I'm not sure why anything is listed as non-returnable with Ingram - I've not listed the company or books with them. Interesting...
You don't have to actively list anything with Ingram. They'll include just about anything with an ISBN in their catalogues.
Bookstores - buy directly from us (for now). Books get listed in IBPA's catalogue and through showcased at various book expo/events. Yes, we offer the industry standard of 40% off list, with the ability to return for full credit. We won't charge for shipping on orders of less than 10. We pay return shipping.
In trade publishing terms, "distribution" means having your books represented by a distributor. They carry stocks of your books, they sell them at a good discount, fully returnable, and--most importantly--there will be some sort of sales effort happening for your books, selling them into book shops and other retailers. They handle all order-processing for you, both in and out.
You don't have this, therefore you don't have distribution. That you don't understand this, when you're a publisher, is a big worry. And 40% is not the industry standard.
For the recent release, yes that book will be addressed as well. Hence the new editor - the one responsible for that book was let go. The company started with three - I focused on the building the business network. I have experience as an editor - but that consistently seems be confused here. I started as an intern with Bloomsbury, as a proofreader, years ago while living in London. I have over the years worked with several small publishing houses in both the US and UK (remotely). This is while living in Manchester and Sheffield. When we moved to Leicester, I edited for students' dissertations. It was at that time I worked a couple of months with OUP. I wanted to bring in an editor with more experience, which happened only a few weeks ago. Ultimately, it's on me, because it's my name and money that is attached to this business.
I am really uncomfortable here.
I am very surprised that Bloomsbury employed an intern specifically to be a proofreader. That's not how interning usually works in publishing: it's usually a general position, with interns assisting in all sorts of departments and with all sorts of tasks.
You said earlier you interned there as an editor, but an editor is not the same as a proofreader, and people who have done those jobs understand that.
I see so many errors in your posts here that I don't see how you could have ever worked as an editor or a proofreader. You just don't seem to have an instinct for the work. For example, you wrote "I edited for students' dissertations". That says the students' dissertations employed you, not that you worked on the dissertations. And it's not usual for dissertations to be edited by a freelance: you'd need specialist knowledge in the subject concerned to do the job properly; students can't usually afford the cost of it; and it's just not really done here, in my experience (which admittedly, is small in this area).
As for the author who's book didn't perform as well as was hoped - she left marketing to us and refused to engage with readers to any degree. It doesn't mean we left it to the side - we have continued to market it. It was one example, our other books are selling.
Having a writer refuse to engage with readers isn't the best situation for a publisher to be in, but it shouldn't affect sales to the extent that you've suggested. Consider the success of Steig Larsson, for example. He couldn't engage with his readers when he was published because he was dead. And yet his books have sold very well indeed.
All I can see is a reasonable, and not particularly robust, discussion of your publishing business, and the problems we see with it. But if you consider any posts here to be inappropriate, report them. It's more professional and useful than carping about it in-thread.I realize asking this will open up a can of worms, but how is it we have listings on Ingram when I haven't submitted anything to them - especially with terms/discounts? I get it if the purpose of the thread is for me to be on the bottom of a dog pile, but I would appreciate knowing so I can get it fixed.
That CreateSpace listed it (with terms) on Ingram without notice is not something I could have know they would do (it's not given in their terms of service). We listed with Amazon first because of it's large customer base.
As I said earlier, Ingram will list almost anything with an ISBN. Of course it's something you should have known about. It's standard. It makes me wonder how many other publishing-related things you don't realise.
My apologies, my response was based on what we've actively been doing. I have contacted two distributors - BookBaby and IPG and am awaiting replies. Once a relationship is established, then we will shift away from CreateSpace.
BookBaby is not a distributor.
IPG is not likely to work with you, based on the number of books you've published and the quantities you've sold. See their website, here:
Start-up publishers and smaller publishers (ie. with fewer than 10 titles) who are looking for distribution services can visit Small Press United
Once you've published a sufficient number of titles you'll need to show a strong sales record and a coherent marketing plan to get a full-service distributor interested in working with you. You'll also have to hold stocks of your books, and that means using offset printing rather than digital.
Thank you - all of you, for the honest feedback, comments, and questions. I did not go into this with the intention of misleading anyone - especially authors who are at risk to being scammed. Obviously, working with publishing companies hasn't help in giving the foundation I thought it had. The doors opened with the support of another, but they did not live up to their claimed experience. I've brought on an editor, who has the experience needed to improve quality.
My bold.
I'm not sure what that highlighted sentence is meant to mean. And your writing is full of problems like this.
I don't mean to be nasty here, but I simply don't see how you can charge anyone for editing services when your own writing is so poor.
It's good that you've employed an editor: but you don't seem to know even the basics of how publishing works, and that's going to cause problems throughout your business.
Also, thank you for the heads up about BookBaby - the person I've been speaking with did present themselves as distributors to bookstores. POD is not the go to in the future. It's not cost effective nor is it a good direction for our authors.
BookBaby does present itself as a distributor. See here:
How does printed book distribution work?
Add POD distribution to any bulk printing order of 25 or more books.
Upload your cover and text PDF files.
Enter the retail price of your book. This is the price that your title will sell for in the retail stores.
Complete POD distribution survey. This is where you will provide us with the details of your book including your author bio, title description and metadata.
BookBaby prepares your files for print and sets up your title in our distribution system.
In about 3-4 weeks your titles will begin to appear for ordering at online retailers and to our wholesale distribution network.
Retailers order your title.
BookBaby prints the books to the demand of the retailer and fulfills the order back to the retailer who turns around and fulfills the order to their buyer.
Payment is received from the retailers and added to your BookBaby distribution account.
I agree with you that they present themselves as a distributor, but that doesn't mean they are a distributor, and once again your lack of understanding is the problem here. People who know trade publishing understand what "distribution" means, and would see immediately that what BookBaby offers is not full distribution.
Again, I'm sorry to be so blunt. I don't doubt your good intentions, or your passion for the work. But I am very concerned by your lack of knowledge and understanding of how publishing works. It will have a direct impact on the books you publish, which will have an impact on those writers' careers. Please: step back. Learn more before you publish anything else.