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Once I have finished the DIY publishing process, how do
I order copies of my book?
You can place orders by contacting a customer support member to get a quote for
your discounted author price. Request an order through email at customersupport@authorcrossing.com
or Live Chat.
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How much will I pay for a copy of my book?
You can order a copy of your book for the discounted production cost of the book.
The discounted production price will be determined during the production process
and is based on the cover cost and page count for your book.
Is there a minimum number of books that I must order?
No, there is no minimum. With Print on Demand technology, you can conveniently order
books as you need them. You can order one, 50, 200, 1,000 or as many books as you need
whenever you wish.
Is the cost of shipping included or separate from the price?
The cost of shipping is not included in the original price of the book. The shipping
charge will be determined when the order is place and depends on the shipping address
(how far it will travel) and shipping method (how quickly it needs to get there).
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What shipping options are available?
Books delivered with standard shipping are sent via UPS ground. Additional options
include U.S. Postal Service media mail, UPS 2nd day air and UPS overnight delivery.
Please note that UPS does not deliver to P.O. Box addresses. Also, media mail does
not supply tracking information.
How long does it take to receive my POD book once I place
an order?
Our books are printed using the latest Print-on-Demand (POD) technology, which means
that books are printed to each order. Once you place an order, the books take about
2-3 business days to print, plus additional time to ship the book depending on the
type of shipping you choose and your location. If ordering in the United States,
books are shipped from Tennessee. Most areas in the eastern half of the United States
can expect a ship time of 2-3 days with standard UPS ground. On the western half
of the United States, expect 3-6 days for standard shipping, depending on your location.
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What do I do if I receive a book that is damaged?
If you receive a damaged book, we can replace it for you. Please contact our customer
service representatives for more information through live chat, email or call 877-655-1720.
Who will be able to buy my book?
With our standard DIY publishing, your book will be available for purchase through
AuthorCrossing's online Bookstore on our Web site. Individuals and retailers can order
your book through our Web site only, unless you purchase Retail Channel Distribution.
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Can retailers order my book?
Yes, retailers can order your book directly through our online Bookstore. However,
in order for retailers to order your book through their own supply channels, your book needs to be in distribution, which you can purchase through
our Services Store. Once in
the retail distribution channel, most retailers will be able to purchase your book through
their own suppliers (approximately 25,000 retailers).
Who will be able to buy my book if I purchase distribution?
If you purchase distribution, your book will be accessible through thousands of
retail outlets such as Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc. We rely on Ingram
as our main distributor. Ingram is one of the largest distributors, and therefore,
almost all retailers use it as their information source. Ingram has a huge database
of information called ipage®, through which retailers get their information
and can order books. Visit Ingram's Web site, www.ingrambook.com
for more information.
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Do I need to purchase distribution for my book?
Depending on your intentions for the book, distribution may or may not be necessary.
If only you will be purchasing the book, then you may not need distribution. However,
if you are interested in actively selling your book and making it available to as
many people as possible, especially retailers, you should definitely purchase distribution.
Most bookstores prefer to order books through
their own suppliers, so they may not be able or willing to order through AuthorCrossing.
With distribution, retailers are able to access your book in their own systems,
not just in AuthorCrossing's Web site. Distribution also gives customers more options
and your book more visibility because it will be listed on many popular sites, like
www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.
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What is a distributor? What do they actually do?
Our distributor, Ingram, supplies book details and information about the availability
and book and to various outlets; they are an information hub for publishers, retailers
and printers. Ingram has a huge database of information called ipage®
through which retailers get their information and can order books. Imagine how difficult
it would be without distributors. Retailers would have to keep in touch with all
the hundreds of thousands of printers and publishers all over the world, who are
constantly putting out new books. It would be an impossible task. Instead, all the
printers and publishers simply notify the same source, the distributor, so that
they only have to go to one source to get all the updated information about books.
Visit Ingram's Web site, www.ingrambook.com for
more information.
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Will my book actually be in book stores?
Yes, your book will be in bookstores online, and it is possible that your book will
be in physical book stores, but we cannot guarantee it. It is up to the individual
retailer and store if they actually purchase copies of your book to place on the
shelves in their store. You can greatly increase the chances of a store stocking
your book by personally contacting the store and speaking to the manager. You should
not expect your book to be stocked in a store unless you are active in your promotional
efforts. Check out all of the promotional and marketing services we provide through
our Services Store to help
you with your promotional campaign.
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What is the average number of books sold by AuthorCrossing self-published
authors?
The average number of book sales varies greatly from title to title and is highly
dependent on the promotional and marketing efforts of the author.
How can I help increase my book sales?
Efforts to spread the word and let people know about your book will help sales.
We offer a variety of promotional services and supplies to assist you, as well as
certain pre- and post-production services that can make your book more marketable
(such as an ISBN, Distribution, any of our customized cover designs, any of our
copyediting services, Retail Return Insurance, etc.). Visit our
Services Store to review all of the options.
If you do not promote and market your book,
people will not know that it exists and no one will ever know what they are missing.
For more information about creating a marketing plan, visit our
post-production FAQs page or review the Book Marketing
with AuthorCrossing guide.
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My book is listed wrong on a retail Web site. Can AuthorCrossing
fix it?
If you find errors listed on a Web site other than AuthorCrossing's, we cannot fix it
because we do not have control over other retailers' Web sites. Many Web sites have
contact information listed to report and correct an error. Some larger Web sites,
such as amazon.com, even have links to submit corrections on their site. However, if you find an error that is consistent across many retailers' sites, please let us know and we'll look into the problem to determine if there is anything we can do to help.
What should I do if my front cover image is missing from
a retail Web site?
Information can take anywhere from 30-45 business days to circulate to all of the
Web sites. Data regarding the cover and other information is supplied in separate
data feeds, and some are quicker than others to distribute the data. However, if
the sufficient time period has passed and your cover is still missing, please contact
our customer support and we can request that you cover is re-circulated.
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A certain retailer says my book is not in their system.
What can I do?
There are multiple reasons why a retailer may not see your book in their system.
First, in order for your book to be available through retailers you must purchase
retail distribution. Second, a substantial amount of time needs to pass –
anywhere from 30-60 days for "brick-and-mortar" stores. How quickly the
system is updated depends on the retail chain and individual store.
If enough time has passed and the retailer
still cannot access your book, you can contact AuthorCrossing to look into the problem.
We can double check for you that your title is listed on ipage®, Ingram's
(our distributor) database. However, it is most likely an internal problem with
the individual retailer.
Is my book "returnable" for retailers?
Our standard books are not returnable; however, you can purchase the Retail Return
Insurance service in one-year increments (see the
FAQs in the Services Store section regarding Return Insurance for more
details). Retailers are much more likely to take a chance on a lesser known title
or author if they have the guarantee that there is no risk involved if the books
do not sell. This frees you from the barriers of having a non-returnable book. In
fact, for their own financial protection some retail chains have a company-wide
policy against ordering any book that isn't returnable.
If you plan to actively pursue in-store book
sales, you should highly consider purchasing the Retail Return Insurance.
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Do retailers receive a retail discount?
Yes, retailers receive a discount when purchasing your book, which is a standard
practice in retail. Your royalty payment will not be affected by the discount. You
will receive the retail royalty amount that you agree to when you enter the pricing
information during your book's production process.
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