Will your print materials be at the right locations on the right days?

Companies necessarily invest much time, effort and money to research, write, organize and complete training workbooks, HR manuals, instructional booklets and corporate procedural guidelines. But, if they are not where they need to be and not in front of the correct audience, at the appropriate time, they do not serve their intended purpose to teach, train and inform employees, customers and clients.

                                                                                                    

Even in today's digital environment, with the proliferation of online training courses and digital program modules, printed books, manuals and workbooks are necessary and essential to communicate sensitive and proprietary company information to its different audiences. 

Faced with the need to print and distribute such materials with tight timeframes and diverse logistical requirements, digital printing can efficiently and effectively meet the challenges that creating and distributing printed materials can produce:

l        Print-on-Demand - allows the printing of books, binders and manuals as few as one at a time and only when an order is placed. 

l        Cost effectiveness - with virtually no upfront pre-press costs, small print runs are cost effective. Traditional printing services have always required quotas or minimum orders when you used their services. However, because of the flexibility of digital printing, these financial boundaries do not exist.

l        Short Runs - digital printing is ideal for short-to-medium runs. Digital data is easily stored and updated; therefore changes can be easily accommodated. Digital printing allows more effective print management: there's no need for large inventories and no need to dump out of date stock.   

l        Speed - digital presses can be set up quickly and are capable of enabling next day or even same day delivery.

l        Personalization - each book, binder or manual can be personalized to include unique content and personalized materials.

  

To make more efficient the entire printing and distribution process, print document management companies such as NetPublications, Inc. offer a complete document management solution by combining printing, binding, storage, fulfillment and distribution in one facility, with one point of contact.

As a result, companies can focus on the businesses that make them successful and know that the printing and dissemination of their important and sensitive training, human resources and other corporate printed documents will be properly managed.

You have just completed your book...now what?

You have spent months, if not years, researching, writing, designing and editing your book. It is now finished and ready for sale.

Congratulations!

Now what?

You undoubtedly want your book sold and in the hands of readers. You want it distributed through retail channels, online outlets and other avenues that sell books.

Many options exist to distribute your book through these diverse channels. Each offers its own advantages and disadvantages and understanding and choosing the correct one for your particular needs can be overwhelming. 

Traditionally, books have used a distribution channel consisting of book distributors and wholesalers.

Book distributors actively sell books to bookstores, retailers, libraries and online stores, usually from a catalog. Personal sales calls and visits can also occur as long standing relationships typically exist between a distributor and retail outlets. Distributors offer a full range of services to stimulate demand and sell books through the distribution channel.

Book wholesalers make books available to retailers but do not typically engage in actively selling books to the retail market. They process orders and ship books but do not generally create demand for books. They do not offer the full range of services that distributors provide. Publishers and authors still have to pitch, market and sell books to book retailers. But wholesalers might offer a relatively inexpensive method compared to distributors to have books made available to a multitude of potential buyers.

With the growth of self published authors has come a viable alternative method for authors to reach potential book buyers…directly online. Social media and single focused book sites offer book reviews and relevant articles and the opportunity to sell directly to readers. For example, bookhitch.com allows authors and readers the opportunity to “meet,” sell and buy without having to go through distributors or wholesalers.

                                                                                               

And, should authors choose to sell books from personal websites, companies such as NetPublications’ NetSource distribution service can establish a shopping cart connection allowing the fulfillment of orders and processing of payments placed via authors’ websites.  

Each of these methods offer a unique value proposition and each must be thoroughly considered and evaluated to understand which offers the best distribution route, and value, for an individual’s particular situation.

But, ultimately, they all allow authors the opportunity to put their books in front of an audience of potential buyers after the solitary time spent writing and completing their books.

www.netpub.net

Book Distribution Basics

Completing a book is indeed a milestone for an author, but the creative portion of book writing is only half the battle. It's important to determine what the ultimate goal is for a new book. If plans are to sell the title in the marketplace, then an author needs to investigate the business side of the book publishing process, or book distribution.  For a writer who prefers to give away books as mementos for family and friends, to sell copies at the local bookstore or flea market, or to take orders from a personal website and ship from a home garage, distribution is not a major issue.  The option to distribute a book definitely offers several advantages worth considering, including: 1) increased awareness; 2) more accessibility; 3) more availability; and 4) a potential for greater sales.

It is actually in the best interest of any author to think through the distribution decision BEFORE a book is completed.  The author should envision the end result and set realistic goals.  When releasing a book to the public, there are a handful of large wholesale and retail channels that can be utilized, and each specializes in specific markets.  Amazon, for example, mainly deals with sales to individual users of their site, while distributors such as Baker & Taylor or Ingram cater more to trade institutions, such as schools and libraries. Understanding a book’s target market is a critical first step toward determining which distribution avenue is the best vehicle for a new title.

Most companies that offer distribution do so at a price.  Some charge a flat, one-time fee, while others use sliding scales per each sale, and some utilize a combination of both.  Each author must weigh several factors simultaneously, which involves setting the correct retail price for the book based on comparable material in the marketplace, as well as print production and fulfillment costs. Additionally, depending upon the type of  book distribution agreement an author selects, a wholesale or retail book sale usually results in an upfront discount off the book’s retail price.  Although discount percentages vary as per agreement, discount pricing is the industry’s standard practice, and must be a factor in determining the actual retail price of a new title.

The book distribution business can be tricky to understand and navigate. Every author should research the retail and wholesale distribution options available to them, and contact those knowledgeable about the subject, such as their publisher or printer. 

ISBN - What Is It and Why Do I Need One?

Thinking about writing a book? Thinking about selling the book that you're thinking about writing? Then it's time you started thinking about an ISBN number.

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number and it is required if you intend to sell your book at a retail store or through a wholesale distributor. If you give away your book to friends, or sell a title to an individual, you may not need one. An ISBN is like a VIN number for a car - it distinguishes YOUR book from all the rest. It is a unique identifier that no other book, in any other format, may have. It is yours and yours alone. 

This is beneficial for two main reasons:

1) Searchability - Any wholesaler, retailer or individual will be able to type your unique ISBN into any search engine. As long as the book has been registered with an ISBN, it will be searchable for purchase, or to obtain general information about your book.

2) It avoids confusion - Your title, "The Greatest Book Ever Written" is available for purchase, but searching by book name only may result in 100 or even 1000 books with the identical  name. How would a potential buyer know the difference, other than scrolling tediously through countless titles? With a unique identifier (your ISBN), there would be no question that YOUR book belongs with that ISBN.  

It is important to note that each different published format of your book (print hardcover or paperback, digital, or audio) will need a separate ISBN.  Your publisher can issue an ISBN.  For self-published authors, you can purchase one through www.bowker.com, which is the official source of ISBNs in the U.S. 

Your book is unique!  Assign it an ISBN and it will forever be recognized this way!