Self-Publishing Book Distribution ~ The Weirding Way…
So, my book got published through FastPencil on the second of May. The wide-distribution deal I made had me published on the FastPencil site and getting the highest royalties there. I set my own prices on the book.
They have also distributed the book to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram, and soon, the iPad. My understanding is that folks can order the book at any of those places and FastPencil fulfills the orders and collects the royalties. I get paid quarterly.
The link to the iPad is to a search page. The book, as of this writing, is still "pending" there.
Ingram is a special case. They themselves are a major book distributor and having a book listed with them is critical if you want bookstores and libraries to be able to order the book.
What I've learned, though, is that those places are not the only places my book is available.
Because of the Ingram listing ( I think, but I need to do more research…), my book is also available through other vendors.
I set a print price on the book of $12.33 and Amazon followed suit while Barnes & Noble immediately listed it at $9.54. Both places stayed with the $.99 I set on the ebook.
BooKnackrh has the print edition at $10.42, The Book Depository has it at $12.36, and brandnewgoodsus has it at $13.86. All three of those places are listed on the Amazon page…
IndieBound's site had me enter my Zip Code and a bookstore near me lists it at $12.33.
Powell's Books has it at $13.75 <<( This store feeds in comments and reviews from the GoodReads site :-)
AbeBooks has listings for Books Express at $18.18 and Stratford Books at $9.71.
Alibris has the same two retailers: Books Express at $27.40 and Stratford Books at $28.55!!
I may never find out how Alibris and AbeBooks can list the same outlets carrying the book at such different prices…
In fact, I need to send a link to this post to FastPencil and ask them to explain how so many places not in our contract are carrying the book and why the prices vary so much and whether I can expect royalties from all of them.
I'll let you know what FastPencil says :-)
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Tagged: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book distribution, FastPencil, GoodReads, Ingram, Notes from An Alien, self-publishing
