Self-publishing your book is a huge accomplishment, and you should be proud of yourself! But your work is not done yet. If you want to get your book in Target stores, then you need to know the dos and don'ts!
In this post, I am going to walk you through the two easiest methods of how to get your book in Target stores, and start getting the recognition it deserves!
The Two Main Options For Getting Your Book into Target
- Amazon KDP
- IngramSpark
There are two main ways to get your book into Target stores: Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. Both have their pros and cons, so it's important to know which one is right for you.
Similarly, you will need to choose one or the other as there are some rules that you need to follow to be compliant with either company - more on that later!
Amazon KDP is the easier of the two options. IngramSpark is also fairly straightforward but you cannot have submitted your book through Amazon's KDP Expanded Distribution
How to Get Your Book in Target Stores Using Amazon KDP?
To get your book into Target using Amazon KDP you will need to opt to enter their Expanded Distribution Program. The opt-in selection for this feature can be found on the pricing page when setting up your paperback book for publishing. You can also opt to add this feature after publishing by returning to the pricing page after the book becomes live on Amazon.
So, what is Amazon Expanded Distribution?
This basically means that if you publish your book with this feature enabled on Amazon, other retailers, such as Target, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, etc., can list your book for sale.
You will still receive your royalties through Amazon if a third party sells your book. However, your royalty will be lower than if it were sold directly through Amazon. Some authors are fine with this, and there are others who are not. The latter simply refuses to choose Expanded Distribution.
How Does Expanded Distribution Work?
Large distributors sell paperbacks to bookstores and libraries. Your paperback will be available to distributors if you enroll it in Expanded Distribution so that libraries and booksellers can order it.
Booksellers and libraries can order books from Amazon's distributors in the United States and the United Kingdom. Expanded Distribution allows you to make your paperback widely available outside of Amazon, and it is free to enroll your book.
You cannot guarantee distributors will accept your paperback or that a particular bookseller or library will order it if you enroll it in Expanded Distribution. Distributors decide whether to list your book and booksellers and libraries decide whether to order it. It is also impossible for Amazon to tell you which booksellers and libraries purchased your book.
How to Enable Expanded Distribution
- Go to your KDP Bookshelf.
- Choose the edition of the book you wish to enroll in Expanded Distribution.
- Click the ellipsis. The ellipsis button ("...") is located under the Paperback Actions menu.
- Select Edit paperback rights & pricing. You can edit the price of published paperbacks by choosing Edit print book pricing.
- Check the Expanded Distribution box in the "Royalty and Pricing" section.
- Click Publish Your Paperback Book once you've finished setting your price.
Expanded Distribution has not yet been enrolled if you check the box but do not click publish. The enrollment process starts after selecting the publish button and updating the status to Live.
How to Get Your Book in Target Stores Using IngramSpark
There are more than 40,000 booksellers distributed by Ingram in the United States, including Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, libraries, and schools.
For authors who want to know how to get your book in stores, you can do so with IngramSpark, easily. Self-publishers who use Ingram Spark gain access to Ingram Spark's global print and online distribution partners. As a result, your titles can be distributed worldwide.
Who Can Order Your Book?
You can order your book from any school, library, online store, or bookstore that Ingram (or another distribution partner) makes your book available to. For any of the several reasons you may wish to order your book directly from your IngramSpark account, you can also do so.
If you have an author website or sell your books at an author event, customers can order your books through online retailers, bookstores, or directly from you. You, as the publisher, are the only one who has access to shipping costs and direct printing, and only authorized sources can order books through Ingram's distribution services.
What Is Ingramspark’s Global Distribution Program?
With Ingram’s Global Connect program, you can have your books printed by their printing partners in international countries such as India, Germany, Italy, Poland, China, Russia, Spain, South Korea, and Brazil. Books that are sold in those countries will be printed by the printers closest to them.
By doing this, both you and the retailers will avoid overseas shipping fees if they order your book. However, the publisher's compensation will be paid according to the U.S. market price you have provided.
Spread Your Distribution
With Ingram's distribution, you're not putting all your eggs in one basket. Your book has access to an incredible amount of opportunities to sell due to Ingram's distribution to all the major players (online and physical stores, gift shops, Big Box chains, libraries, Apple, and many more around the world).
Your book's potential reach and distribution are limited when you enter into exclusive deals with Amazon and beyond. Although Amazon accounts for a large percentage of overall book sales, it is not the only option, and we recommend not ignoring all other retail outlets. You might be turning away potential customers if you do so.
If you'd like more information about working with a book distribution company like IngramSpark, you can check out their Website.
As with Amazon, there is no guarantee that by publishing on Ingramspark that Target will purchase your books. What it does is add your books to their distribution pool so that the purchasing agents at Target, Walmart, or other stores and libraries will see your book, take an interest, then purchase multiple copies at a wholesale price, often times with the opportunity to return the books if they don’t sell.
It is this risk-free opportunity that appeals heavily to the larger stores like Target even as ‘new to them’ author.
How Do The Big Libraries and Stores Like Target Find Your Book Once Published on IngramSpark?
When your book is published on Ingramspark, a metadata feed is sent out to all the Ingram distribution partners across the globe. These include partners over the borders using their Global Connection program.
Book metadata is so important because a store or library can search for your book and see the metadata associated with it. Your book's title metadata will make it easier to find in relevant searches, both for your book and for similar books.
This metadata blast, however, is the only source of marketing that Ingram will do on your behalf. While the blast will make the stores aware that your book is available for purchase, it will be primarily up to your killer marketing plan to convince these stores to actually order the book.
