Thank you so much for thinking of Call & Response for selling your books! We ask that you carefully consider the following before filling out our author form:
Our shop inventory is thoughtfully and hand-curated with an eye towards amplifying voices of the global majority (people of color) who have historically been placed at the margins of the publishing industry. Given that we have finite space in our store, we work hard to ensure that every title on our shelves is in alignment with this mission and vision.
- On self-published authors: We are currently prioritizing self-published authors who are based in the Chicago area, particularly those who have visited and supported our store in the past. We are much more likely to stock your book if it has a compelling and professional-looking cover, is priced similarly to other titles within the same genre, and all books must have the title visible on its spine.
- On title availability: We are only able to work with authors whose books are available, at minimum, on Ingram or through another national publisher or distributor. We do not currently have capacity to sell books on consignment.
- On AI-generated materials: We do not sell books with AI-generated cover art or AI-generated text in an effort to protect the invaluable work of artists and our environment!
- On non-book materials (e.g., calendars, greeting cards, etc): Please do not complete this form if you are inquiring about stocking non-book sideline items. For all non-book stocking inquiries, please email us directly at info@callandresponsechi.com.
Please note that given the number of inquiries we receive, and due to the fact that we are a small shop with finite space and resources, we unfortunately cannot stock every book for which we receive an inquiry. Meeting the above requirements is not a guarantee that we can stock your book but we try our best! Please do not drop off copies of your book at our shop without clearing it with one of our staff members ahead of time.
Thank you for thinking of Call & Response, and we look forward to hearing from you! If we think your book is a good fit for the store, we'll reach out to you as soon as possible! If you do not hear from us within a few weeks, we unfortunately are unable to stock your book at this time!