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Interviewer: Elizabeth Zelvin
A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my own involvement with the fifth annual anthology from Wolfmont Press to benefit a deserving charity: Murder to Mil-Spec, a collection of new crime stories on military themes. Today, Wolfmont publisher Tony Burton talks with us about his press, its mission, and Murder to Mil-Spec.
Q. How did you come to establish a small press?
A: Well, I was running a short crime fiction ezine, Crime and Suspense (now defunct), and as a result of discussions with authors who were sending stories to me there, I became interested in having a print publishing business, not simply online. The first result of that was Seven By Seven, an anthology of seven authors’ flash fiction pieces on each of the seven deadly sins, for a total of 49 stories. It was a fun and challenging project that is still in print.
Q. Was publishing charitable anthologies part of your plan from the start? What prompted you to do this?
A. Honestly, it wasn’t in the business plan, but as I developed the business I saw it as a way I could use the business to help those who are (in that hackneyed expression) less fortunate than I. The first four charitable anthologies were for Toys for Tots, and that came, at least partially, from my own history of having parents who were hard-working but poor, and who could not always give the kind of Christmas they would have wanted. I have a lot of respect for the USMC and the work they do for this endeavor.
Q. How have the charitable anthologies affected Wolfmont’s reputation and success as a business enterprise?
A. You know, I haven’t thought much about that, but I hope they have had a positive impact! I actually had one author once (whom I will not name) to tell me that I was wasting time and effort with a charitable anthology that didn’t make any money for Wolfmont. I don’t agree. I don’t care if you call it “what goes around, comes around” or karma or something else, but I believe doing good ultimately does good for the person who does it.
Q. How have the stories been received? What kind of impact have they had on the contributors’ careers?
A. I think the anthologies and the individual stories have been very well received. Of course, in every anthology you will have some stories that are generally more popular than others—that goes without saying. And I have made it a point to mix levels of experience in all the anthologies, insofar as I could do that without hurting the integrity of the anthology, and I think it has turned out well. In 2008 we had the ONLY small-press book on the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association’s yearly list of bestsellers, in either hardcover or softcover. We have also had stories from the anthologies to be nominated for awards, and to win, so that is very pleasing. It has become generally a fairly competitive thing, to get into one of these anthologies, and that’s both good and bad. It makes it very hard to choose the stories because so many are so good, and we simply can’t put them all in.
Q. The first four anthologies had a surefire formula: holiday crime stories—making the book a perfect Christmas or Chanukah gift for readers—and a charity that gives toys to needy children, a mission that everyone can support without reservation. What made you decide to change the theme and recipient this time?
A. First of all, let me say that I still value Toys for Tots. But they get an awful lot of press, and are a very big charity. So, I decided that this year, I would try to find something that is just as important, but perhaps more obscure. That’s when I found Homes for Our Troops. They have a very, very high rating on the Charity Navigator web site, and in my mind are one of the better military-oriented charities.
Q. How did you arrive at the decision to make Homes for Our Troops the recipient of this year’s proceeds?
A. I was in the military for over twelve years, and if you add in National Guard time, over fourteen years. I was Navy for the largest part of that time, so I never was in a field combat situation, but I still saw a lot of terrible injuries, even in peacetime… including death. One thing that has really struck home to me was the high number of military persons coming back from our engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq with missing limbs, paralyzing spinal cord injuries, head trauma, and other devastating injuries that keep them from functioning normally in everyday environments. My mother is disabled and gets around in a wheelchair, and I know how hard it can be for even the simplest of tasks to get done when you are confined to one.
Q. What exactly does Homes for Our Troops do?
A. Homes for Our Troops is a 501.c(3) charitable organization that builds new homes for returning veterans with debilitating injuries such as loss of limb, paraplegia or quadriplegia, and so forth. They do this without any cost to the military member. At one time they were retrofitting the old homes, but they found that it was harder and more expensive than simply building a new home for the veteran. You can get a great idea of what they do by simply visiting their website, www.homesforourtroops.org .
Q. How did soliciting and selecting stories involving military personnel and veterans compare with your experience gathering stories with a holiday theme?
A. I think it was harder for a couple of reasons. One, and I’ll get it out of the way at first, is that there is a lot of ambivalence about the present conflicts in which the USA is involved. People seem to want to avoid talking about the loss of life and catastrophic injuries—witness out own government’s efforts to downplay the arrival of soldiers’ remains from the battlefields. The other thing, and this surprised me, is that it seems not many writers have first-hand experience with the military, so they had a hard time putting themselves into a “military frame of mind.” (How this applies to those who write about serial killers, I don’t want to contemplate!) But, even though there were not as many submissions for this anthology, there was still a good field to select from, and it pained me to have to reject some stories. One criticism from a reviewer (and it was a mild one) was that this anthology didn’t really have any humorous or lighthearted stories in it as the previous ones had. I didn’t filter out any funny stories: there simply were none submitted. Maybe people are so focused on the death and destruction aspect of the military that they forget that humor is one of the biggest ways all human beings deal with being in a stressful, dangerous situation. Whatever the reason, no really funny stories were submitted.
Q. Did you have any concern that a military charity, even one focusing on the severely disabled, might be seen as political? Have there been any surprises in people’s response to the anthology?
A. In spite of the potential political aspects of the anthology, I have yet to see any negative connotations directly pointed at the anthology, or at Wolfmont, because of the theme of the anthology. And that doesn’t surprise me. I believe people, even those who don’t agree with what is going on over in Afghanistan and Iraq, understand that military personnel are not over there for fun, and are simply serving their country—as they must, since they took the oath and signed up with the services.
Q. Putting together a charitable anthology like Murder to Mil-Spec involves a great deal of work for you with no financial reward. What makes it worthwhile for you? What do you like best about the process?
A. I get to work with some awesome people, first of all. I get to meet both experienced and novice authors who are talented and eager to do something good. I enjoy the warm glow that comes from doing something really positive.
Q. What would you like to tell readers about Murder to Mil-Spec to encourage them to buy it for themselves and as gifts for other readers?
A. First of all, your primary reason to buy Murder to Mil-Spec should NOT be the charity. It should be the fine collection of military-themed short crime fiction that will entertain you or the person to whom you give the book. These are not puff pieces, but meaty, satisfying stories that run the gamut from jewelry theft to murder to kidnapping, and that slide up the timeline from World War II all the way to our present involvement in Afghanistan. The added benefit is that you will help wounded warriors to be able to function when they return home, to be able to rebuild a life that they left as physically complete and whole, but now are challenged to live from day to day. And this challenge is because they did what they swore to do when they joined the military: they went in harm’s way in service to our country.
Q. What will you do for an encore? Do you have plans for next year’s charitable anthology?
A. I’ll be blunt here: last year’s anthology did not do as well as we had hoped it would. Perhaps it was the depressed economy; at least that’s what I think caused the problem, because the stories were all of high caliber. My continuation of this annual project is greatly dependent upon this year’s anthology doing well. If it is a success, then yes, I’ll probably do another one next year. I do have a theme and title in mind, but I won’t let that feline out of the sack until I know more about whether or not I’ll actually publish another anthology. If I don’t, it won’t be because the cause is not worthwhile—far from it—but rather because, after all the numbers are tallied, I could have simply donated the money to Homes for Our Troops and not had the trouble of getting out an anthology. That sounds pretty blunt and harsh, I guess, but it’s the truth. Just as you said, it’s a lot of work, and if it ends up being little more than a wash, then I’d rather just donate a lump sum and devote my time to a different project.
Showing posts with label Wolfmont Press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wolfmont Press. Show all posts
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Murder to Mil-Spec: Challenging topic, good deed
Elizabeth Zelvin
I had already started work on a Christmas/Chanukah crime story, planning to submit it to Wolfmont Press for what I assumed would be the publisher’s fifth annual anthology of holiday crime stories to benefit Toys for Tots, when I learned that Wolfmont had a different agenda this year: creating an anthology of crime stories on military themes, to benefit a charity called Homes for Our Troops.
Any short story writer can write a holiday story, and nobody hesitates to contribute to a charity that gives toys to needy kids. A lot of writers, who, like me, had contributed to Wolfmont’s previous charitable anthologies sighed and capped their virtual pens, saying, “I can’t write a military story.” At first, I said the same. I thought I’d have to give Wolfmont a miss this year. And then, as so often happens after I say, “I can’t,” I got an idea.
I’ve since applied the technique for generating a story that I used on this occasion to other calls for submission on topics I don’t know much about. It’s simple enough: I said to myself, “I don’t know much about the military, but is there any aspect of the military that I do know something about?” The answer was, “Yes.”
As a mental health and addictions professional who’s spent twenty-five years working with alcoholics and addicts in all walks of life, from celebrities and CEOs to the homeless, I know plenty about substance-abusing Vietnam vets and post-traumatic stress. And so my character, Larry, was born: an alcoholic Vietnam vet who works in a bar, is constantly on guard against his memories, avoids relationships, and thinks he has no future—and no choice but to go on exactly the way he is. I called the story “Choices.”
I’ve spent most of my life among people who are not particularly sympathetic to the military in general. On the other hand, just about everyone, regardless of political position, feels compassion for those who come home with severe disabilities. Homes for Our Troops addresses the dilemma of veterans who need housing that is accessible and adapted to their needs: doorways wide enough to fit a wheelchair through, for example.
The more I heard about Homes for Our Troops, the more I liked it. They go into a disabled veteran’s community and engage the people of that community in building a house for that vet. They supply the funds and special expertise, but everybody helps. It’s a lot like an old-fashioned barn raising. By the time the house is ready, the vet and his or her family know their neighbors and have become a warmly welcomed part of their community. Well worth the price of a $12 book of terrific short stories, don’t you think?
You can buy Murder to Mil-Spec at The Digital Bookshop in print and e-book formats, online at Amazon in print or Kindle, or online in print format at Barnes & Noble. The authors will also have copies to sign and sell as they appear around the country. For example, Barb Goffman and I will be reading from our stories at the public library in Reston, VA on December 7. The other talented authors, who have rung a dazzling variety of changes on the theme, include Terrie Farley Moran, Dorothy B. Francis, Big Jim Williams, Lina Zeldovich, Charles Schaeffer, Howard B. Carron, Brendan Dubois, Janis Patterson, S.M. Harding, and Diana Catt.
I had already started work on a Christmas/Chanukah crime story, planning to submit it to Wolfmont Press for what I assumed would be the publisher’s fifth annual anthology of holiday crime stories to benefit Toys for Tots, when I learned that Wolfmont had a different agenda this year: creating an anthology of crime stories on military themes, to benefit a charity called Homes for Our Troops.
Any short story writer can write a holiday story, and nobody hesitates to contribute to a charity that gives toys to needy kids. A lot of writers, who, like me, had contributed to Wolfmont’s previous charitable anthologies sighed and capped their virtual pens, saying, “I can’t write a military story.” At first, I said the same. I thought I’d have to give Wolfmont a miss this year. And then, as so often happens after I say, “I can’t,” I got an idea.
I’ve since applied the technique for generating a story that I used on this occasion to other calls for submission on topics I don’t know much about. It’s simple enough: I said to myself, “I don’t know much about the military, but is there any aspect of the military that I do know something about?” The answer was, “Yes.”
As a mental health and addictions professional who’s spent twenty-five years working with alcoholics and addicts in all walks of life, from celebrities and CEOs to the homeless, I know plenty about substance-abusing Vietnam vets and post-traumatic stress. And so my character, Larry, was born: an alcoholic Vietnam vet who works in a bar, is constantly on guard against his memories, avoids relationships, and thinks he has no future—and no choice but to go on exactly the way he is. I called the story “Choices.”I’ve spent most of my life among people who are not particularly sympathetic to the military in general. On the other hand, just about everyone, regardless of political position, feels compassion for those who come home with severe disabilities. Homes for Our Troops addresses the dilemma of veterans who need housing that is accessible and adapted to their needs: doorways wide enough to fit a wheelchair through, for example.
The more I heard about Homes for Our Troops, the more I liked it. They go into a disabled veteran’s community and engage the people of that community in building a house for that vet. They supply the funds and special expertise, but everybody helps. It’s a lot like an old-fashioned barn raising. By the time the house is ready, the vet and his or her family know their neighbors and have become a warmly welcomed part of their community. Well worth the price of a $12 book of terrific short stories, don’t you think?
You can buy Murder to Mil-Spec at The Digital Bookshop in print and e-book formats, online at Amazon in print or Kindle, or online in print format at Barnes & Noble. The authors will also have copies to sign and sell as they appear around the country. For example, Barb Goffman and I will be reading from our stories at the public library in Reston, VA on December 7. The other talented authors, who have rung a dazzling variety of changes on the theme, include Terrie Farley Moran, Dorothy B. Francis, Big Jim Williams, Lina Zeldovich, Charles Schaeffer, Howard B. Carron, Brendan Dubois, Janis Patterson, S.M. Harding, and Diana Catt.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Distribution Discombobulation
Tony Burton (Guest Blogger)
“Oh, if only I could just publish this novel! Everybody who has read it tells me how great it is—Aunt Mildred, my Sunday School teacher, Gramma Betty! I’m sure it’ll be a best seller, and I’ll be able to buy that new car I want!”
Hmmm. Well, let’s say that your Auntie, Gramma and Miss Jolene are all correct, and your novel is the best thing since sliced whole-wheat raisin bread. And let’s take this lovely fantasy one large step further and say that the acquisitions editor at Big Press, Inc. loves it, too! They’re going to publish A Far Cry from Cleveland! Woo-hoo!
Now… let’s talk about getting the book out there in the hands of John and Jane Reader.
Most authors, and let’s not even think about readers, really don’t know about distribution. Oh, they know it has to be done… just like somebody, somewhere has to put all those naked chickens inside plastic wrap so people can buy them at the grocery store and fry ‘em up at home. But how is it accomplished? And why is it done just that way?
Let’s look at the problem. First of all, most authors want their books to be on the shelf of every bookstore. Hey, it only makes sense! The more people see your book, the more chances you have of selling a book, right? But you have to remember: about 200,000 new titles hit the American marketplace EVERY YEAR. That’s a lot of competition for space on the shelves of the bookstores.
The two largest distributors in North America are Ingram and Baker & Taylor. I think most authors know that—in the same way they know we have a bicameral legislature in the United States. Exactly how they work, however, is often a mystery in both cases.
Actually, let me clarify that: many people consider Ingram and Baker & Taylor to be wholesalers rather than distributors. It’s true that Ingram, for example, does deal with other organizations which it defines as “distributors.” It’s a fine line, and one which I’m not going to debate right here. Either way, they are the primary wholesale source for booksellers in North America. I say this because, when I contact a bookseller, they don’t ask me if the book is available through Atlas or IPG—they ask me about Ingram and Baker & Taylor.
Most of the companies who classify themselves as “distributors” have similar setups to those of Ingram and Baker & Taylor, but many require exclusivity of distribution, and a higher discount. Biblio Distribution, for example, requires a minimum 60% discount plus exclusivity. So, the publisher gets 40% of the retail price, and from that has to pay for production, marketing, storage, shipping, royalties… oh, and hopefully the utility bills for his business.
Ingram is a huge company. They are the 1000-pound gorilla in the wholesale book market in North America. And they also own what is probably the biggest Print-On-Demand company in the world: Lightning Source. (By the way, did you know that Barnes & Noble bought Ingram in late 1998? No wonder that they want books to be distributed through Ingram, to be stocked on their shelves!)
Ingram sells books to anyone who resells them. Baker & Taylor, while also having a wide market, focuses more on the institutional arena. They sell a great many books to libraries, schools, colleges, etc. as well as to book resellers.
Because Ingram and Baker & Taylor are the two biggest players in the wholesaling and distribution game, they can make the publisher jump through quite a few financial and procedural hoops to get their books distributed. Let’s talk about those hoops: if you want your book to be carried by these companies, your publisher must have an agreement in place with them. For example, with Ingram this means the publisher must agree to do the following:
· Pay a non-refundable set-up fee for the privilege ($750)
· Give a minimum 55% discount off retail
· Pay the shipping charges to and from booksellers who order or return
· Pay a per-book fee to have each book considered for distribution by the semiannual selection committee
· Pay another fee for the “New Vendor Title Visibility Program” (over $500)
· Accept all returns [*see below]
· Sell a minimum of $20,000 net after returns over two years [**see below]
(NOTE: this information came from the PMA website.)
* “Accept all returns”—this is a sore spot with most publishers, and most booksellers. Whenever a book is returned, for whatever reason, it affects the bottom line for publisher and author. The book may or may NOT be in a resalable condition, because there are no guarantees to that effect. A couple of small presses were actually driven out of business by big-box retailers deciding to return thousands of copies of books which they over-ordered and didn’t sell. By the way, the publisher has to pay for the returned books and shipping even if the books are not resalable, because it’s an all-or-nothing proposition.
** “Sell a minimum of…”—if the publisher’s books do not sell at this level, the publisher’s status will be reviewed, and they may be offered the chance to stay with Ingram if they offer a larger discount on books to resellers. And “net after returns” means $20,000 after they have subtracted the cost of all the returned books from the figures.
For all this aggravation, what does Ingram provide, besides carrying the book?
· They will pay within 90 days of the month of sale (i.e., books sell on May 10, publisher gets royalty check or deposit on September 1).
· They will assign a specific buyer and an advertising salesperson to that publisher’s account.
· They will list your book(s) in their catalogs, both print and online, so they can be purchased by booksellers.
Baker & Taylor have a similar program, with similar conditions and guarantees. Their set-up fee is a little lower, I believe, and they do not require the publisher to pay outbound freight for books ordered by booksellers. Look here for specifics of what they require from publishers who wish to be vendors/suppliers.
“But,” you may ask, “why don’t the booksellers just order from the publishers?” Good question! Here is what booksellers told me when I asked:
· “I can write a single check each month instead of writing fifteen or thirty to different publishers.”
· “Ingram/Baker & Taylor will give me minimum 90 day terms.”
· “Ingram gives me better discounts when I order more books from them.”
· “It’s cheaper to pay for two big boxes of books to be shipped from Baker & Taylor than to pay for 10 smaller boxes to be shipped from a lot of different publishers.”
· “I know if a publisher has Ingram (or Baker & Taylor) distribution, they must have some financial stability.”
· “Having the book available through Ingram gives me some assurance of the quality of the book and the writing.”
Each of those points makes me nod my head and say, “Um-hmm,” except for the last one because, hey, I’ve read some real stinkers distributed by Ingram.
There are other independent distributors, of course, but none of them have the reach and cachet of Ingram or Baker & Taylor.
Something I’ve noticed: many authors seem to be real numbers junkies. They find out about the toll-free number to check sales at Ingram, and go bananas. (It’s 800-937-8000, option #4, extension 36803 if you want to get your part of the fruit salad.) There you can learn about stocking numbers and “sales” for any book, if you have the ISBN. Problem is, the sales numbers mean very little. They are the wholesale sales, those going out to resellers. So, since the reseller may or may not sell the books and may ultimately return them, they are not realistic indicators of how much money you, as the author, are making.
Wolfmont Publishing and my second imprint, Honey Locust Press, are small presses. I have one full-time employee: me. I do cover design, bookmark design, page layout, book teaser video creation, etc. It’s all me. I’ve had some success getting books shelved in stores, but not as much as I’d like. For the most part, it really requires personal contact by authors, not by the publisher.
Also, because I/we are a small press and operate close to the bone, I don’t offer as large a discount as some of the larger houses do (my discounts range between 35% and 45%). I can’t do it and still pay decent royalties to authors. I don’t accept across-the-board returns, either. I can’t take the risk. However, I will negotiate returns with independent bookstores if they order directly from me.
Yes, these things limit my market. I know that. But I’ve only had one author complain about the discount issue with me. And I do offer this option: if the author will sign an agreement to be completely financially responsible for all returns of their book, I’ll accept returns. Strangely enough, even though some authors want me to accept returns, none of them want to shoulder that burden.
Even with these limitations, I have books shelved in a Barnes and Noble in Texas, simply because one of the authors (it is an anthology) went there and had a very successful signing where they sold all the copies they had ordered within the first hour. They now stock the book.
I have books shelved in some Hastings stores, but again it’s only because the author of that novel went to those stores and made personal contact with the store managers. I have books shelved at some independents because, as the author or the editor of the books, I made contact with the owners and established rapport. Personal contact made the difference in each case, whether chain bookstores or independent.
While all these details may make your head spin, it’s good for authors to have at least some idea of how it all works. One, it allows you a better understanding of why publishers may do some of the crazy things they do. (Such as hold your royalties for months, or pay royalties that you consider miniscule.) Two, it helps you to understand better how to market your book. And like it or not, authors have to market their own books, one way or another.
In my earlier days, before I knew the value of having national distribution, I walked into some bookstores and asked them about stocking my books. The first question they asked me was, “Are they carried by Ingram?” or “Can I get them through Baker & Taylor?” At that time, I had to tell them no. And they said they wouldn’t carry the books, even if I did the fulfillment myself and I was local.
I’m not saying every bookseller is that way, but quite a few are. That being said, some independent booksellers are getting accustomed to the idea of going through distributors other than the two major players. But in my experience most want some sort of distributor or national wholesaler rather than going directly to the publisher, even if the publisher offers favorable terms.
I know that’s a lot of information. And even with that, it doesn’t cover everything about distribution. But it’s a good start, and maybe can help you as an author to recognize some of the hurdles faced by your publisher when she is trying to get A Far Cry from Cleveland onto bookstore shelves.
“Oh, if only I could just publish this novel! Everybody who has read it tells me how great it is—Aunt Mildred, my Sunday School teacher, Gramma Betty! I’m sure it’ll be a best seller, and I’ll be able to buy that new car I want!”
Hmmm. Well, let’s say that your Auntie, Gramma and Miss Jolene are all correct, and your novel is the best thing since sliced whole-wheat raisin bread. And let’s take this lovely fantasy one large step further and say that the acquisitions editor at Big Press, Inc. loves it, too! They’re going to publish A Far Cry from Cleveland! Woo-hoo!
Now… let’s talk about getting the book out there in the hands of John and Jane Reader.
Most authors, and let’s not even think about readers, really don’t know about distribution. Oh, they know it has to be done… just like somebody, somewhere has to put all those naked chickens inside plastic wrap so people can buy them at the grocery store and fry ‘em up at home. But how is it accomplished? And why is it done just that way?
Let’s look at the problem. First of all, most authors want their books to be on the shelf of every bookstore. Hey, it only makes sense! The more people see your book, the more chances you have of selling a book, right? But you have to remember: about 200,000 new titles hit the American marketplace EVERY YEAR. That’s a lot of competition for space on the shelves of the bookstores.
The two largest distributors in North America are Ingram and Baker & Taylor. I think most authors know that—in the same way they know we have a bicameral legislature in the United States. Exactly how they work, however, is often a mystery in both cases.
Actually, let me clarify that: many people consider Ingram and Baker & Taylor to be wholesalers rather than distributors. It’s true that Ingram, for example, does deal with other organizations which it defines as “distributors.” It’s a fine line, and one which I’m not going to debate right here. Either way, they are the primary wholesale source for booksellers in North America. I say this because, when I contact a bookseller, they don’t ask me if the book is available through Atlas or IPG—they ask me about Ingram and Baker & Taylor.
Most of the companies who classify themselves as “distributors” have similar setups to those of Ingram and Baker & Taylor, but many require exclusivity of distribution, and a higher discount. Biblio Distribution, for example, requires a minimum 60% discount plus exclusivity. So, the publisher gets 40% of the retail price, and from that has to pay for production, marketing, storage, shipping, royalties… oh, and hopefully the utility bills for his business.
Ingram is a huge company. They are the 1000-pound gorilla in the wholesale book market in North America. And they also own what is probably the biggest Print-On-Demand company in the world: Lightning Source. (By the way, did you know that Barnes & Noble bought Ingram in late 1998? No wonder that they want books to be distributed through Ingram, to be stocked on their shelves!)
Ingram sells books to anyone who resells them. Baker & Taylor, while also having a wide market, focuses more on the institutional arena. They sell a great many books to libraries, schools, colleges, etc. as well as to book resellers.
Because Ingram and Baker & Taylor are the two biggest players in the wholesaling and distribution game, they can make the publisher jump through quite a few financial and procedural hoops to get their books distributed. Let’s talk about those hoops: if you want your book to be carried by these companies, your publisher must have an agreement in place with them. For example, with Ingram this means the publisher must agree to do the following:
· Pay a non-refundable set-up fee for the privilege ($750)
· Give a minimum 55% discount off retail
· Pay the shipping charges to and from booksellers who order or return
· Pay a per-book fee to have each book considered for distribution by the semiannual selection committee
· Pay another fee for the “New Vendor Title Visibility Program” (over $500)
· Accept all returns [*see below]
· Sell a minimum of $20,000 net after returns over two years [**see below]
(NOTE: this information came from the PMA website.)
* “Accept all returns”—this is a sore spot with most publishers, and most booksellers. Whenever a book is returned, for whatever reason, it affects the bottom line for publisher and author. The book may or may NOT be in a resalable condition, because there are no guarantees to that effect. A couple of small presses were actually driven out of business by big-box retailers deciding to return thousands of copies of books which they over-ordered and didn’t sell. By the way, the publisher has to pay for the returned books and shipping even if the books are not resalable, because it’s an all-or-nothing proposition.
** “Sell a minimum of…”—if the publisher’s books do not sell at this level, the publisher’s status will be reviewed, and they may be offered the chance to stay with Ingram if they offer a larger discount on books to resellers. And “net after returns” means $20,000 after they have subtracted the cost of all the returned books from the figures.
For all this aggravation, what does Ingram provide, besides carrying the book?
· They will pay within 90 days of the month of sale (i.e., books sell on May 10, publisher gets royalty check or deposit on September 1).
· They will assign a specific buyer and an advertising salesperson to that publisher’s account.
· They will list your book(s) in their catalogs, both print and online, so they can be purchased by booksellers.
Baker & Taylor have a similar program, with similar conditions and guarantees. Their set-up fee is a little lower, I believe, and they do not require the publisher to pay outbound freight for books ordered by booksellers. Look here for specifics of what they require from publishers who wish to be vendors/suppliers.
“But,” you may ask, “why don’t the booksellers just order from the publishers?” Good question! Here is what booksellers told me when I asked:
· “I can write a single check each month instead of writing fifteen or thirty to different publishers.”
· “Ingram/Baker & Taylor will give me minimum 90 day terms.”
· “Ingram gives me better discounts when I order more books from them.”
· “It’s cheaper to pay for two big boxes of books to be shipped from Baker & Taylor than to pay for 10 smaller boxes to be shipped from a lot of different publishers.”
· “I know if a publisher has Ingram (or Baker & Taylor) distribution, they must have some financial stability.”
· “Having the book available through Ingram gives me some assurance of the quality of the book and the writing.”
Each of those points makes me nod my head and say, “Um-hmm,” except for the last one because, hey, I’ve read some real stinkers distributed by Ingram.
There are other independent distributors, of course, but none of them have the reach and cachet of Ingram or Baker & Taylor.
Something I’ve noticed: many authors seem to be real numbers junkies. They find out about the toll-free number to check sales at Ingram, and go bananas. (It’s 800-937-8000, option #4, extension 36803 if you want to get your part of the fruit salad.) There you can learn about stocking numbers and “sales” for any book, if you have the ISBN. Problem is, the sales numbers mean very little. They are the wholesale sales, those going out to resellers. So, since the reseller may or may not sell the books and may ultimately return them, they are not realistic indicators of how much money you, as the author, are making.
Wolfmont Publishing and my second imprint, Honey Locust Press, are small presses. I have one full-time employee: me. I do cover design, bookmark design, page layout, book teaser video creation, etc. It’s all me. I’ve had some success getting books shelved in stores, but not as much as I’d like. For the most part, it really requires personal contact by authors, not by the publisher.
Also, because I/we are a small press and operate close to the bone, I don’t offer as large a discount as some of the larger houses do (my discounts range between 35% and 45%). I can’t do it and still pay decent royalties to authors. I don’t accept across-the-board returns, either. I can’t take the risk. However, I will negotiate returns with independent bookstores if they order directly from me.
Yes, these things limit my market. I know that. But I’ve only had one author complain about the discount issue with me. And I do offer this option: if the author will sign an agreement to be completely financially responsible for all returns of their book, I’ll accept returns. Strangely enough, even though some authors want me to accept returns, none of them want to shoulder that burden.
Even with these limitations, I have books shelved in a Barnes and Noble in Texas, simply because one of the authors (it is an anthology) went there and had a very successful signing where they sold all the copies they had ordered within the first hour. They now stock the book.
I have books shelved in some Hastings stores, but again it’s only because the author of that novel went to those stores and made personal contact with the store managers. I have books shelved at some independents because, as the author or the editor of the books, I made contact with the owners and established rapport. Personal contact made the difference in each case, whether chain bookstores or independent.
While all these details may make your head spin, it’s good for authors to have at least some idea of how it all works. One, it allows you a better understanding of why publishers may do some of the crazy things they do. (Such as hold your royalties for months, or pay royalties that you consider miniscule.) Two, it helps you to understand better how to market your book. And like it or not, authors have to market their own books, one way or another.
In my earlier days, before I knew the value of having national distribution, I walked into some bookstores and asked them about stocking my books. The first question they asked me was, “Are they carried by Ingram?” or “Can I get them through Baker & Taylor?” At that time, I had to tell them no. And they said they wouldn’t carry the books, even if I did the fulfillment myself and I was local.
I’m not saying every bookseller is that way, but quite a few are. That being said, some independent booksellers are getting accustomed to the idea of going through distributors other than the two major players. But in my experience most want some sort of distributor or national wholesaler rather than going directly to the publisher, even if the publisher offers favorable terms.
I know that’s a lot of information. And even with that, it doesn’t cover everything about distribution. But it’s a good start, and maybe can help you as an author to recognize some of the hurdles faced by your publisher when she is trying to get A Far Cry from Cleveland onto bookstore shelves.
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