Feature
Six Secrets of “Distributor Appeal”
If you’re an indie publisher, here’s how to get taken seriously by those who get the books on the shelves
by Don Linn, CEO of Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, Inc.
You love your books. You believe in your books. You want to see them leaping off the shelves and into the hands of avid readers who appreciate the hard work that went into writing and publishing them.
But there is another factor that’s just as important as passion and writing skill: distribution. If you don’t have a solid partnership with a good, reputable distributor—one who understands the complex realities of independent publishing and the marketplace—it doesn’t matter how great your books are.
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If you have the most lyrical, provocative, and timely book in the universe and no one reads it, does it really exist?
You know all of this, of course. But knowing you need a good distributor and signing with the right one are two very different matters. We distributors tend to be selective about with which publishers we align ourselves. That’s because we are set up to operate in very specific ways, and our values and procedures must mesh well. Otherwise, we could not be “partners” in the truest sense of the word.
Publishers and authors often ask me what it takes to be represented by a distributor like Consortium. While specific qualifications obviously differ from distributor to distributor, I feel fairly confident that certain truths are consistent across the board. Here are a few of them:
Distributors are interested in publishing programs, not individual books. Publishers with only one or two books or one or two authors generally don’t interest us. Why? Well, profitability is the big reason. We like publishers who can develop a publishing program that can sustain a loyal base of readers who will keep coming back for more but who are not tied to a single author. So align yourself with serious authors who are in it for the long haul. Their success is your success, and your success is our success.
The books should have a cohesive theme. You should be able to describe this theme in 20 words or less. A good distributor knows exactly what it is looking for in clients. As an example, Consortium recently issued a press release seeking publishers that specialize in very specific areas. Here are a few of the themes we sought: Socially Conscious and Non-Traditional Business and Management . . . Titles Published for or Concerning Communities and People of Color . . . Non-Traditional Cooking and Lifestyle. My point? If the books you publish are “all over the map,” try to narrow your focus. You have to know who you are before a distributor can know.
Your “theme” should be carefully thought out and well supported over time. You and/or your authors should be prepared to spend money on marketing and publicity and should have a platform for helping to get the books out into the marketplace. A good book publicity firm can help package an author’s message in an innovative way, but even an “amateur” with good writing skills and relentless dedication can keep a message in front of the press. With over 200,000 titles published each year, you must be prepared to do the work to make your titles stand out from the pack.
Your authors must be deeply involved in marketing their books. Obviously, you, the publisher, cannot be expected to do it all. Seek out authors who are committed to getting their books in the hands of readers. Besides publicity support, there are many ways authors can help market their books. They can tour and give readings and signings, host seminars on their subject of expertise, speak at a conference, send out “VIP” packages to industry movers and shakers, and so forth. If an author is unwilling or unable to do his or her part—or seems unenthusiastic about it—think twice before you align with him or her.
Your books must be high quality in every respect. Clichés aside, book buyers and readers do judge books by their covers. Make sure yours are eye-catching and professionally designed. And it goes without saying that what’s inside must be compelling, well written, and well edited. The price, the look, the “feel”. . . all are important. Trust your gut, but do the research to find out what works and what doesn’t. Spending time in the relevant sections of a Barnes & Noble store or looking at comparable titles on amazon.com, for example, are the easiest and often the best ways to develop the right package for your books.
Be sure you have the financial and other resources necessary to play in the big leagues. You must be organized to work with a distributor, paying attention to tight timetables, industry-wide publishing seasons, data management, and a host of other details. And of course you have to have the capital to keep up. This is a tough business—and though many in the independent publishing world like to think of themselves as artists, it is a business. The good news is there will always be a market for fresh, innovative, cutting-edge, non-mainstream books. If you publish well-written, well-designed, salable titles, you can practice your craft and succeed financially.
Finally, keep in mind that even if you have all these variables in place, you aren’t guaranteed a spot with any particular distributor. Different distributors have different criteria and different needs and constraints within their own catalogs. But not to worry, that’s a good thing. If you’re professional in your approach and in your offerings—if you know who you are and what you represent—and if you can make a compelling and credible case for the future of your publishing program, odds are you will be able to find a good fit for your books. And once that happens, you’ll be on your way to success.
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Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, Inc. is the exclusive distributor for nearly 100 independent publishers from the United States, Canada, Europe, India, and Australia. Books are currently distributed in the United States and Canada. In addition to sales and distribution services, Consortium provides marketing, promotional, and product development support. Check out their Prospective Publisher submission guidelines.
Don Linn is a Southern-born, Harvard Business School-educated ex-investment banker who just happens to love books. The road that led him to Consortium Book Sales and Distribution was long and winding and more than a little strange. Don has worked in mergers and acquisitions on Wall Street and in catfish farming in the Mississippi Delta. In 2002 he purchased Consortium and moved to the Twin Cities. Today he helps his company walk that precarious tightrope between growth and ever-increasing technological sophistication and old-fashioned personal service. Since the company now has almost 100 publishing clients and 50 employees, he feels pretty sure he’s got the balance right.
