Very disappointed.
For some time now, IFWG Publishing has recommended readers to purchase our titles through The Book Depository (UK and US online stores). We still do, but now rather reluctantly.
Firstly, we should point out that from a US based, international small publisher, The Book Depository is an excellent avenue for our readers to purchase out titles, if they do not live in the US. It is the most cost effective way to purchase our print titles.
However, over recent months our latest titles have been shown on their sites as 'not currently available' or the like, and request the reader place a notification order via their email addresses.
This is very bad for us, and anyone like us.
We currently publish most of our print titles via POD - it is a most cost effective means of publishing, and it literally means that anyone who places an order will have the title printed in a very short time frame, and then shipped. Despite numerous email exchanges - where the answers have been stock and frankly illogical - we are now in the situation where our non-US fans will not be able to purchase our products through The Book Depository. You will not be able to order then and there, and if you place your email address for notification, you will never get notified. Amazing isn't it.
They are cutting significant sales pipelines for us, and as a small publisher, this is critical.
We kindly ask all our fans, acquaintances, professional networkees, and anyone else who would like to burst a massive bubble of nonsense, to contact The Book Depository and ask them to make POD books available for order. Please please cite recent titles by IFWG Publishing as a good example.
Here's to solidarity.
The IFWG Publishing Team
The Book depository might like to explain to fans, authors and readers why they are taking such illogical actions as they also stand to benefit if they give service. It is really a shame.
ReplyDeleteI sent the following enquiry to The Book Depository:
ReplyDelete"I was just wondering, along with many other authors under the Banner of IFWG Publishing, why it is that you advertise our books and yet claim they are unavailable.
This is patently untrue. IFWG operates using the POD system for physical copies, while selling its titles as ebooks in various forms such as Kindle, Nook and pdf to name but three.
Clearly all of the titles are very definitely not 'unavailable'.
Please rectify the situation forthwith,
Kindest regards,
Jack Eason - author of "Onet's Tale" ISBN-10: 0984329846 Kindle
ISBN-13: 978-0-9843298-4-7 paperback"
This was their reply:
Dear Jack,
The availabilities shown on our site refer to the availability of the books within our supply chain, and as these titles are not currently being made available to us, we have shown the books to be unavailable.
The majority of our UK titles come from Bertrams Books and Gardners Books. If you can make stock available to either (or both) wholesaler then we will be more than happy to add your titles to the list of books we can make available to our customers, and the website will show the books as available.
Kind Regards,
Tom
Thomas Randles
Customer Service Manager
O.K. I posted this earlier today, but for some reason it's not up yet. Sorry if it gets posted twice.
ReplyDeleteI sent the following message to Book Depository. They sent back an inane reply. I wrote back to tell them either the person who responded was asleep at the wheel, or just didn't care to read my message. How ridiculous
is that?!
Me:
To Whom It May Concern,
As a self-published author, I am most grateful that my book, (Steve Prefontaine Rocketman) is available through your site. It’s wonderful that you provide such a vast array of book to readers and in a timely fashion.
I’ve been fortunate to find a quality small- press publisher, IFWG to publish my new novel which is expected to be out in October of this year. I was disappointed to learn that IFWG’s titles will not be available through your site.
I believe you’re the Book Depository’s greatest asset is that you make books available to people who may otherwise have no other outlet for purchase. I would like to hope that my and many other talented small- press author’s work would be provided to readers from your site. You surely have the experience and capacity to do so.
The publishing business has become unrecognizable to what it once was. My hope is that sites like yours would support the small- press publishers who do so much for us authors. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved if you could make publishers like IFWG a part of your service to customers, readers and writers alike.
I for one would appreciate your support.
Thank you for your attention.
Respectfully,
Bree Donovan
BD:
Dear Bree Donovan,
Thank you ever so much for your kind comments; i am glad we could be of help.
Kind Regards,
Kirsty Halford
Customer Advisor
While The Book Depository drags its heels claiming it has no copies, Amazon in the US and here in the UK have copies available (I've just checked both sites for my own novel). IFWG, drop BD in favour of Amazon worldwide. :)
ReplyDeleteMy two cents worth is that I would really like amazon.co.uk to stop listing these 'rip off' merchants such as BD on their listings. It gives a very bad image I believe to my books to have slime charging twice the price for my books. £18 is NOT a fair price for my books, and that is exactly what I've seen some of my books listed at on amazon.co.uk so called "resellers".
ReplyDeleteIt furthers my argument that amazon.co.uk is NOT amazon at all. It's a franchised rip off.
Sorry Jack. Spleen vented now.