Explain about book distribution?

Wouldn't you love to hear us say, "Congratulations! Your book is now in worldwide distribution! "

Well, once we have your book published, here is information relating to how we distribute your book in cooperation with Ingram/Lightning Source worldwide network.

Ingram Book Company is a major global distributor of books, distributing to almost 40,000 retailers, libraries, schools and universities. We as publishers have access to Ingram’s global distribution partners. This allows your title to be distributed around the world.

How does distribution work?

When a retailer wants to order a book, it is typically purchased through a distributor instead of the printer or publisher directly. With Ingram’s Print-on-Demand (POD) service, a retailer can order a title through Ingram Book Company (or one of Ingram’s other distribution partners), and the order prints, ships, and arrives to the customer or store within a few days. The order is added to our monthly report, and you receive the compensation (royalties) after the close of each quarter.

A list of our global distribution partners is outlined below:

United Kingdom | Europe

Adlibris
Agapea
Amazon.com
Aphrohead
Bertrams
Blackwell
Book Depository Ltd
Books Express
Coutts Information Services Ltd
Designarta Books
Eden Interactive Ltd
Foyles
Gardners
Trust Media Distribution (formerly STL)
Mallory International
Paperback Shop Ltd
Superbookdeals
The Book Community Ltd
Waterstones
Wrap Distribution

Australia & New Zealand

Rainbow Book Agencies
The Nile
James Bennett
ALS
Peter Pal
University Co-operative Bookshop

 
Other Distribution Channels

CANADIAN DISTRIBUTION

Your book can be sold through two online retailers located in Canada - if they choose to pick up the title. The companies are www.chapters.indigo.ca and  www.amazon.ca. If they receive an order for your book, they purchase it from Ingram, a US distribution channel partner. This means any sales through those websites will actually appear in the US market and you will be paid the same amount of publisher compensation as you are earning for US sales.

GLOBAL CONNECT PROGRAM

The Global Connect program will allow your books to be printed by our printer partners in Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Russia, China, Spain, and South Korea. The printers will print the books that are sold by bookstores located in those countries. This saves you and the booksellers the overseas shipping charges they would have to pay if they ordered your book from the US. You will receive publisher compensation payments as you normally would, based on the pricing you have provided us for your book in the US market. The printers will convert the US retail price to their currency and increase it a bit so they can make money on the sale of your book too.

ESPRESSO BOOK MACHINE (EBM)

This is a network of POD machines located in the US, UK, Canada, Europe and Australia that are often located within bookstores and libraries. From the digital files you provide us, these machines can print and bind black and white interior paperback books with color covers on site within a few minutes. Trim sizes this machine can print range anywhere from 5" (127 mm) to 10.5" (267 mm) in height and 4.5" (114 mm) to 8.25"(210 mm) in width, containing 40-830 pages. If your book is printed and sold through the EBM network, you will be paid as if it were sold in the US with the US price and discount that you’ve provided.

Please visit www.OnDemandBooks.com for more information or to view a list of the locations for these machines in the US, UK, Canada, Europe and Australia.

How do stores know about your book?

Ingram sends a metadata feed to our distribution partners and their retailers. A store can search for your book and see the metadata linked to it.

*It is important to keep in mind that Ingram allows your book to be available to distributors, but there is no guarantee that stores will order your book. Stores have the ability to order your book if they want to, but we do not guarantee sales.

*In many instances, stores will not order a book if they do not know it exists. Publishers and Authors typically market and promote their books to encourage sales.

Who can order your book?

Any bookstore, online store, library, or school that Ingram Book Company (or any of our other distribution partners) distributes to can order your book.

How long does it take?

Now that your title is enabled for distribution, it typically takes 2-6 weeks before appearing on retailer websites or on a distributor or retailer’s internal ordering system.

Can I expedite the distribution process?

There is not a way to rush the distribution process. When a title is first enabled for distribution, we send out a metadata feed to our distribution partners and their retailers. How quickly the metadata is uploaded into the distribution database or retailer website varies and is not controlled by us or Ingram.

How can your customers order your book?

Customers can now order your book through bookstores or online retailers all round the world.​ They can ask for it by title, author or ISBN.​ If you have questions about this process, please contact us.

So, let us be the ones to say, "Congratulations on the publication of your book!"