The Winds of Change

Yesterday, I announced the price change on my books. Like it or not, I have to do that to take my business to the next level.

What is the next level? Distribution.

There are loads of claims of distribution, but they are often illusions. What happens is the books are made available for order. That doesn't mean that anyone will order them.

Real distribution is handled by a distributor who has sales reps who go out and make sales and take orders for the books. They have a seasonal catalog carrying all the publishers they distribute for, listing every book each publisher has coming out AND their back list.

This distribution talk is like the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy.

I have had my eye on an US distributor for several years now. They do NOT distribute POD books - thus the move to the black hole and eventually to where I am today. I am one step closer to being eligible to contract with them by doing my Totally Indie thing. I just need to build up my back list. So I'm hoping to produce two more books this year.

The really, really, really BIG news is that I'm in talks with a Middle East Distributor. I have no idea where this is going, but I certainly like the idea of my books being distributed to the countries who have made them popular.

There is talk of both an American English edition and a Formal Arabic translated edition of each book. I am so honored and humbled by this, I can't express it adequately.

After that, I'm considering a Spanish translation. And later an American English version distribution in the UK. But I'm open to other avenues.

Some of these things are down the road. All I know is once I said, "Yes" to being Totally Indie, the Universe has taken me seriously.

So maybe, my dear Ivy, you will get my books distributed in Croatia one day.


(Update: Kathryn's Beach is in the process of being published in UAE with extended distribution into the region, including Egypt.)

Distribution

Now the fun begins. For a long time in the POD/indie world the term distribution was blurred to mean listing a title online in as many places as possible. That is really a fulfillment outlet or at best some sort of passive distribution. It sounds good, "World wide distribution," except it should read, "World wide listing."

The next learning curve. Distribution. Real distribution. The kind that has sales reps going places and shopping books to book buyers (retailer's buyers). I think many indie writers are chasing traditional publishing, but the thing to chase is distribution.

Once again, I'm faced with a list of company names (small press distributors) that I don't recognize. First cut, google each one with "+ complaint" to see what is out there about them that THEY didn't write. Lots of results to sift through and consider. Cut the list.

Smaller list. Now the process really begins - read every one of the remaining "candidate's" websites. Ignore the pitch words and look for facts. Too vague, crossed off the list. Homemade websites, questionable seriousness. Client lists and online and hard copy catalogues get noted. Up front "processing fees of a vague nature." Cut from the list. If they make the short list, those will be checked out further.

OMG! OMGosh, and this is just the beginning of the process. I want to get back to writing. I don't want to be a grown-up business person. Writers, write. *sigh*