the scenes by administrative staff. Please do not call any of our stores for information about your submissions - bookselling floor staff do not have access to local author submissions.

The two submission periods are January 1st - January 31st and July 1st - July 31st. Submissions will not be accepted at any other point during the year.
 

 


 

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:
The Colorado Author Program is committed to stocking books that do not only present a variety of authors based on ethnicity, race, sexual orientation and gender, but also in terms of diverse subject matter, world views and literary styles. We seek books that range from traditional genre writing to experimental, edgy and hybrid writing. We also seek a greater representation than novelists, such as poets, playwrights and screenwriters.


 

Questions?  Please contact authorinquiries@tatteredcover.com. Please be aware that any submissions sent to this email will not be considered. All submissions must go through our website. Please do not call any of our locations for information regarding your submission.
 



LOCAL AUTHOR PROGRAM CONSIGNMENT AGREEMENT:
To accommodate as many authors as possible and manage the high volume of submissions we receive, we ask that each applicant please follow the guidelines below:

  1. All submissions must be placed via a form on our website which we become live during our submission periods. The two submission periods are January 1st - January 31st and July 1st - July 31st. Submissions will not be accepted at any other point during the year.
  2. Local authors are invited to submit up to 3 titles.
  3. Local authors must select only 1 store per each title.
  4. All inquiries must be sent via email to Local Author Inquiries (authorinquiries@tatteredcover.com). We receive a high volume of inquiries about submissions, so response time can vary (though we anticipate responding within 7-10 business days). We strongly request that you please limit all questions and correspondence to email. This process is managed through back-of-house administrative staff - our booksellers and floor staff are not equipped to answer your questions.
  5. For a book to be accepted into our program, each of the following criteria must be met:
    • The submission must have a front and back cover
    • The submission must have an ISBN and scannable barcode printed on the back cover
    • The submission must have a price printed on the back cover (price stickers are not acceptable)
    • The submission must be edited and written in a professional quality
    • The author must be a Colorado resident
    • The submission must be priced at $30 or below
  6. If your submission is accepted, you agree to supply the Tattered Cover with 4 (four) copies of your book within 2 weeks of acceptance. Your books will be on consignment with the Tattered Cover for up to 6 (six) months or until the end of the following submission period. 
  7. Due to the large number of submissions, inventory of your book will not be checked until the consignment period is over. Tattered Cover reserves the right to order more copies but we will not automatically re-stock your book if it is sold out.
  8. Authors accepted into the program will receive 50% of the sales. 
  9. At the end of your consignment period, you will have a choice to either be paid for the books sold and to pick up the remaining copies or leave the unsold books at the Tattered Cover. If you leave any books with the Tattered Cover, we will charge you a stocking fee - meaning we will not be responsible for any commissions on books sold (during the program or after.)
  10. All requests for payment must be made within one month after the consignment window is over.
  11. Local authors cannot drop off books at random to be considered. All submissions must be placed via a form on our website which we be live during our submission periods. The 2 submission periods are January 1 - January 31 and July 1 through July 31. Submissions will not be accepted at any other point during the year.

 

EVENTS:
If accepted, we will invite a certain subset of authors to have in-person book signings. We do not charge authors for doing events at the Tattered Cover. We do, however, have strict requirements for book signings. Authors are required to bring copies of their book to their signings. Authors are also required to conduct their own sales transactions. Subsequently, authors will need to accept cash, Paypal, Venmo or use a Square reader. Tattered Cover can provide the Square credit card reader, but the author will need their own account to do the transactions. Tattered Cover will not make any customer transactions for the event book at TC registers during any local author signing.

Following an in-person author event, we ask that the author sends Tattered Cover a check or deposits cash for our 50% fee on books sold within 90 days after the signing. Payment to Tattered Cover can be offset if you’ve sold some or all of your four books that we have shelved.

 


 

- APPLY -

Submissions are currently closed. The next submission period will be open July 1st through July 31st.