dumb question- when you said to ask your publisher about distribution, what do you mean exactly? Isn't it just Ingram? ie, big box and indies placing orders.
You basically want to know how many cans of soup are on the shelves, available for purchase.
You are asking how many books have been shipped to accounts (bookstores and wholesalers) and how many remain in the warehouse after shipping, because that information tells a story.
Ingram is one retailer (a wholesaler, principally), able to fulfill orders for accounts - indie bookstores, libraries, etc., and they often come into play when books go out of stock or are selling well. Ingram is a big deal. Your publisher will solicit an order from Ingram up front. They will also solicit orders, depending on the book, from B&N, Amazon, the indies, and Brodart (for libraries, tho some publishers leave library fulfillment to Ingram), and, for bigger books, from Hudson News, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. But, for most authors, the likely distro scenario is:
Ingram (# copies shipped)
B&N (# copies shipped)
Indies (# copies shipped in aggregate)
Amazon (# copies shipped)
So, say Ingram orders 2,000, B&N 1,000, Amazon, 1,200 and the indies 600. That means you have 2,800 copies out there in the world visible to readers (B&N, indies, Amazon) with another 2,000 copies at Ingram ready to fulfill. Your book will also be visible in library systems.
It's a data point for you as an author, and data always tells a story. If someone can’t find a book on a store shelf, well, distribution is the initial culprit.
Of course, how they arrive at these initial orders is a longer story.
First of all, I love reading you. When you arrive in my In-Box, I dive right in.
Now. I was in publishing for about 5 minutes back in the 70s/80s, so this statement, which I quote from a piece I wrote about 20 years ago comes from relative ignorance. But I still stand by it.
"Great fiction is hard to sell. What happens to a person who reads a book -- if it's any good ¬-- is a profoundly private and irrational process, and the more distinctive the novel, the more private and irrational the process. That's where the trouble with publishing begins."
Since then I've come to understand that "great fiction" is a slippery category. Different books appeal to different readers; there are many different kinds of books, many different motives for reading. The editorial process of choosing a manuscript and working with its writer and standing up for the final product seems both vitally important and a mystery. Just some thoughts.
I so appreciate the light you shed with every post.
What a great quote. I would add that all books are hard to sell these days. And yes, completely agree about what clicks with a reader - so random! But when it does click, there’s nothing like it. The experience of reading when engaged is singular. Thanks for writing! Appreciate hearing from you!
dumb question- when you said to ask your publisher about distribution, what do you mean exactly? Isn't it just Ingram? ie, big box and indies placing orders.
Hello Vera,
You basically want to know how many cans of soup are on the shelves, available for purchase.
You are asking how many books have been shipped to accounts (bookstores and wholesalers) and how many remain in the warehouse after shipping, because that information tells a story.
Ingram is one retailer (a wholesaler, principally), able to fulfill orders for accounts - indie bookstores, libraries, etc., and they often come into play when books go out of stock or are selling well. Ingram is a big deal. Your publisher will solicit an order from Ingram up front. They will also solicit orders, depending on the book, from B&N, Amazon, the indies, and Brodart (for libraries, tho some publishers leave library fulfillment to Ingram), and, for bigger books, from Hudson News, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. But, for most authors, the likely distro scenario is:
Ingram (# copies shipped)
B&N (# copies shipped)
Indies (# copies shipped in aggregate)
Amazon (# copies shipped)
So, say Ingram orders 2,000, B&N 1,000, Amazon, 1,200 and the indies 600. That means you have 2,800 copies out there in the world visible to readers (B&N, indies, Amazon) with another 2,000 copies at Ingram ready to fulfill. Your book will also be visible in library systems.
It's a data point for you as an author, and data always tells a story. If someone can’t find a book on a store shelf, well, distribution is the initial culprit.
Of course, how they arrive at these initial orders is a longer story.
Hope that helps.
p.
First of all, I love reading you. When you arrive in my In-Box, I dive right in.
Now. I was in publishing for about 5 minutes back in the 70s/80s, so this statement, which I quote from a piece I wrote about 20 years ago comes from relative ignorance. But I still stand by it.
"Great fiction is hard to sell. What happens to a person who reads a book -- if it's any good ¬-- is a profoundly private and irrational process, and the more distinctive the novel, the more private and irrational the process. That's where the trouble with publishing begins."
Since then I've come to understand that "great fiction" is a slippery category. Different books appeal to different readers; there are many different kinds of books, many different motives for reading. The editorial process of choosing a manuscript and working with its writer and standing up for the final product seems both vitally important and a mystery. Just some thoughts.
I so appreciate the light you shed with every post.
What a great quote. I would add that all books are hard to sell these days. And yes, completely agree about what clicks with a reader - so random! But when it does click, there’s nothing like it. The experience of reading when engaged is singular. Thanks for writing! Appreciate hearing from you!
Keep sharing your truth (and/or confusion). Your voice is singular.
I need to see you (and Mitch). And young Cole! Soon!
You know where to find us!