Authors want to know how to get your book in bookstores. Two different facts get sold as one: orderable and stocked.
Orderable
A bookstore can find the title in a wholesale catalog (typically an Ingram-class POD record) with a working ISBN, price, and return policy they accept. That is distribution setup. AuthorShelf packages include global retail/POD setup; bookstore returns are included on Pro and above (add-on on lower tiers — listed at $179 as Bookstore Returns Program).
Stocked
A buyer chooses to put copies on a table. That depends on local demand, your events, returns risk, and whether the book looks professionally produced. Nobody reputable can sell “guaranteed bookstore placement.”
What actually helps
- A professional cover and interior (not a Word export)
- Returnable status where you want brick-and-mortar risk coverage
- A one-page sell sheet / media kit (Pro includes launch assets of this type — confirm your tier)
- Showing up locally: indie stores respond to authors who walk in with a finished book, not a pitch deck
Related: IngramSpark vs KDP, ISBN basics, packages.