How to Get Your Book Distributed: What Self-Published Authors Need to Know

Photo credit: The City of Toronto / CC BY

Note from Jane: This station is portion of a 101 bid connected self-publishing and is regularly updated. Visit this station for inheritance connected really to self-publish.

Distribution utilized to be the biggest situation that self-published authors faced successful trading their work—at least before online retail came to predominate bookselling.

Today, nan astir important point immoderate writer needs to cognize astir distribution is that more than half of each book income (regardless of format) return spot online. Self-published authors person nan aforesaid entree to online unit distribution arsenic nan awesome publishers. This entree is besides mostly without upfront costs, making it straightforward for immoderate writer to statesman trading their book astatine Amazon, nan No. 1 retailer of books successful some people and integer format.

You do not person to prosecute an costly self-publishing work to get your book distributed done Amazon and other online retailers; you tin unafraid distribution connected your own at small aliases nary costs for some your ebook version aliases people book edition. Here’s how.

Ebook distribution

Once you person ebook files fresh to spell (EPUB format, preferably), you person a prime to make. Would you alternatively woody pinch each online retailer directly, aliases would you alternatively scope them done an ebook distribution service?

• Working straight pinch online retailers usually intends amended profits, much control, and much entree to marketing/promotion devices (but not always).
• Working pinch ebook distribution services usually intends giving up a percent of your profits to nan distributor, successful speech for nan centralized management and guidance of each your titles. Some ebook distributors tin besides scope outlets you can’t connected your own, specified arsenic nan room market, and whitethorn connection you adjuvant devices to optimize book income and marketing.

The bully news is that you don’t person to take betwixt moving straight pinch online retailers and utilizing ebook distributors, since it’s uncommon for immoderate supplier to request exclusivity. For example, you could take to activity straight pinch Amazon KDP to waste your ebooks on Amazon, past usage an ebook supplier specified arsenic Draft2Digital to scope different retailers. Or you could take to administer straight to Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and Nook (by utilizing their do-it-yourself portals), past usage Draft2Digital to seizure nan remainder of nan marketplace (such arsenic Scribd and libraries).

Bottom line: There’s nary 1 correct measurement to spell astir it, since it depends connected your clip and resources, your books, and your trading strategy. You tin besides alteration your mind at immoderate clip (although not without immoderate management hassle and income downtime).

Print book distribution

Print book distribution is reasonably straightforward if you’re making usage of print-on-demand exertion to people your books, alternatively than investing successful a people tally (where you nutrient hundreds aliases thousands of books astatine a time).

Print-on-demand printing intends that your book isn’t printed until personification orders and pays for it; erstwhile an bid comes through, 1 transcript will beryllium printed and shipped to nan customer. If books are printed only erstwhile they’re ordered, that reduces your risk, but it besides intends that you’re astir apt not going to spot your books sitting connected bricks-and-mortar unit shelves nationwide (or moreover regionally)—that’s nan drawback.

However, don’t presume that if you do a people run, that intends you tin get distribution into beingness unit stores. First-time self-published authors seldom person a capable trading and income scheme successful spot (or a capable way record) that would warrant bookstores ordering and stocking books connected their shelves. Also deliberation it through: If you did put successful printing 500 aliases 1,000 copies, do you already person customers aliases accounts that you cognize would acquisition those copies? Do you person speaking aliases arena opportunities wherever you could waste them? If not, it’s astir apt champion to spell pinch people connected demand. You tin ever bid print-on-demand copies astatine a reasonable portion costs if you want 50 aliases 100 copies connected manus to waste astatine events.

Print-on-demand distribution

Assuming you’ll spell nan print-on-demand route, past you person 2 cardinal distributors to consider:

• IngramSpark, a section of Ingram, nan largest book wholesaler/distributor successful nan US; you’ll person to salary a interest whenever you upload a caller type (e.g., to make corrections) beyond a definite timeframe.
• Amazon KDP, nary fees ever. (Note: CreateSpace, nan celebrated print-on-demand work supplier owned by Amazon, merged into Amazon KDP successful September 2018.)

Again, arsenic pinch nan ebook distribution decision, you don’t person to beryllium exclusive pinch either. You tin usage some and use from both. I urge that authors usage Amazon KDP to administer their people books strictly to Amazon (do not take their “expanded” distribution), past usage IngramSpark to administer to nan beingness extracurricular of Amazon (bricks-and-mortar bookstores, including Barnes & Noble, and more). This will maximize your scope and your profits from each sale. It does require buying your ain ISBN numbers from Bowker—you cannot usage a Amazon-provided ISBN pinch immoderate book you want to administer via IngramSpark.

Both services let you to acquisition copies astatine portion costs positive shipping. My book, Publishing 101, costs astir $3.60 per portion if I want a copy, positive shipping. There’s thing to extremity you from ordering 50 aliases 100 copies astatine a clip if you want to waste books to section aliases location stores connected consignment.

If you really, really want to promote bookstores to bid and banal your print-on-demand book: Make judge you usage IngramSpark, and group nan discount astatine 55%, and make nan books returnable. This will trim your profit and besides consequence returns, but these are nan manufacture modular position required if you want bookstores to place an order.

The extremity consequence of utilizing either Amazon and/or IngramSpark is that your people book will beryllium disposable to beryllium ordered by astir immoderate retailer, arsenic a people edition, and disposable for waste done their online storefronts if they person one (such arsenic barnesandnoble.com).

How to administer erstwhile you person a people run

If you put successful a people tally and are comfortable fulfilling orders from your location aliases office, past you tin usage Amazon Advantage to administer and waste your people book done Amazon. 

As acold arsenic reaching different retailers pinch your people edition, it’s acold amended to usage IngramSpark’s print-on-demand service. If that’s not a anticipation for you, past you’ll person to find a general supplier who tin thief you, and that’s a difficult situation for nan first-time author. IBPA has immoderate recommendations of who to approach.

Parting advice

A self-published writer tin quickly get their people and ebook distributed to nan astir important online retailers by utilizing conscionable a mates services, each of which person nary aliases very debased upfront costs. Don’t beryllium fooled by costly self-publishing packages that declare to administer your book to thousands of outlets. Today, nan most critical distribution is wrong nan scope of each individual writer astatine nary cost.