I had always wondered why certain books cost more than others and it's as simple as how many pages are printed! I learned a lot from this post #subscribed
I think there’s more variety globally than stated here. Millimetre conversions would be useful for EU authors. There are also differences between popular US/ UK trim sizes (even if they’re both stated in inches!) e.g. The popular ‘B-Format’ trim size varies between the UK and the US (210x135mm 8.3"×5.3" vs. 198x129mm 7.8"×5", respectively).
I'm a part-time bookseller. Here are are two notes about visibility and availability for self-published authors.
1) Get your book listed on Ingram's iPage. Use Ingram Spark. Use "Extended Distribution" in KDP. Use whatever it is that Draft2Digital is offering. It doesn't matter. The point is the bookstore will see it. They can order it. It'll be part of their regular ordering infrastructure.
2) Bookstores like to see "REG" in the discount field, because that means they'll be getting their normal discount. For Ingram Spark, that means 55% (which isn't what the bookstore gets, mind you, but it's what the field is in Ingram). I know it sucks, but anything less means the bookstore gets less, which means they're less likely to take a chance on it. I don't know that you can get "REG" discount for the bookstores if you're using KDP's Extended Distribution.
Are royalties usually based on a percentage of wholesale or of retail?
If a $20 book sold wholesale for $10, would the author usually get 10 percent of $20 or 10 percent of $10?
Publishers do this in various ways: either as a percentage of list price (retail, so the author would get 10 percent of $20) or as a percentage of net revenue (which would be based on wholesale price and other factors, so the author might receive 20% of $10).
Hugely informative! Thanks!
I had always wondered why certain books cost more than others and it's as simple as how many pages are printed! I learned a lot from this post #subscribed
Came for the graphic, stayed for the Amazon analogies. Just subscribed, thank you for helping to demystify the publishing universe for us.
I think there’s more variety globally than stated here. Millimetre conversions would be useful for EU authors. There are also differences between popular US/ UK trim sizes (even if they’re both stated in inches!) e.g. The popular ‘B-Format’ trim size varies between the UK and the US (210x135mm 8.3"×5.3" vs. 198x129mm 7.8"×5", respectively).
I'm a part-time bookseller. Here are are two notes about visibility and availability for self-published authors.
1) Get your book listed on Ingram's iPage. Use Ingram Spark. Use "Extended Distribution" in KDP. Use whatever it is that Draft2Digital is offering. It doesn't matter. The point is the bookstore will see it. They can order it. It'll be part of their regular ordering infrastructure.
2) Bookstores like to see "REG" in the discount field, because that means they'll be getting their normal discount. For Ingram Spark, that means 55% (which isn't what the bookstore gets, mind you, but it's what the field is in Ingram). I know it sucks, but anything less means the bookstore gets less, which means they're less likely to take a chance on it. I don't know that you can get "REG" discount for the bookstores if you're using KDP's Extended Distribution.
Well now you have my undying loyalty because you used Piggly Wiggly to explain the world to me 🫶🏽👌🐖
it's fun just to type Piggly Wiggly
Truth
A question from a reader:
Are royalties usually based on a percentage of wholesale or of retail?
If a $20 book sold wholesale for $10, would the author usually get 10 percent of $20 or 10 percent of $10?
Publishers do this in various ways: either as a percentage of list price (retail, so the author would get 10 percent of $20) or as a percentage of net revenue (which would be based on wholesale price and other factors, so the author might receive 20% of $10).