Distribution (for authors intending to sell their books)

Doing it yourself or employing a distributor

Having a professional-looking book is only the first step! You also need to think about how your books will reach your audience.

It is possible to handle your own book distribution, provided you are very organised and able to provide great customer service. With the advent of print-on-demand companies, you won’t necessarily need to store hundreds of copies, but you will need to keep records of orders, generate invoices and remittance advices, and store lots of packaging materials! You’ll also need to decide on your terms and conditions, especially your returns policy. Think carefully about whether you have time to manage distribution yourself, as it will be harmful to sales if you do not get your book to your readers promptly.

You might prefer to employ a professional distributor to handle everything for you, freeing you to concentrate on promoting your book. Bear in mind that some bookshop chains won’t consider your book unless it is distributed professionally.

Finding the right distributor for you will depend on your circumstances. Most distributors will ask to hold stock, i.e. will not accept print on demand, to ensure that they can fulfil orders promptly. Some distributors will store a reasonable quantity of stock for free, but it is not unusual to be charged for this service.

Online distribution

You may choose to distribute your publication online. Amazon offers several options for first-time self-published authors. You may also want to consider enrolling your title in the Search Inside programme, allowing a few pages of your book to be displayed on the Amazon website for customers to peruse before purchasing.

Some impartial advice on how to choose your distributor can be found at:
The Booksellers Association
Independent Publishers Guild

The Publishers Association also has a list of distributors in the UK.