Author sign up

Updated 1/1/2024

Summary

To organize and define the policies and rules relating to the National Authors in Grocery Stores Program, this document has been updated to best reflect how your participation in the program works. Please note this will help keep best practices in place and build a successful program for years to come. It is important that you become familiar with and follow these rules and polices. Please feel free to ask your coordinator questions related to any part of this document. Note that the program is a voluntary participation program; however, if policies are violated, it may lead to an evaluation regarding continuance of your participation in the National Authors in Grocery Store Program.

Membership

1. The yearly membership fee covers insurance expenses and costs to operate the program.
2. Yearly Renewal begins the first week of December; you may receive notices in November.
3. The membership runs from January to December, and your renewal repeats every January.
4. If you sign up between July 1st and September 15th, you will pay $37.50; this will cover you for the rest of the book signing year of the year that you paid. However, please note that you will be responsible for the annual renewal of $75 no later than December 31 to start the new year if you intend to stay in the program.
5. Membership Renewal invoices go out the 1st week of December. These invoices are due upon receipt.
6. Please note Invoices may come from either Snapbookllc or Damage Claims Solutions LLC via Paypal.
7. If you are 18 years of age or younger, you must have permission from a parent/guardian(s), and they must accompany you to the book signings. These parent/guardian(s) will also accept the payments and tax responsibilities.

Note: Membership fees do not roll over from the date you paid them. They follow the rules above.

Welcome Letter

1. When a new author signs up for the program, a welcome letter with first actions and details of what is required will be emailed to them.
2. In the welcome letter, contacts will be supplied to vendors who can help authors on a per project basis at a cost that is negotiated outside of the program.
3. The vendors mentioned in #2 are independently operated and are not a part of our program and or company. They are simply leads and contacts to help authors if they need it.

Your Book Signing Day

1. Arrive on time and on the designated date for the book signing appointment you requested.
2. Check in at the store's Customer Service Desk.
3. Set up by the entrance, registers, or at discretion of manager.
4. Make sure your table is 4 feet by 2 feet, and that you have a tablecloth and a sign that says "Meet the Author. Get your book signed today."
5. Be flexible within reason. If the manager must move you, be ready to make concessions.
6. Remember you are a guest in the store, so be polite and courteous to everyone.
7. Keep a copy of the email with the schedule to show the manager. You must have this with you and printed. All pages of the division you are in. No printed copy, no entry.
8. Copies of your book should be standing up on the table.
9. You can offer a barcode to customers to check out and then give them the copy of the book once they show the receipt. This must happen during the signing and not after you leave the store or are in the parking lot.

Scheduling Signings

1. You must schedule your signings 2 weeks in advance of the actual book signing. Once the schedule is sent to store coordinators (12-14 days in advance of any Monday), there can be no changes. **If you must cancel an event, please make sure you notify the Program Coordinator within 72 hours of your book signings. The coordinator will cancel the event with the store.
2. You may request a store the week of a signing, but the program coordinator will determine availability and appropriate time frame.
3. You can choose only 1 store per week, HOWEVER you can visit that same store up to 7 times in that same week. A week is defined as Monday-Sunday. No exceptions to this rule.
4. Hours of Book Signings can only be from 7AM to 7PM Monday thru Sunday.
5. Once a schedule is emailed, it is the responsibility of the Author to double check their schedule and verify if it is correct within 48 hours of receiving the book signing schedule. If you contact the program after that 48-hour deadline, we will not be able to make any changes.
6. The program coordinator will supply you with a list of stores in your region.
7. In the "Stores" Document, click the tab which relates to your region to choose a store at which to have a signing.
8. Make sure to include the store number, date or dates, and time you would like to visit the store.
9. If no time is selected, the program coordinator will select a set time of 10 am-3 pm on the weekends and 3-7 pm on weekdays.
10. Please note that showing up to a book signing hours outside of your schedule will give the manager the right to disallow your book signing.

Payments

1. All payments come from Snapbookllc and are paid directly to the author via paper check.
2. Payments are made up to 3 weeks after your book signing.
3. If you do a signing on a Saturday and a Sunday, note that you will receive 2 separate checks. One check for Saturday and one for Sunday, which will be in the following pay cycle. Kroger only pays Sunday to Saturday.
4. All checks will come from Chase Bank or the bank of Snapbookllc's choosing.
5. The memo of your check shows the date, store number and books sold.
6. The program pays you 62% of your book sales.

Taxes

1. Taxes run from January 1 to December 31 in a fiscal year. If the program has cut you a check and it is dated between these dates, you will receive a 1099 for that amount.
2. All authors receive a 1099 if their book sales are above $600; however, if the tax law changes, all authors may receive a 1099 for any book sales. The program coordinator will keep you apprised of changes.
3. Please make sure you supply a W-9 form to the program coordinator. This will help ensure tax records are sent to you.
4. Tax forms are sent out at the end by the end of January.
5. If there is a discrepancy with your tax form, you have until March 1 to dispute it with the program. Adherence to this is paramount.

Operating in various states

1. The program now operates in Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Alaska, Washington (state), Idaho, Oregon, Ohio, and Michigan. With a Pilot in Southern California.
2. The program intends to expand to other states as well and may include stores other than Kroger. More information will be provided as the program grows.
3. Participation in other states will require new book entry fees into those states. That said, if you are currently registered in the program and would like to enter your books into a new state, the entry fee is $15 a book. Note that this rate is only available to present participants.
4. Authors who have signed up with the program will be allowed to go to other states once their book or books are registered there.

Items you will need

1. A tablecloth
2. A 4x 2 table
3. A Banner that is either 2 feet wide by 6 feet tall that says "Meet the Author, Get your books signed today"
4. Book stands or holders to stand your book up on the table
5. Photocopy of the back of your book to give to customers to pay for your book before they receive a book from you.
6. Supply of books about 20 at your table. You can always get more from your vehicle.
7. A chair

Referral program

1. Authors who refer another author to the program will receive $50, provided that author signs up and joins the program.
2. If the referred author does not sign up, no referral fee will be earned.

Registration of Books

1. All new books must include the following:
   • ISBN
   • Title
   • Publisher
   • Price
   • $25 first time Entry Fee (Unless "Operating in other State" of the Handbook applies)
2. Note that any new book will take a maximum of 30 days for the book to be entered into the registry system.
3. Please test scan your book on or after the 31st day at a local grocery store to ensure that the book is scanning. Make sure the price comes up and is registering properly.
4. If there are issues with the scanning of your book, please contact the coordinator and re-verify the submitted information. The program coordinator will give you further instructions on how the scanning issue will be corrected.

Content of Your Book

1. Authors are responsible for the content of their books.
2. Books must be approved by the Program for them to be sold in the Grocery Stores.
3. Pornography, Extreme harsh language, and Extreme content, controversial subject matter, racism etc is not allowed in the program.
4. Political and religious books will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
5. Please remember that you must be aware of the content of your book and when selling it, you must ensure that the book is age appropriate for the customer.
6. Authors are responsible to do no harm to others and ensure that they take the proper responsible and professional approach when engaging the public.
7. Should actions be taken by the author that are counterproductive to the program, cause harm to the public, or create concerns, the author will be terminated from the program.

Professionalism

1. Authors are guests in the Grocery Stores.
2. Authors must dress appropriately and professionally when selling their books.
3. All displays must be engaging to the public, respectful to the public, and respectful of the space that the store has provided to author.
4. No weapons, no drugs, no alcohol use are permitted during your book signings
5. If managers have any concerns with your book signings, politely respect their comments and contact the program coordinator immediately.
6. No filming of Customers and or Photography of Customers unless you have written consent from all persons in the photos.

Advertising

1. Authors can advertise that they will be in stores on social media, through their email lists, or word of mouth.
2. You may not use the logos of the stores in which we host our book signings; however, you may use the name of the store as a location and the programs logo.
3. All advertisements must be approved by the program first before you use any such advertisement.
4. If you or your publisher would like to have a film crew at the store, pre-approval must be granted by both Kroger PR and the Program. There are no exceptions to this policy.
5. Remember we are guests in the store, and we must respect their property.

Termination from the program

1. The program coordinator has a duty to make sure the relationship between the store and the authors occurs smoothly. Should any author work outside of the rules of this handbook, he/she is subject to dismissal from the program.
2. Note that when an author is terminated, he/she is not allowed back into the program and their books will be deactivated from the stores' system.
3. If an author does not comply with the termination process, he/she may be subject to legal action, which may include legal and court fees at their expense.