The authors face numerous problems when it comes to distributing their printed and digital versions of their books. They face limited book distribution, shifting distribution patterns, rejection from bookstore owners, and many more.
Suppose you are a newbie author and have nearly completed the self-publishing process and moved to the distribution step. In that case, you need to explore the distribution options to avoid the abovementioned problems so that people know where and how to find and shop for your book.
In order to do that, you need to distribute the book to retailers, wholesalers, and bookstores as well; as you can hire a publishing company, they act as professional distributors for you who know the logistics of delivery, shipping, and billing on an author’s behalf.
You can read this blog to learn about the book distribution platforms that help distribute your book worldwide.
Book Distribution Options
There are several book distribution options that you can use to give out your book to the readers.
Book Distribution Through Online Retailers
When you are self-publishing your book, the simple option that you can choose is online retailers. You can use this if you are using print-on-demand production. With the help of print-on-demand technology, you can print books directly from electronic files. Moreover, when you hire a publishing company, it helps in printing single copies of your book for the customers. These companies usually do print-on-demand publishing, combining digital printing and online distribution. This digital distribution is done through Barnes, Nobles, Amazon, and other online available platforms.
When a customer buys a book from these platforms, they print the book and ship it to the customers. This happens when a customer pays for the book before it is published, the company then cuts the cost of publishing it, and the money received through the book sale is given to the author.
Wholesale Distribution
The process of selling your books through online retailers is simple, whereas distributing the printed version of your books is a little complicated. This is because first, you need to convince the retailers to sell your book in bookstores and libraries. These retailers then pile up the books on the shelves to sell the books to the readers.
With this preference, it can take a long time to build sales as well as an authorial presence. Moreover, finding wholesalers to distribute can be challenging unless and until you are a famous author. Secondly, every physical bookstore expects a discount because it helps them sell the books at a list price. It is actually the standard for brick-and-mortar sales that reduces your profit margin. They are also the major suppliers who are dependent on the authors and publishers for sales.
Audiobook Distributors
If you have thought of distributing audiobooks before, then it is time for you to consider it. Audiobooks are becoming well-known over the years, but the audiobook market is comparatively new compared to the other book formats. This means that you have a chance to put your book forward on this platform and reach a new audience.
Distributing audiobooks is relatively easy as it involves narrating, editing, and managing the process. This distribution is much like eBook distribution; you can upload the files on the distribution platform and create your own sales page.
Trade Distribution
Trade distribution is the book distribution process done with the help of an established and well-known distributor. Distributors are actually the people who sell your books to the wholesalers and are often exclusive. Their major role is to perform multiple responsibilities, such as order fulfillment, sales, and warehousing. They also distribute the books to bookstores and libraries before they are even published.
Furthermore, having advanced sales lets the publishers know the number of copies they want to publish. This process involves higher publishing costs. This is why the trade distributors choose to print approximately 1500 to 3000 book copies with web printers in order to reduce printing costs.
Self-Publishing Distribution Process
A self-publishing company recommends that authors sell numerous book copies to physical and online bookstores. The delivery and shipping of books differ for every store, and they stock the book copies for a period of time. The money from the book sales is paid to the self-published authors at the end of the designated period. The book pile is returned to the author if it is not sold. But, if the books are sold on a good margin, the stock is renewed.
The minimum discount offered by multiple stores is usually up to 40% on book sales. However, some books have a high retail price and are sold at a lower discount. Furthermore, you can say that the major advantage of offering books at a discount is that it is well arranged in the book trade.
The ISBN Distribution Process
ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is an essential book distribution process. The ISBN is a product identifier for particular book editions. Many books have multiple editions and formats. Hence, you can create a unique ISBN for each book.
The one major benefit of using an ISBN is that the International ISBN Agency manages it, and just one ISBN is appointed by the official agency of every country as a unique ISBN supplier. You can be the official publisher if you have a book’s ISBN. By owning your own ISBN, you can reach more potential readers both online and in physical bookstores as well.
To Sum It Up!
Once you have read this blog, you must have learned different book distribution options that you can choose to give your books to potential readers. You can complete the distribution process yourself or hire a publishing company to do the entire distribution process for you.
You can use online retailers if you have a problem with retailers’ rejection, wholesale distribution, audiobook distribution, or go with self-publishing distribution, as the distribution patterns are changing rapidly. These distribution processes have entirely different ways of reaching different kinds of potential readers who are eager to read your book.