- You've probably noticed the three additional options
of expanded distribution for your CreateSpace Publishing
paperback book.
Furthermore, you may have seen that expanded distribution
pays out nearly half as much as Amazon.com and a quarter
of what CreateSpace does.
Is expanded distribution and CreateSpace worth it, then?
And what exactly is expanded distribution?
Precisely where do your books go when you open
expanded distribution?
Find out about expanded distribution on CreateSpace
in today's video.
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Do you use expanded distribution on CreateSpace for
your books?
If not, why?
Please leave your candid thoughts in the comments below
about your experience with CreateSpace Publishing.
As you may know, createspace.com is a self publishing
website under the Amazon.com umbrella.
They provide free tools to help you self publish and
distribute paperback books on Amazon.com and other
online retailers and distributors.
It's the latter option I'm going to focus on today in
the form of expanded distribution.
What is expanded distribution, and is it worth the
profit loss when using this distribution channel?
According to CreateSpace, expanded distribution offers
access to a larger audience through more online
retailers, bookstores, libraries, academic institutions
and distributors within the United States.
Expanded distribution offers three avenues to choose
including the following three options:
Bookstores and online retailers.
Make your book available to online retailers such
as Barnes and Noble and to distributors such as
Ingram and NASCORP.
CreateSpace added that this option offers access to
offline retailers.
However, I believe the offer of offline distribution should
come with a bit of an asterisk.
More on that in a later video.
Don't judge this expanded distribution at face value
because the reach is wider than you think.
In fact, aside from the extensive reach of Barnes
and Noble booksellers, Ingram and NASCORP are quite
possibly the partners with the wider distribution
availability.
You may have heard of the Ingram content group through
their more popular self publishing name, IngramSpark.
The Ingram content group boasts an unparalleled market
reach of over 39,000 accounts, including retailers,
libraries, distributors, and educational institutions
worldwide.
Have you ever found your book on walmart.com?
Go ahead.
Look for it.
Many insiders cite Ingram as the source of the Wal-Mart
distribution.
After an exhaustive 10 minutes or so of research,
I just gave up and just agreed with the gossip.
If you wanna find out for sure, Google it, because
CreateSpace won't give me a straightforward answer
on this one.
Libraries and academic institutions.
This option gives you access to Baker and Taylor who
distributes to the libraries in academic institutions,
of course.
CreateSpace Direct.
Have you ever discovered your new book for sale
as used from another seller on Amazon, Ebay or other
retail sites despite zero sales in your dashboard
since release?
Well you can blame the option of CreateSpace Direct.
CreateSpace Direct makes your book available to certified
re-salers through a wholesale website.
Quite a few newbie self publishers freak out when they
see their unsold new book being sold used, often times
thinking someone is pirating their content.
Relax.
The truth is, they're doing a little work for you, in
getting your book further out onto the market, and if they
make a sale, then you make a sale.
Sadly, much like all expanded distribution, this
availability comes at a small loss in net profits per book.
But, are the three expanded distribution channels worth
the loss in profits?
My personal experience has been better as time goes on.
When I first started this business, I was lucky to
clear a few sales per month through expanded distribution.
On a good month now, about 10 to 20% of my CreateSpace
sales come from expanded distribution.
Not bad, in my opinion.
Some speculate I'd get more sales through Amazon if
I didn't use expanded distribution, but I disagree.
What do you think?
Now, what can you expect when using expanded distribution?
Also, why would I say offline distribution to brick
and mortar stores comes with bit of an asterisk?
Well, that's going to have to wait for another day.
Remember that if you like this video,
then click the thumbs up.
Until later, this has been self publishing with Dale.
I'll see you guys soon.