V E R VA N T E
E X P E R T
G U I D E
Selling Your
Self-Published Books
Helpful hints for sales and success in the world of
retail distribution
Did you know that Vervante can help you list your book
for retail sale online in places like Amazon, Barnes &
Noble and the Vervante Bookstore? Not only will offering
your book online boost your visibility through improved
search engine optimization (SEO), it also offers exceptional opportunities for increased sales and supporting your
expert status. We can help you with everything from A to
Z: listing, orders, managing sales transactions, printing
and distribution. We even know the secrets to a successful
Amazon book launch.*
If you’ve got questions, we can help. We’ve put together a
list of frequently asked questions and answers here for quick
reference. For more detailed information, please log in to
your Vervante Author Account, scroll to the Support section, and click on “List Physical Product for Retail Distribution” or “List eBook for Retail Distribution.” Of course, you
can always email us at [email protected].
We’re here to make your retail experience stress-free!
Getting Started
Q: How do I submit my book or product for retail distribution?
A: Log into your Vervante author account, scroll down to
the Support section and click on “List Physical Product for
Retail Distribution” or “List eBook for Retail Distribution.”
* For a free copy of our expert guide, “How to plan a
successful Amazon book launch,” visit our website’s
Expert Guides page by clicking HERE.
Q: How much do you charge to list products via retail
channels?
A: There is a one-time fee of $50 per item per listing to list
your product or book in any one of the available distribution channels. If you select four retail channels the onetime fee is $200 ($50 per item per listing).
Q: How much do you charge to convert my book to an
eBook? And how much time does it take?
A: We can convert your manuscript into eBook-friendly
Kindle MOBI and standard EPUB formats. Turnaround
time is generally 10 business days.
• Minimum charge is $50.00
• $.50 per page
• Additional charges may apply if your book contains
images, tables, charts or graphs
• We are happy to provide an estimate prior to converting your book. Just send an email to [email protected] and we would be happy to provide you with a custom quote.
Q: Where can you list my book for sale online?
A: We can list your book or products in the following
channels for direct sales:
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Vervante Bookstore
Amazon Marketplace
Amazon Advantage
Barnes & Noble.com
Barnes & Noble Nook
Amazon Kindle
Baker & Taylor
V E R VA N T E
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Q: Can I only list books for sale? What about CDs or
other products?
A: You can add books, eBooks, CDs, DVDs or information products to the Vervante public bookstore. You can
list books, eBooks, CDs and DVDs on Amazon and Barnes
& Noble. You can only list books with Baker & Taylor.
Q: What is the turnaround time from the time I submit
the retail channel request to when my product is available on that retail channel?
A: Turnaround times vary by each channel. Here is an
approximate amount of time for each one to take from request to ready for sales:
• Vervante & Amazon Marketplace: 3 business days
• Amazon Advantage: 7 business days
• Baker & Taylor and Barnes & Noble: 14 business days
G U I D E
Q: I already have a website and sale page where I promote and sell my book. Can I still list my book in other
retail channels such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble as
additional distribution channels?
A: Yes, you can list your book for sale in all of the channels
we mention, in addition to your own website and sales page.
Sales, Support and Getting Paid
Q: How do I keep track of my sales once my book or
other product is listed?
A: Your sales and all other account information is available to see anytime by logging into your Vervante author
account and clicking on the “Statements” tab in the top
menu. There you can search by date or type of transaction,
including invoices, payments, credits or checks issued.
Q: Do I need to provide ISBN numbers or UPCs for my
books or products to be sold online?
Q: How are fees and royalties accounted for and where
can I view that information?
A: Yes, an ISBN number (International Standard Book
Number) is required for books and CDs sold through
retail channels such as Amazon or Baker & Taylor. Vervante sells ISBN numbers for $35 per ISBN. A UPC code
(Universal Product Code) is required for a DVD product
sold through retail channels such as Amazon. Vervante
sells UPC codes for $5.95 per UPC. For more information and forms please log in to your author account on the
Vervante website, scroll down to the Support section, and
click on “List Physical Product for Retail Distribution” or
“List eBook for Retail Distribution.”
A: All of your financial information is also visible on the
Statements tab of your private Author Account page.
Q: Can I change the description or price of my product
currently listed on Amazon?
For a quick look at the latest bottom line for your account,
check the “Net TOTAL” figure (see image above).
• If “Net TOTAL” is green, that means you have a credit.
• If “Net TOTAL” is red, that means you owe Vervante.
• Each month we will reconcile sales of your products
and send you a statement. If you have a credit of less
than $100 the balance will remain in your account.
If the credit is more than $100 or once your account
reaches $100 for sales we will send you a check or refund via PayPal at your request.
A: Yes! Just send us an email at [email protected] letting us know the product and your requested changes and we would be happy to do this for you.
Q: I love how Amazon lets shoppers peek inside the
book before buying. Do you offer anything like this?
A: We love that feature, too! Which is why we’re happy
to let you know that we do offer a sneak peek into books
when readers are browsing in the Vervante Bookstore
called “Peek-A-Book.”
Q: I’d like to know more about how orders are processed.
A: To view your orders, click on the “Orders” tab on
your Author Account page (see image on next page).
The default view is to see all of your orders listed in
descending order from the most recent. Or you can also
search by date, ID numbers or names.
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Choosing a Retail Channel
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Q: How do I know which retail channel (or channels)
are the best for me?
G U I D E
The Order ID number, in blue, can be clicked on to
view more detailed information about that particular transaction including shipping method, tracking
numbers (if applicable), customer information, order
and shipping date and more.
Purchase prices, shipping and grand totals for the
purchase are listed here for your information, however these are not the final royalty numbers for you. That
information can be found on the Statements page of
your Author Account.
The 17-digit Referring Order ID is a number that
originates with Amazon. This number can be used to
track when Amazon credits your account for the sale
on the Statements page.
A: When it’s time to choose where to sell your book online,
it’s not just about how much profit you can make. Think
strategically about where your audience likes to shop, how
easy you want the process of sale to be and which of these
will offer the best resources, experience and returns for
you and your book overall. Remember, you aren’t limited
to only one distribution option and you can choose either one or a combination of several that will best fit your
needs.
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Each retail channel works a bit differently, so we’ll
lay it all out here for each one. And if you’re still not
sure, we’re happy to help you choose the best retail solution for your book or product, just send us an email at
[email protected].
SHIPPING / DISTRIBUTION: Generally we are able to
process and ship Amazon Marketplace orders within 48
hours. Once a month we will process all credits for Amazon Marketplace orders. You can find these credits on
your Statements page. To see if Amazon has credited you
for a specific sale yet, use either the Vervante Order ID or
the 17-digit Amazon Referring Order ID to find the transaction on the Orders page.
Amazon Marketplace
This is the most popular Amazon program option for authors. In this program, you pay Amazon a 15% commission rate plus $1.35 per transaction fees.
ORDERS / SALES: Amazon Marketplace orders are
shipped directly to the customer. When your book in the
Amazon Marketplace is sold, Amazon sends Vervante an
order for the book. Vervante then processes these orders,
leaving a record of this transaction on the Order page in
your account so that they can print and ship the order to
the Amazon customer.
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ROYALTIES: On the Orders page within your Author Account, you can see what your cost for printing and shipping is for the book ordered. On the Statements page of
your Author Account for the same order, you can see
the retail price gathered by Amazon, the deductions for
their commission, shipping and closing costs and the total
credit they sent to Vervante for your account.
Each month Vervante will reconcile sales of your products and
send you a statement. If you have a credit of less than $100 the
balance will remain in your account. If the credit is more than
$100 or once your account reaches $100 for sales we will send
you a check or refund via PayPal per your request.
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SHIPPING / DISTRIBUTION: You can identify orders for
Baker & Taylor by the PO# designation you’ll see on your Orders page. When you click on the order to view more details,
you can see that it was shipped to a Baker & Taylor warehouse.
Amazon Advantage
This is a consignment program with Amazon. When your
book is listed in this program, Amazon will order 1-2 initial
copies for their inventory. When the book is sold, Amazon
will ship the book directly to the customer and will take a
55% discount on the retail price of the book. You are also
responsible for the postage costs to ship the book to Amazon.
ORDERS / SALES: Amazon Advantage stocks your product in their warehouses until they are sold, reimbursing
your account on a monthly basis for products sold and
shipped from their inventory. Orders for Amazon Advantage are recognizable by the PO# designation in the Name
column on your Orders page.
SHIPPING / DISTRIBUTION: Vervante receives orders
from Amazon Advantage to produce and ship a designated amount of your products to one of their warehouse
locations where they will be stored until they are sold and
shipped by Amazon Advantage. Each month Vervante
receives payment from Amazon for books/items shipped
from their consignment inventory.
ROYALTIES: The author pays Vervante for the cost of
printing their products and shipping them to Amazon.
Then, as orders are shipped from Amazon to the customer, Amazon credits the author for the product, which will
appear in your monthly statement and on your Statements
page in your Author Account.
Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor, one of the largest wholesale distributors in
the world, sells and distributes to book stores, Internet and
physical locations, such as Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble
and others around the world. If you opt to have Vervante list
your book in the Baker & Taylor database any book reseller,
such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble, can order and stock it in
their bookstore. Baker & Taylor takes a 55 percent discount
off the price of the book and you are responsible for paying
for shipping to the Baker & Taylor warehouse.
ORDERS / SALES: Vervante receives a purchase order
from Baker & Taylor, and then prints and ships your products directly to their warehouses.
ROYALTIES: Baker & Taylor pays for books ordered approximately 90 days after the order has shipped. Once
we receive payment you are credited for the sales of your
books. You can see transaction details with a breakdown
of the cost and Baker & Taylor’s commission on the Statements page of your Author Account.
Barnes & Noble
For Barnes & Noble orders, processing and profits, the
process is pretty much the same as with Baker & Taylor.
Vervante receives purchase orders, prints and ships your
products to Barnes & Noble, and you are credited for sales
within approximately 90 days.
BOOKSTORE
Vervante Bookstore
If you’re starting sales from scratch, the Vervante Bookstore is a great option if you don’t want the hassle of setting
up a sales page, website or merchant bank for credit card
processing. We sell your book through our public bookstore, with a low 10 percent fee per transaction. We build a
dedicated online author page that highlights you and your
book to give browsers more in-depth information, including Vervante’s Peek-A-Book feature that allows readers to
see select pages inside the book.
ORDERS / SALES: When someone purchases your book from
the Vervante Bookstore, they pay the retail price plus shipping
costs.
PROCESSING / DISTRIBUTION: Vervante prints your
book and ships it directly to the buyer.
ROYALTIES: Each month Vervante reconciles your book
sales and send you a statement outlining production costs,
our 10 percent fee and your final profits, which are credited to your account.
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