A local bookstore has decided to charge $35 to stock my book for 6 months. For each book sold, they get 40% and I get 60%. The stocking charge is new. Is this common and reasonable?
If the store gets 40% of the sale price, with a guaranteed minimum of $35 over 6 months, then that sounds reasonable. After all, it costs them money to provide you with shelf space, whether your book sells or not. But 40% PLUS the $35 seems unfair. To me. It seems like they don't want to run any risk of your book being a flop, but they also want to benefit in case the book is a hit. I'd bargain for a better deal, or find another bookstore. However, I'm not an expert on local bookstore policies. You might try selling it as an e-book first. A proven seller should merit a better deal.
I don’t know about the bookstore industry specifically, but stocking fees are pretty common in the retail business (at least in the US).