Information for Local Authors
Are you a local author looking to sell your book at our store? Here’s all the information you need!
First of all, congratulations! As a business that celebrates art and artists, we admire your dedication. Writing a book is hard and, oftentimes, lonely work; by supporting local authors, we hope to make the process more encouraging for you and to help build your community.
Disclaimer: Since we are dedicated to authentic, locally made art, we have a strict no-AI policy for the books we sell. In order for your book to be considered for sale at Carpe Librum, absolutely no generative artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in the production and promotion of the book. This includes but is not limited to promotional flyers, the cover art, and the story itself. On the credits page, please include artist credits for any artwork utilized on the front cover, back cover, and/or inside the book.
How can you start this process? Stop by our brick-and-mortar bookstore in downtown Hammond, LA at 119 S Cypress St and drop off a copy of your book during our hours of operation. We ask that you fill out a form when you arrive. Our booksellers will read your book and determine whether it is a good fit for our clientele and get back to you! We reserve the right to decline any work that uses generative AI and/or promotes harmful themes that do not reflect the values of Carpe Librum.
What other criteria should self-published books meet? Along with ensuring your book (and the promotion of it) is entirely human-made, please make sure it is professionally bound and that the cover is high-quality. While we don't always agree with judging a book by its cover, it should still be visually appealing enough to sell.
Your book should also be carefully edited and formatted. Mistakes do happen, even in traditionally published books, but it is worth having another set of eyes read over your work for any glaring errors that may turn readers away from the book. We appreciate the avant-garde but ask that you please consider the audience's ease of reading. Is your dialogue formatted correctly? Are your paragraphs indented? Etc.
Books that are published through Amazon are not eligible for sale at Carpe Librum.
Carpe Librum prefers to collaborate with authors who are actively promoting their books--not just exclusively on Amazon. Since Amazon is an indie bookstore's biggest competitor, book marketing makes all the difference for sales.
What genres will we consider? We love all genres (or lack thereof) but are partial to sci fi, fantasy, and horror. These genres are our bestsellers!
When your book hits our shelves, we will operate a 60/40 split in your favor, giving you 60% of the proceeds and 40% to Carpe Librum. The split applies to any sales made during your event, should you choose to have one in our store. This policy ensures that you are getting compensated for your hard work and that we can continue supporting local authors like yourself.
Any questions? Please reach out to (985) 401-7323.
Last edited 7/18/26
