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 e-mail at customersupport@wordclay.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 author cost of the book. This price will be determined during the production process and is based on the cover cost and page count for your book.
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Is there a minimum number of books that I must order?
No, there is no minimum. With print-on-demand technology (POD), you can conveniently order books as you need them. You can order one, 50, 200, 1,000 or any number of books whenever you wish.
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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 Second 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.
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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 are printed within five business days, 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 two to three days with standard UPS ground. On the western half of the United States, expect three to six days for standard UPS 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, e-mail or call 877-655-1720.
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Who will be able to buy my book?
With our standard DIY publishing, your book will be available for purchase through Wordclay's online Bookstore. Individuals and retailers can order your book through our Bookstore or by contacting us directly. If you'd like to make your book available through other retail outlets, you can add an ISBN and Channel Distribution to your book.
Authors also have the option to keep their book private so that only they can place orders for their book. During one of the final steps of the publishing process, you'll be asked to define your book's intended audience. By choosing "Private," your book will not be included in the Wordclay Bookstore and only you will be able to place orders for your book.
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Can retailers order my book?
Yes, retailers can order your book directly through our online Bookstore. However, in order to make your book available to retailers through their own supply channels, your book needs to be in distribution, which you can purchase through our Services Store. Once you purchase either the Wordclay ISBN and Channel Distribution or Single ISBN: Be Your Own Publisher service, most retailers will be able to purchase your book through their own suppliers (those affiliated with Ingram, or about 25,000 retailers around the world).
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Who will be able to buy my book if I purchase an ISBN and channel distribution?
If you purchase an ISBN and channel distribution, your book will be accessible through thousands of retail outlets such as Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, 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 an ISBN and distribution for my book?
Depending on your intentions for the book, an ISBN and 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 the Wordclay ISBN and Channel Distribution service.
Most bookstores prefer to order books through their own suppliers, so they may not be able or willing to order through Wordclay. With an ISBN and distribution, retailers are able to access your book in their own systems, not just in Wordclay'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 bookstores?
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 actively promote your book. 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 Wordclay 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.
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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 the Wordclay ISBN and Channel 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 Wordclay guide.
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My book is listed wrong on a retail Web site. Can Wordclay fix it?
If you find errors listed on a Web site other than Wordclay'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. But if you continued to consistently have trouble with a reoccurring error, please let us know and we'll try to help if we can.
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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 Wordclay 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.
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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 with a returnable book, because they're guaranteed that there is no risk involved if the books don't sell. In fact, for their own financial protection some retail chains have a company-wide policy to only order books that are returnable.
If you plan to actively pursue in-store book sales, you should highly consider purchasing the Retail Return Insurance. It frees you from the barriers of having a non-returnable book.
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Do retailers receive a retail discount?
Yes, retailers receive a standard discount when purchasing your book. 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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