Walking Together Blog #4: Book Distribution Milestone

A book milestone was achieved yesterday, October 29, 2024. My book entitled “Walking Together: Engagement Lessons from My First nations Learning Journey” officially moved into the distribution stage. This means the writing is done, the editing is done, the interior design is done, the book cover design is done, and the book metadata descriptions are done.

But, what does book distribution mean?

The book publisher, Tellwell Publishing, who has guided me through the self-publishing journey, delivered the book metadata descriptions and the book print file to book retailers.

Now, just because the book files have been delivered to retailers does not mean the book will appear immediately when you search for it. Tellwell will verify there are no problems with any of my book files or information that has been uploaded. I am told that verification generally takes only a few days. BUT, it then takes between 24 hours and 6 weeks for the book listings to appear online, depending on the retailer!

I also learned that the transition from distribution to online availability may come with some complexities. For example, the cover image may take some time to appear on retail sites, book descriptive information may be incomplete, and retail price may fluctuate. I decided I do not have the knowledge, expertise or energy to undertake the distribution myself or verify all the book details. Therefore, I bought that service from Tellwell. However, if you are considering self-publishing a book, you may well have the time and skills to carry out your book distribution, in which case you would not need to buy that service.

Regarding retail pricing, those prices vary depending if you purchase the eBook (lowest cost), print-on-demand paperback format (middle the road cost), or print-on-demand hardcover book format (highest cost). Retailers, like Amazon or Barnes & Noble set their own retail price. In that regard, I am told that some 3rd party resellers who operate their own online retail book store on Amazon, or elsewhere, may be the first to list a book and it is not unusual for a 3rd party retailer to initially inflate the book’s retail price. That may be one reason to wait for the book to become available directly from one of the “big” book sellers, like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

For these reasons, I will remain quiet about the major retailers I have chosen. Once I visually confirm the book is discoverable and available to purchase, I will let you know on this website.