Publishing operations
Distribution: the unglamorous records that decide whether a book is findable.
Distribution is not a switch that makes a book available everywhere. It is a set of deliberate choices about channels, identifiers and metadata — and the metadata matters more than most authors are told.
What this is
A book reaches readers through retail, wholesale and library channels, each with its own requirements for files, identifiers and descriptive data. Getting the categories, keywords and description right is what determines whether a search finds your book at all.
We set the whole record up deliberately and keep it correct, because metadata errors are quiet, persistent and surprisingly hard to fix once they propagate.
Global Distribution
What you get
What global distribution actually delivers
Channel selection with reasons
The channels chosen for your book and its markets, with the reasoning explained rather than a list of every possible option.
Identifiers registered correctly
ISBNs and format identifiers registered properly the first time, with ownership implications explained beforehand.
Metadata built to be found
Categories, keywords, description and comparable titles set for discoverability rather than filled in as an afterthought.
Territory and rights handling
Where the book is available, and in which formats, configured to match your rights position.
Ongoing record maintenance
Listings kept accurate as editions, prices and formats change.
How it runs
The process, stage by stage.
Each stage finishes before the next begins, and you see the work at the points where your decision changes what happens next.
Channel plan
Which channels and territories suit the book, its formats and its readership.
Identifiers
ISBN strategy agreed and registered, with ownership consequences set out in writing first.
Metadata build
Categories, keywords, descriptions and comparable titles prepared for each channel.
Submission
Files and records submitted to each channel's specification.
Verification and maintenance
Listings checked once live and corrected as needed.
Questions
About global distribution
That depends on the formats, the territories and the channel plan for your book. We set out the specific list for your title rather than implying universal availability.
It is a real decision with long consequences for how the book is recorded. We explain the options before registering anything, because reversing it later is disruptive.
Channel reporting is passed on as it becomes available. What each channel reports and how quickly varies, and we will not present estimates as though they were confirmed figures.
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