When my first travel guide was published in the UK last year, friends and family back home in Canada asked why they couldn't get it in the big book stores over there. I had a hard time explaining why -- given I knew next to nothing about how book distribution worked! I still don't know a great deal, but I do know that getting your book published doesn't necessarily mean it will wind up on the shelves.Why? It all comes down to distribution.
There are four main players:
1. The Author. Writes the content, sells it to publisher.
2. The Publisher. Buys the content and produces books. Publishers are not book sellers (usually, although this is changing with eBooks). Publishers partner with a distributor to sell the book into bookstores.
3. The Distributor. Takes a cut of the publisher's book profits in return for selling it into bookstores. Distributors usually work with many publishers, big and small. As a small publisher, having a well-known distributor can help give you credibility. But since smaller publishers are usually less significant profit-wise than the bigger clients, it's hard to make sure the sales reps push their titles.
Distributors only cover certain geographical areas (i.e., UK , Ireland and Europe), so if the publisher wants their books distributed in a different area, they have to find another distributor. That's why my UK-published book wasn't available in Canadian stores -- we didn't have a Canadian distributor.
4. The Bookstore. Meets with distribution sales reps and decides which titles to buy. Bookstores can also return books back to the distributor if they don't sell, but they obviously want to order books they know will fly off the shelves.
The advent of eBooks can really make a difference to smaller publishers. They can sell their books anywhere in the world, without needing a distributor -- and hang on to more of the profits. Bookstore shelves won't be reserved for a limited number of titles any longer and readers won't be forced to choose from pre-selected titles.
And there you have it! Book distribution for beginners! Any questions? Have I missed out anything critical?
Good luck with the travel guide, Talli. I look for it here.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right about e-books. I'm learning that first-hand this year with Carina Press. It's a brave, new publishing world.
Sounds like you've covered it pretty good. I wonder too why some books weren't available in certain areas. I guess that is one good thing about e-books. Thanks for explaining.
ReplyDeleteMason
Thoughts in Progress
Thats interesting, Talli, it certainly paves the way for e-books in the future.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Lottie made a brief come-back to my blog yesterday.
So sending your eBook out, asking for feedback and when you get a negative one send a page full of curses is not a good strategy?
ReplyDeleteDoes it help to publish the feedback and your profane response on Facebook for all to see?
Happened to me last week - scary.
The guy should have read this wonderful post :)
http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Brigid - LOTTIE! I'll have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteLiz and Mason - Thanks!
Man of la Books - Yikes. I'm not quite sure I understand that chain of events but it doesn't sound good!
that's prett much it. I worked in a bookstore for about a dozen years. Also sometimes the publisher incites book returns as well and bookstores have to comply but can usually argue if sales are good. I was a big arguer.
ReplyDeleteThat was very interesting...and educational. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHannah - That's interesting! I didn't know publishers asked for books back. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteDL - Glad you found it helpful! :)
Good basic information. Thanks Talli.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bish! Probably not the most exciting of posts, but writing it all out actually helped make it ever clearer in my head!
ReplyDeleteWell that's good to know. If I ever get to London, my first stop will be the book store so I can pick up your travel guide. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's sure been interesting watching what's happening with the publishing industry and ebooks.
Have a great weekend!
It sounds so simple when you say it like that...
ReplyDeleteTalli, you are a plethora of information!
ReplyDeleteI recently heard it's the distributors who are going to be hurt in this new ebook world. The good thing about Amazon is they tend to have titles from overseas even in solid book form.
ReplyDeleteAre authors allowed to have direct contact with distributors?
Thats so interesting. I think easons have it sown up here in ireland. So e books are good ...more power to the little people!
ReplyDeleteHi Theresa! Interesting question. No, a distributor wouldn't talk to an author (at least not that I've heard of). They don't have enough commodities to really make it worth their while.
ReplyDeleteAuthors do go into bookstores to try to make sales directly, though - kind of doing the job of the distributor's sales rep. Still, you need the book to be in the 'distribution chain' so that when the bookstores decides to stock the title they can order it in no problem. And the distributor still takes its cut!
Great info!
ReplyDeleteEbooks will be great from an accessibility standpoint, but they will make promotion SO much more important. How to stand out amongst the sea of options?
Also I think it helps if the author is represented by an agent and said agent does his/her job and sells to publishers abroad too?
ReplyDeleteThis is where amazon is really helpful too! I got a few US published only books from them - yay!
Take care
x
Great post, Talli!
ReplyDeleteThanks for spelling it out for us. I knew there was a series of steps but wasn't sure of it. Now I know!
Thanks!
That was really interesting!! Seems to me like there are a lot of people earning off the back of the writer...doesn't seem fair somehow!
ReplyDeleteC x
Distributors and wholesalers also sell to online stores! (And the difference? Wholesalers just stock and ship - distributors take a more active role in marketing.)
ReplyDeleteGood post, Talli.
I had no idea it worked like this. Very valuable info for writers - Thanks Talli!
ReplyDelete:)
Good explanation Talli - thanks :)
ReplyDeleteAh, yes... The seemingly unending process. Thanks for laying it out so nice and tidy :) Good stuff to know.
ReplyDeleteThanks , Talli!
ReplyDeleteI'll check it up babe and all the best, i love your publishing tips always x
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Lot's of hoops to jump through...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight, Talli...
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a simple way to look at it. Well done! I learned a lot today.
ReplyDeleteCD
Very well explained. Your travel book should be in all the bookstores--especially because people in London travel a lot.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and helpful! I knew about book distributors, but I kind of forget about them sometimes when thinking of the publishing process. Oops!
ReplyDeleteExcellent primer.
ReplyDeleteOoo, way to explain something complicated in a clean, concise way. I think I *might* actually understand this! :)
ReplyDeleteOne of the many advantages of e-books, I have to say.
ReplyDeleteExcellent lesson, Talli!
I'm still in denial that there's a business side to it. In my world, the author writes the book. Then, the fairy picks it up and takes it to wizard who does a spell and makes thousands of copies. Then a team of elves place them on the bookshelves.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I found that really interesting. What about supermarkets? Does that work just the same as a normal bookshop?
ReplyDeleteThis is helpful, Talli! I like that eBooks open things up internationally, though... I look at Harry Potter and that the UK Rights paid her a pittance. JKR got her first really big break when she LATER sold rights to her already successful series in the US--so there may be cases the track record helps the author. (though having some portion of the population that has read it through eBooks may very well INCREASE demand for hard copies, as it gets the buzz going...)
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea for a post Talli as you say not everyone realises what goes into the distribution of a book. There is so much that goes on, afterwards that writing it was the easy part :)
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to have you comment about my last News From Italy post, thankyou x
What a good idea for a post Talli as you say not everyone realises what goes into the distribution of a book. There is so much that goes on, afterwards that writing it was the easy part :)
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to have you comment about my last News From Italy post, thankyou x
This was such a great post! Clear, concise, and explains it perfectly. I understand this a lot better now, though yes, I think the details of publishing will forever be a mystery to me.
ReplyDeleteHey, I checked out your book. Fantastic! It'll make a great gift for a friend of mine who's always traveled with a group, but wants to venture on her own next time. (maybe she'll take me?)
ReplyDeleteHi Talli .. and Man of la Books .. I heard that kind of thing happens (people who have time to waste - would be a polite way of putting it) .. whereby someone vehemently disagrees with you .. goes with the turf of a public life - and we need to get over it -& not let it bug us .. because that's what they want us to do - be bugged about it ..
ReplyDeleteNot easy .. forget it .. and move on - believe in your own convictions ..
Useful simplified post for us to understand book distribution - thanks Hilary
Oooh excellent post. I'll point my family in this direction as you've explained it so much better than I could.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. I will direct it to all the beginners I know, including me!
ReplyDeleteThanks Talli, great to see the main players broken down in biteable sizes! ;)
ReplyDeleteIts been interesting to watch the changes with e-books, e-publishing on the industry. There seems to be a change in the industry from the traditional publishing process.