Stories 4 You: An extra help to get you into bookstores (Part 1).

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

An extra help to get you into bookstores (Part 1).

Let’s be honest, which is the indie author who hasn’t ever dreamt of having his books in bookstores? The only problem is that Bookstores are quite difficult to approach, as they require the possibility to return the copies that do not sell.
For an author a book is a piece of his/her heart, but for bookstores a book is a business, and unfortunately Amazon doesn’t give the chance to return unsold copies, but is this really the end of all the hopes? No!

IngramSpark offers the chance to publish print on demand books giving the possibility to offer a wholesale discount for the bookstores and the chance to return the unsold ones.
The problem? It doesn’t offer the chance to give a buying link to your future customers, nor it gives you an author page, and you need to have your own ISBN.

Amazon, on the other hand, gives you all the flexibility you want, because it has a direct store where customers can buy so you will have a purchase link to put on your website, Newsletter, Facebook page, business cards and so on. Not to mention the possibility of an author page where all your publications can be browsed by potential buyers.

The solution? Of course, there is a solution, but handle it with care.
You can publish with both Amazon and IngramSpark. To do this you need to buy your own ISBN, which in the end of the day is not such a silly idea, although, the Amazon offer to have one for free sounds great.

Having an own ISBN makes you in charge and in control of your production as you become the publisher, and Amazon the distributor.
The catch is that you first publish your e-book and paperback with Amazon, remembering NOT to choose the extended distribution, as this will be taken care by IngramSpark.
Once the title is set, you proceed to publish your paperback with IngramSpark, choosing your wholesale discount, and how the bookstores should deal with the unsold copies. You can choose to have them destroyed or have them returned to you, and try to sell them at book signing events, or as material for giveaways.

There is a fee for publishing with IngramSpark of 49 USD per title, but I don’t consider this a big issue, if this is the price for having my book distributed in bookstores, I am in to invest, even if this is only the chance.
Another nice feature given by IngramSpark is the possibility to have also a hardcover version of your book. I like the idea, and a hardcover is always nicer to have when reading a book (personal preference).

I have published the second book of my series Deadly Deception with IngramSpark, and if you stay tuned with me, next time I am going to tell you about the differences in printing qualities and why you need to have for both your proof copy.
Have a great day!

COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo via Google+

3 days ago - Shared publicly

Good advice for authors by PJ Mann at #OurAuthorGang

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Bonita Gutierrez shared this via Google+

2 days ago - Shared publicly

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Joe Bonadonna

2 days ago - Shared publicly

Very good and sound advice, PJ -- thank you for posting this.

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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

2 days ago - Shared publicly

Today on #OurAuthorGang, PJ Mann - Author gives us some excellent tips on how indie authors can get their books into bookstores.

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

2 days ago - Shared publicly

Author PJ Mann shares tips on how to get your indie book into bookstores on #OurAuthorGang today.

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Ruth de Jauregui

2 days ago - Shared publicly

Oh thank you so much. This is an issue I was worrying about and here's the answer. One question: One ISBN for both Amazon and Ingram, or two - one for each distributor? Back in the day, we had to have different ISBNs but we were working with different imprints, so it was a little different situation.

Great post and thank you again!!

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