I initially had my book printed by CreateSpace which meant it was available via Amazon in US and UK, but Australian purchasers had to pay high shipping costs to obtain a paperback, so I went through Ingram Spark for Australian distribution only. I was assured it would be available on all major bookshop and library databases if I paid $85 - and I did, and it is!
But ... I've had 3 potential customers call me today to say the bookshops they went to told them it was only available via Ingram Spark in the US and would cost twice its RRP to get it shipped to Australia.
I then conducted my own little investigation, calling Dymocks and asking if they could get it in, and they told me the same story - the book is listed as Ingram Spark US and it will cost at least $50 to get it in!
I phoned IS, and they told me that this was the fault of the bookshops. I realize it's not IS's fault, my book is certainly listed on these databases but apparently the price is shown in US$ and that, it would seem, confuses the bookseller. I discussed this with IS and they told me there's really not much they can do about it, and that they had never received any complaints from authors about this so it can't be much of a problem. (Could this be because authors don't know that customers are being told it has to come from the US?)
Surely IS could make more money if their Australian authors were selling more books! Has anyone else run into this problem and if so, what did you do about it?
But ... I've had 3 potential customers call me today to say the bookshops they went to told them it was only available via Ingram Spark in the US and would cost twice its RRP to get it shipped to Australia.
I then conducted my own little investigation, calling Dymocks and asking if they could get it in, and they told me the same story - the book is listed as Ingram Spark US and it will cost at least $50 to get it in!
I phoned IS, and they told me that this was the fault of the bookshops. I realize it's not IS's fault, my book is certainly listed on these databases but apparently the price is shown in US$ and that, it would seem, confuses the bookseller. I discussed this with IS and they told me there's really not much they can do about it, and that they had never received any complaints from authors about this so it can't be much of a problem. (Could this be because authors don't know that customers are being told it has to come from the US?)
Surely IS could make more money if their Australian authors were selling more books! Has anyone else run into this problem and if so, what did you do about it?
