21 basic points about book distribution:

1. When distributing books, we need to use our time wisely, effectively stopping and talking to people instead of spacing out or having long empty conversations. Just like laksmi in a temple, our time is a finite resource and should be used in an effective way.
2. One of the best ways to start a conversation is to ask an open-ended question, like “Are you from here or from outside?“. These questions can vary widely, according to time, place and individual, but the general idea is to make people stop with a positive attitude. We learn how to use questions in an effective and natural way by practicing a lot. It’s important to master the right timing and vary the questions from a repertory of different possibilities. 
3. The goal of using questions is not to make every single person stop, but to select the right people. The first step is to make eye contact and say some small words of greeting. By the way a person reacts, we can quickly understand if there is a real possibility of him taking a book. By focusing on positive people, we make our book distribution much more effective.
4. A common mistake is to draw out the book too soon, before stopping the person, as if the book were a pamphlet. The proper way is to first stop a person by making visual contact and asking a question, and then start presenting books. It’s important to be attentive and not waste energy when the person is too defensive or really not interested. 
5. We should control our legs and not walk alongside people. If a person is not willing to stop, better to let him go and go to the next one. We should show books only after a person stops and gives some attention. Navina Nirada Prabhu: “Don’t run after people. If somehow he looks the other way and walks away, let him go. You need to know that there are eight billion people on the planet. Don’t run after someone who doesn’t want to talk to you.”
6. When one is just starting, it’s natural to just use mantras. As we become more experienced, we can progress to a more natural style, based on a more personalized approach. A few important points are the ability to ask directed (directive) questions, to get information about people based on small details, to be able to notice and mention people’s good qualities, to be positive (based on genuine spiritual quality, not just pretending) and to be able to improvise.   
7. It’s essential to maintain a spiritual consciousness when distributing books, which means seeing everyone as part and parcel of Krsna and treating every person in a respectful and personal way. In material consciousness, we see ourselves as the enjoyers and others as objects of our enjoyment, while in spiritual consciousness we see ourselves as servants, and everyone else as recipients of our service. In spiritual consciousness, we really care about people, desire good for everyone, and therefore can be kind and personal.
8. While on the one hand we should be humble and respectful, on the other we need to be confident when approaching people. After stopping a person, we can present ourselves and use positive sentences to break the ice and start a conversation. 
9. The next step is to make a concise and compelling presentation of the books. The mantra should answer three questions: Why are you showing me this book? What’s this book about? What does this book have for me? 
10. Sometimes our mantra will make a person sufficiently interested to take a book when we mention about the price. In most cases, however, people will have different mental blocks that need to be understood and properly addressed before they will agree to take a book. It’s important to detect if a person is interested or not to be able to insist in the appropriate way. E.g.: If a person is not interested, there is no point in discussing about the price. 
11. The process of distributing books normally follows a progression: We stop a person and get his attention, we present a book (or a few different ones) and get him interested and, finally, we ask for a donation (and insist if that’s the case). If we fail in one step, we will also fail in the subsequent ones. Instead of just hammering people on the donation part, it’s better to try to practice and develop ourselves on each stage separately, proceeding to the next stage only with people with whom we are successful in the previous. If a person doesn’t want to stop, better to let him go, instead of presenting a book. If a person is really not interested, better to stop or to insist based on the merits of the book instead of begging for a donation. 
12. While it’s important to insist, it needs to be done in a proper way. The two rules are to always be polite and to insist in ways that are going to reinforce the value and importance of the books, instead of just begging for money. If a person says no three times, it’s better to let him go. 
13. The whole process of distributing a book depends on people getting a positive impression of the book distributor. Therefore, to dress in a nice way is part of our service. To go on sankirtana with ragged clothes is not a symptom of renouncement, but of ignorance. “Dress and then address.”
14. When distributing books, many people may be disrespectful or even nasty with us. It’s important to not lose patience and start offending people. A lot of times, people change quite dramatically because of the saintly behaviour of devotees. To be polite is also an effective way to avoid conflict. SB 4.11.13: “The Lord is very satisfied with His devotee when the devotee greets other people with tolerance, mercy, friendship and equality”. 
15. While mantras are a good way to start, book distribution depends more on the qualities of the book distributor than on what he says. Most mantras don’t work so well if we don’t have the necessary qualities. 
16. As far as possible, we should show and quote passages from the books during our presentation, showing how they have solutions to day to day problems. There are so many striking, beautiful and interesting passages in our books, that we can use to sell books on their own merits. To base our presentation on the illustrations is also very effective. 
17. To be able to smile sincerely is another important qualification for a book distributor. To smile not only helps to create a good impression, but also to create a bond with people, making them open to take a book. The smile must be sincere: a fake smile can have the opposite effect. 
18. When distributing books, we should be attentive to seize every opportunity. Be someone who puts us in contact with a group of interested people, a number of people waiting in a line, stopping multiple persons at once and so on.
19. Even if you don’t speak the local language, or have lost your voice because of some throat infection, it’s still possible to distribute books by stopping nice people and using gestures, facial expressions and mantra cards. 
20. By paying attention to facial expressions, becoming sensitive to the energy people project, analyzing their physical traits and so on, we can get a lot of information about people’s thoughts and mental state. On a high level, this can be almost as effective as reading minds. However, a true connection with the Lord inside the heart is even better. 
21. The study of people’s reactions can be also used to effectively remember people when you meet them again, even if you actually forgot. This is also important as it helps to create a good impression and cultivate people. 

From where to start?

1. It’s easier to start by going on harinamas, where we can learn how to interact with the public in a less intimidating way. One can start by distributing some books in the harinama and try to progress from there. 
2. Sastra dhana, to give away books to people who you interact with is also a good way to start. 
3. Devotees who already have a stable income can distribute books with just the goal of preaching, instead of getting distracted by the need to raise funds. Still, however, to ask for a donation is a good test to see who is genuinely interested. To just give books away is less effective.
4. While we should be careful in giving books away, we should also be sensible to give books to people who are genuinely interested but don’t have money, especially young people. Many very sincere souls join our movement because they received a free book in the right circumstance. 
5. It’s useful to produce some small periodical with basic information presented in an attractive way, that can be distributed on sankirtana alongside the books. In the early days, this was the role of the Back to Godhead magazine. 
6. Book distribution in apartment blocks is a good way to engage new devotees in book distribution. If done in an organized way, it’s also a good way to cultivate people. In this modality, the main emphasis should be on cultivation, not just the number of books distributed. 
7. The best way to learn book distribution is by serving and observing senior preachers. By staying close, we can be infused with the same spirit (Bg 4.34).
8. To be a stable book distributor, it’s essential to have a good sadhana and fixed times for book distribution, and thus fix our minds. The main reason we get huge variations in our results is because our minds are unstable. 
9. If we are sincere in our attempts, Krsna can give us knowledge from inside the heart, as He promises in Bg 10.10. Determination and sincerity are the main qualities of a book distributor. 

Other points:

1. By practicing Krsna consciousness and teaching others, we can keep ourselves in a spiritual environment, even when living in a materialistic metropolis. In CC Madhya ch. 7, Lord Caitanya gives the order to preach not to two sannyasis, but to two grhastas. This means this is a standing order to all of us.
2. To distribute Krsna consciousness is the ultimate welfare activity. When someone accepts this mission, despite any inconveniences, he becomes the recipient of the Lord’s mercy.
3. We can’t distribute what we don’t have. To be able to distribute Krsna consciousness, we need to be Krsna conscious ourselves. To be able to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books, we need to study them deeply, apply the knowledge in our own lives and develop strong faith. One who is not convinced himself, will not be able to convince others. Actually, the opposite may happen. 
4. The first battle of the day is to chant all our rounds in the morning, with attention. To be able to do that, it’s important to restrict our exposure to mundane movies, music, television and other forms of pollution. 
5. To study regularly is essential to any book distributor. Book distribution requires a lot of sacrifices: we need to know why we are doing it to be able to continue. The study of Srila Prabhupada’s books is the foundation of our spiritual lives, and such foundation is especially tested when we go out to distribute books.
6. Srila Prabhupada emphasizes that all devotees, but especially preachers, must be well versed in the philosophy, and thus be able to give convincing answers when challenged by others. When preaching, we are representing our guru, Srila Prabhupada and all previous acaryas, therefore we must know well the mission and philosophy of our movement. If we are not cultivating spiritual knowledge ourselves, our so-called preaching becomes a farce.
7. The secret is to read the books in a disciplined way, always reading for a certain time, or a fixed number of pages daily. One can read the whole Srimad Bhagavatam in less than a year by reading 40 pages per day. Even with only 10 pages per day, one can read all Prabhupada’s books in 7 years.
8. When distributing books, we are forced to also deal with the financial aspect of producing and distributing books. We need to get sufficient money to cover our expenses. To reconcile the goal of preaching and at the same time fulfil our financial obligations can be a daunting task. 
9. When asking for donations, we should try to keep an average instead of being attached to receive a particular amount from every person. If people start giving too little on a regular basis, offer smaller books, improve your presentation or change to a fixed price. 
10. The amount that people tend to give is connected with the value they see in the books, which in turn is connected with how well we can present them. It’s possible to encourage a person to give more, but this must be done with caution and usually has a limited effect. The best way to make people give more is to improve our presentation. Experienced book distributors get bigger donations simply because they can present the books in a much more consistent way and evoke a genuine interest and appreciation in the public.
11. In any case, we need to always remember that our main mission is to preach and bring people to Krsna consciousness. We should not let a business mentality get into the way. Krsna tends to send the necessary resources when we are doing some valuable preaching work. 
12. One of our priorities in book distribution is to be truthful, therefore we need to honor our word. If we tell people we are accepting donations for the books, we should accept whatever they can give. We should use our heads to find ways to make people understand the importance of the books and thus to donate generously, but at the same time, we must be compassionate with people who are only able to give a small donation. Instead of refusing people, it’s better to compensate with other people who can donate more. Even if that’s the case, the benefit of a person taking a book outweighs any minor monetary loss we may incur. 
13. One way to get better donations is to suggest a minimum amount. This can be done in several ways (mention the cost of the books, make a list of suggestions based on different classes of people and so on). E.g.: “These books cost about 10 each to print; whatever you can give above that will be a donation” or: “Usually businessmen give 50, housewives 20, students 10…”.
14. One of the main secrets of being able to distribute greater amounts of books is to learn how to distribute multiple books to each person. If one can distribute 100 sets of 3 books, for example, he will distribute 300 books. To distribute sets demands a good presentation, since it’s harder to convince a person to take 3 books and give a good donation than to just take one and give less. It’s also important not to be pushy and pile-up books when people give big donations. Some of our best readers like to take one book at a time and give a good donation for it. 
15. When distributing, it’s essential to always maintain the mood of a giver. We are not out there to take, but to give. We are offering the most valuable knowledge for a minimum amount, to whoever may be interested. This is the ultimate welfare activity. 
16. A book distributor should be able to adapt to the weather using the proper clothes and equipment. To just tolerate cold and rain is generally not a good idea. Similarly, we need to make arrangements to carry and keep our books, using a cart or other system. In the early days, devotees would carry too much weight and damage their shoulders and backs. While in one sense the body is just a machine, it is an important machine, since it allows us to serve Krsna, therefore it needs to be properly maintained.
17. When distributing books, we usually find a mixture of “regulars” and “visitors”. While we can also distribute to the regulars, they are a much harder target. A good sankirtana field is not necessarily the place that has more people, but one where there is a fair amount of new people (visitors) every day. Often we focus too much on the regulars and think a spot is burned when the problem is just that we are not having the patience to stop the right people. 
18. If we have a proper attitude and know how to balance our sankirtana spots, they tend to become progressively easier places to distribute over time, because our distribution will work as a cultivation process. We really burn places when we use improper or deceitful methods of book distribution. 
19. As time passes, we tend to forget the obvious point that to be able to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books, we need to study them. There must be a balance between our distribution and our study of the books, otherwise we will not last. 
20. Srila Prabhupada once said that if devotees distribute his books they will be happy, but if they study his books they will stay. One can stay and not be happy, or be happy for a short time and not stay, but it’s better to stay and at the same time be happy. By preaching, we can remain connected with Krsna’s internal energy, and by studying we can have the philosophical foundation necessary to be able to continue our service.
21. When distributing books, we act as vartma pradarshaka gurus, giving people a small push, so they can get a book and start their spiritual path. People have short memory nowadays, so they tend to forget whatever we say, but if they take a book, that’s a permanent asset. Prabhupada: “What can you say to a person in three minutes? But if he reads one page of a book it may turn him around.“
22. Usually, the best targets for longer conversations are those who already have some books and are interested. Even in such cases, however, it’s usually more effective to give them just a little more to keep their interest and then invite them to the next level: visit the temple or join a bhakti vriksa group or another program.
23. We have the best philosophy and our books have the most precious knowledge, therefore we should be confident in the message we are carrying, and not allow ourselves to be intimidated by the public. 
24. This confidence or boldness on book distribution doesn’t conflict with Vaishnava humility, because it’s not based on the ego, but in the realization of the importance of the message we are carrying. Our books contain knowledge that can solve all the problems. When people see this confidence and determination, they tend to get impressed. Srila Prabhupada: “I want that you all my advanced disciples become very bold preachers and take up this task of saving the fallen humanity from its worst condition of sinfulness.“
25. In one sense, the book distributor needs to be polite, respectful and kind with people, but on the other hand he also needs to have a fierce side, being able to present strong arguments when challenged, not in a malicious way, but in a peaceful, concise and philosophical way. Our boldness should come from a sincere desire to present Krsna’s message, and not by ordinary influence of the mode of passion. 
26. On the one hand, we shouldn’t compromise while transmitting our message, but on the other we need to present it in an attractive and interesting way, according to our audience. That’s our main job as preachers. 
27. When spreading Krsna consciousness, we should try to develop the mood and qualities that are more effective for our service, breaking with our self-image based on false ego. Someone may be very shy, for example, but when distributing books he needs to leave this behind and show boldness and confidence in them. “Humility is to act boldly for Krsna“.
28. To be empowered to create a change in people’s lives, we need to be connected with Krsna. For this, we need serious spiritual practice. Without spiritual practice, we fade. 
29. When someone asks a question that we can’t answer, it’s best to take his contact and give the answer later. Not only is it much better than to just give some empty speculative answer just to try to save our ego, but also creates an opportunity to cultivate him. 
30. A mechanical approach to book distribution comes from impersonalism. It can be counteracted by a deeper personal realization. Just like Krsna is a person, each one of His parts and parcels is an individual with his own personality, tastes, etc. Even if we repeat the same mantra, every interaction should be unique. 
31. When things become difficult, we should remember Bg 2.47. We have the right to do our duty, distributing books, but the results are up to Krsna. Many times, when things are not going well, it’s just Krsna trying to teach us some important lesson. If we go away, we miss our opportunity, and have to again go through the same lesson later. 
32. While person to person sankirtana tends to be a popular style of book distribution, it’s far from being the only one. In ksetras that are not favourable for person to person, we can also distribute books in residential blocks, offices and stores, traffic lights and so on. These other fields can be done separately, or combined with person to person, each one during the most effective times or days.
33. As far as possible, we should follow all the local laws and rules while distributing books. Even if we need to take time to get a permission, it’s better to do things in a nice way. However, the order of the Lord of bringing mercy to the conditioned souls takes precedence over any mundane rule or law, therefore a determined book distributor may still distribute in closed spaces if there is a good potential. The question is to evaluate the risks and distribute in a discreet way, taking care of our appearance, investigating about cameras and other security systems, moving frequently, selecting favourable persons, talking in a discreet way, etc.
34. Places and countries where there is serious danger (risk of prison, violence, death, etc.) should be avoided. Better to distribute for many years in an open spot than to take risks that can jeopardize one’s preaching career.
35. Apart from distributing books, we should also invest time in cultivating people and making devotees. A basic point is to take the contacts of interested people. Show that you care, but let them follow their own rhythm. People who are more interested can receive more personal attention and be invited to programs. Others, who are not so interested, can be put on a mailing list and receive periodical messages with photos, videos, quotes, etc. 
36. It’s usually better that new people have their first contact in home programs or bhakti vriksa groups. Temples tend to be intimidating and people frequently don’t receive so much personal attention. 
37. Apart from basic social skills, we need to learn to not be attached to the people we are preaching to. Each person has his free will, that even Krsna respects. When attached, we tend to try to control people. As far as possible, we should work in groups, in cooperation with other devotees. This makes everything more dynamic and effective. 
38. Techniques are a starting point, but they are not all in all. Techniques are necessary to deal with the material aspects of book distribution, but the real strength of a book distributor resides in his spiritual realization. 
39. It’s necessary to use a combination of spiritual potency, techniques, empathy and philosophical understanding to pierce through the material covering and touch the soul inside the body with Krsna consciousness. 
40. People usually relate the book with the devotee, therefore by leaving a good impression, we increase the chances of a person reading the book and taking the knowledge seriously. This starts from an honest concern and compassion on the part of the book distributor. If we are sincere, people will be touched by it. 
41. To imitate a senior is a good way to start, but in the long run we need to develop our individual styles, suiting our own personalities. This can be done only through practice and persistence. This is the way we can attract Krsna’s mercy. He is the one Who reveals progressively higher levels of realization to us. 

“These books are the best advertising, they are better than advertising. If we simply present Krsna consciousness in a serious and attractive way, without need to resort to fashionable slogans or tricks, that is sufficient. Our unique asset is our purity.” (Srila Prabhupada, letter to Yogesvara, 28 December 1971)

Techniques on book distribution can give us some basic foundations and some results in the beginning, but ultimately the techniques are not so important. You can watch some videos of a great sankirtana devotee, like  Vaisesika Prabhu, for example, and try to imitate what he is doing, to say the same things and try to emulate the same techniques. You may think that since it’s working so well for him, it’s going to also work well for you, and it may work to some extent, but you are not going to distribute books like Vaisesika Prabhu just because you are saying the same things, there is much more. In fact, when asked about how to train new book distributors, Srila Prabhupada answered that we should not teach them techniques, but rather, teach them how to be sincere. The main secret of empowered book distributors is their sincerity. 

In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, our preaching in ISKCON was mainly centered around temples and book distribution. New devotees would be encouraged to live in the temples and once inside, they would go through an intensive daily program, including the morning programs, classes and different services during the day. With such full-time spiritual practice and association with senior preachers, it would be quite natural for such devotees to also start going on book distribution after a few months, weeks or even days after joining the temple. To start would not really be a problem, since they would just need to imitate what everyone else was doing. 

Nowadays, our preaching is more based on bhakti-vriksa, nama-hatta and different types of bridge-preaching programs. These programs are very nice to attract new people and make devotees, because they offer a very familiar atmosphere, much less intimidating for newcomers than the classical temple atmosphere. On the other hand, the “preaching flow” of the earlier days is frequently absent, and therefore the learning curve for someone wanting to start on book distribution may be steep. If you want to do book distribution, but are having a hard time to start, here are a few points that may help:

In this book, I speak mainly about person to person sankirtana, which is my main style. However, you should be aware that person to person is not the only style of book distribution, and in many places it’s not even the best one.

Person to person is effective in places where there is a strong flux of people. Usually, the best places are commercial districts (where people go to buy) and leisure places (where they go to relax and have social life). In such places, people are usually in a favorable mood and every day you have new persons, therefore it is easy to distribute books. A third field are transportation hubs, like metro stations, train stations and bus terminals. It is usually not so good as the first two options, but it can work as a “bread and butter” field for distribution on working days.

As commented before, one especially important point about sankirtana is confidence. That’s something I would like to emphasize, even at the risk of being repetitive. When stopping people, distributing books and preaching, we need to understand that every person is an eternal servant of Krsna and that this is the most important knowledge. We need to be perfectly confident, determined, and even a little bit bold. Sometimes we may see a businessman or some professor with a big false ego and feel somewhat insecure or intimidated. However, to properly do our job as book distributors, we can’t fall into this trap; we have to be confident.

We should know who is the Supreme and what is the value of these books. If we would charge the real value of these books, not even Lord Brahma would be able to buy them. It’s priceless, it’s spiritual knowledge. “All the wealth in the three worlds cannot equal the value of one such nectarean fruit of devotional service.” (CC Adi 9.28)

“That is real preaching work. If you sell a book to someone, that is better than your speaking to them — what will your three minutes’ preaching do? But if they read a book it may turn their life”. (Srila Prabhupada, letter to Brahmananda, 03 November 1972)

While distributing books, our role is not to preach for two hours to each person and try to convince them to shave their heads and surrender to Krsna. Not only is this impractical, but also unproductive, since we would spend the whole day talking to just a few persons.

Instead, we act as vartma pradarshaka gurus, who give each person just a small push, so they can get a book and start their spiritual lives. We keep the whole process simple, so the person can stop, hold the book, hear some glorification about it and easily take it home after giving a donation. People have short memory nowadays, even if we try to preach protractedly and some get a little inspired, chances are that they will forget everything in half an hour or less. If instead we can convince them to take a book, they will have something which they can study and remember, a permanent asset. 

When distributing books, especially in commercial districts, we are going to find basically two types of persons. One is those who work around or pass there every day. You can easily recognize them because they usually look tense and busy, and walk in a very fast and focused way. Since they pass there every day, there is nothing new for them, they are all business. I call them “regulars”. 

The second type are the “visitors”, persons who are just passing by. They came to buy something, to visit some place, as tourists, etc. They are easy to distinguish from the first group: they walk more slowly and look more relaxed, they look at the showcases of the stores. It’s a new place, therefore they are in exploration mode, open to new things. 

While you can also distribute books to the first group, they are much harder targets. Not only are they busy and generally in a bad mood, but they probably saw you many times already. It’s much easier and more effective to focus on the second group. Naturally, people can be divided into many different groups, and each one can be most effectively approached in a particular way, and ultimately each person is unique, but this simple distinction between regulars and visitors can already help a lot on our distribution. 

For a resourceful book distributor, there’s actually no bad weather: there is only improper clothing and equipment. Naturally, if we had the choice, we would prefer that every day had a pleasant temperature, with sun and some nice breeze, but unfortunately, we are not the ones in control. Some days will be very hot, others very cold, sometimes there will be scorching sun, others torrential rain, sometimes cloudy sky, sometimes snow. To just tolerate is not always a good idea, since to just stay in freezing weather without proper clothing, or to get soaked in the rain is dangerous for our health. The best thing is to adapt, using the proper clothing and equipment. 

On some days, we will get smaller donations than usual. It’s not uncommon to get several people in a row giving only a few coins for example. In such circumstances, some devotees tend to start taking the big books from people’s hands, giving them small books instead. This is a very bad practice which burns people away, especially when done in a blunt way. 

HH Sivarama Swami: When distributing books, we should make as good an impression as possible on the people. They should think all devotees are saints. After buying books, they should be so inspired that they run home and immediately read what they’ve bought. Our books are about how people can change their lives by becoming Krsna conscious. Therefore sankirtana devotees must be prime examples of perfect people. This is preaching— preaching by words and by example. To do this nicely, rely on the Lord within, who will give you all intelligence.