Author Topic: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.  (Read 1998 times)

Simon Haynes

Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« on: December 16, 2020, 02:23:28 PM »
For those publishing paperbacks through KDP Print, you'll know there's an option to enable 'Expanded Distribution'

It pays 40% royalty instead of 60%, but I normally enable it because I'm keen on the idea of people being able to order my paperbacks elsewhere (other retailers, bricks and mortar stores, etc.)

However, here's why it's bad. For this example, we're using a short paperback of around 180 pages.

Let's say you list the book at $9.95 retail, with around $3 profit. On the expanded distribution line you can see there's an 80c royalty (approx.)

Your product page goes up, and the first thing you see is that the cheapest copy available is $9, from a third-party seller.  Oh well, you think. At least it's a sale if someone orders from that guy instead of me. (There are usually half a dozen third-party sellers on each paperback product page.)

Well yes, but that guy pays amazon the expanded distribution price, you get 80c instead of $3, and 'that guy' most likely charges an extra buck or two on postage to increase their cut.

I don't sell many copies expanded distribution. The figures come in once a month, on the 15th or so, but today it was 18 copies. Almost all were for my kids books, and that's cost me US$40.  Not a hell of a lot in the scheme of things, but look at it another way: Third party sellers took 80% of my royalties for those books, for zero amount of work. (Everything they do is automated. They don't see the books, they're shipped direct to the buyer.)

So, I'm going through and turning off expanded distribution on ALL my titles. As a bonus it means I can lower the prices a little as well.

I've been setting up hardbacks through Lulu recently, as well as paperbacks with global distribution. (I can't be bothered messing around with IS/LS again so I'm not looking for recommendations on other printers, as I'll rarely sell anything outside KDP print anyway.)


 
The following users thanked this post: R. C.

LilyBLily

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2020, 03:08:25 PM »
I don't do expanded distribution ever; the dollars never make sense. I used to do a special edition through CreateSpace and didn't distribute it to Amazon at all. The royalty break was much more favorable. When CreateSpace died I took a hard look at which books had sold in paper and concluded that (1) expanded distribution still wasn't a good deal, and (2) only one of my titles (the sole nonfiction) sold a significant number of paperbacks outside of Amazon. So I switched the second paperback version to Ingram Spark and have been happy with the results. 
 

Simon Haynes

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2020, 03:40:15 PM »
I used to use Createspace for amazon-only copies and Lightning Source for worldwide. Never sold anything much through LS, and eventually the fees became too much as I tinker with my covers and content a lot.

When KDP print showed up I just moved everything to there and enabled expanded distribution.

Honestly, paperbacks have always represented such a tiny proportion of my income they were never worth the trouble, but it felt right to offer them. Recently they've been picking up, which is why I've been taking a closer look.
 

djmills

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2020, 04:04:19 PM »
I pulled all my ebooks and print books from Amazon ages ago.

Then when D2D opened up print, I put my print books through D2D. Still have one to upload, but I am getting sales every month so far. D2D distribute both the print and ebooks to Amazon, and one other place. All my ebooks distribute through Smashwords to everyone else and I add (need to update) the print link to the Smashwords book pages. 

The best part is ordering author copies through D2D which get printed in Melbourne and posted up to me in NSW. Absolutely no more hassles from Amazon at all. :-)
Diane J Cornwell - Fiction
D J Mills - Non Fiction
Tift Publishing
Amazon
 

Hopscotch

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2020, 11:37:26 PM »
Third party sellers took 80% of my royalties for those books, for zero amount of work. (Everything they do is automated. They don't see the books, they're shipped direct to the buyer.)

Hmm, sounds like we prawns ought to become third party sellers of our own books and slap on substantial "shipping and handling" fees if we're to make any money out of this business.  :hehe
. .
 
The following users thanked this post: Post-Crisis D

littleauthor

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2020, 11:43:53 PM »
I disabled Expanded Distribution a couple of years ago when I realized that the "retailers" I thought I would reach were really just third party sellers who had lifted the cover image, gave it an ASIN and then competed against me for the Buy Button. I would get 0.16 for a 11.95 paperback at times. Since then I've seen no change to sales volume and I get a decent royalty when my paperbacks are sold.
"Not working to her full potential."
 
The following users thanked this post: Simon Haynes

R. C.

  • Epic Novel unlocked
  • ****
  • Posts: 1162
  • Thanked: 386 times
  • Gender: Male
  • "Sooner barbarity than boredom." - T. Gautier
    • R C Ducantlin - Writer of Stories
Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2020, 12:14:44 AM »
... As a bonus it means I can lower the prices a little as well.

I've been setting up hardbacks through Lulu recently, as well as paperbacks with global distribution...

As always, outstanding advice from Simon.

re: Lower prices. Lower prices here in the US is a key purchase metric. It was always part of the culture but the "Baby Boomer" generation took "buy cheap" to a new level of cultural bias.

re: Print Services: I have also had good success with Lulu.  Quick turn around and quality products.

Cheers,
R.C.

Maggie Ann

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2020, 12:18:07 AM »
I dumped ExDist years ago.
           
 

Simon Haynes

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2020, 12:52:58 AM »
I disabled Expanded Distribution a couple of years ago when I realized that the "retailers" I thought I would reach were really just third party sellers who had lifted the cover image, gave it an ASIN and then competed against me for the Buy Button. I would get 0.16 for a 11.95 paperback at times. Since then I've seen no change to sales volume and I get a decent royalty when my paperbacks are sold.

I've had a few of those over the years, but an email to Amazon got the products delisted.

 

Simon Haynes

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2020, 12:55:49 AM »
... As a bonus it means I can lower the prices a little as well.

I've been setting up hardbacks through Lulu recently, as well as paperbacks with global distribution...

As always, outstanding advice from Simon.

re: Lower prices. Lower prices here in the US is a key purchase metric. It was always part of the culture but the "Baby Boomer" generation took "buy cheap" to a new level of cultural bias.

re: Print Services: I have also had good success with Lulu.  Quick turn around and quality products.

Cheers,
R.C.

The problem with POD pricing is trying to compete with trade paperbacks from trad publishers, who print in bulk.  When I say compete, I don't mean price lower than them, or even match them, but within $2-$3 would be good. If my paperbacks are $5-$6 more than similar books from non-indie authors, I'm not going to sell many.

(Not mass-market paperbacks.. that's a whole different ball game.)
 

Lynn

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2020, 01:43:30 AM »
I price my paperbacks at 17.99+ and make a nice profit with expanded distribution. When I sell direct through Amazon, I make even more. I like expanded distribution. Let someone else sell my books for me. I'm good with that.

Trade sized books have always been more expensive. 14.99 plus, usually. I don't fight the standard. With POD, competing on price is a losing game. I don't bother. :D
Don't rush me.
 

Vijaya

Re: Why 'Expanded Distribution' might not be such a great idea.
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2020, 01:54:49 AM »
If you don't have expanded distribution, can a person still go to a bookstore and order your book from them? I know quite a few people who still do not shop online and go to their local boutique store. Thanks for bringing up Ex. Dist.

I wish D2D would not have a lower limit of 64 pages for paperbacks. I wrote to them that many children's books can be as short as 24 pages though the typical PB is 32 pages. So we'll see. I've been very happy to have an outlet besides Amazon.


Author of over 100 books and magazine pieces, primarily for children
Vijaya Bodach | Personal Blog | Bodach Books