Frequently Asked Questions

Can IPG Handle a Bestseller?

In any year, IPG has dozens of titles that appear on the Bookscan category bestseller lists, sometimes as many as 10 or 12 of the top 50 titles in some categories. This demonstrates that titles handled by IPG can compete with anything on offer from the major publishing houses.

Recently, an IPG-distributed title was the top overall seller on Amazon, selling at the rate of 100 copies per hour, and was number one on the New York Times bestseller list. IPG can smoothly handle the complex logistical issues that arise when large quantities of books need to be shipped direct from the printer and from the distribution center.

Why does IPG use commission reps instead of house reps to cover the smaller accounts?

IPG's largest accounts are called on and serviced by in-house staff. But by also employing commission representatives, we can field more than three times the number of sales reps and see many more accounts than distributors or publishers with only an in-house sales force. Since IPG is one of the top lines carried by these reps, they work very hard for us and get excellent results. Usually the decision to employ house reps is made in order to reduce overhead, not to sell more books.

Will my publishing company lose its identity if my books are distributed by IPG along with the titles from many other houses?

Our experience is that it takes the bookstore buyers no more than two seasons to get to know, by name and reputation, the IPG client publishers who have active publishing programs. For newer publishers, inclusion on the IPG list is a strong first step toward building a positive company image in the trade.

If my company joins IPG, what happens to the customers that we have now?

IPG will inform the wholesalers and major accounts that your books will now be available from IPG, but that invoices for books supplied by you before the transition will be payable to you. Since IPG already does business with virtually every account in the book trade, the changeover is quite smooth, and is in fact welcomed by these accounts because it simplifies their ordering and record keeping.

What happens if an account does not pay for my books?

Part of IPG's job is to judge the creditworthiness of its customers, and therefore IPG takes the credit risk. Books not returned are considered sold for the purpose of payments due the publisher/client. In a case of accounts with very bad payment history, IPG will sometimes ship only if a publisher agrees to take the credit risk on that particular customer.

Can you supply references?

IPG encourages all prospective clients to call any number of distributed publishers and is happy to supply names and phone numbers. Prospective publishers are also encouraged to phone small and national accounts to ask about their experiences with IPG.

How big must a publisher be to be considered by IPG for distribution?

IPG has a marketing program that is right for any publisher who is committed to producing titles of high quality. Quality, rather than quantity, is much more important to IPG.

IPG is one of the best things that has happened to me in this business. They took me on when I had one book. Now I have 26. Not as many as some publishers, but they have helped me sell quite a few. And they have backed me all the way.

IPG is so much more than my distributor. The thing is, lots of times I feel I'm working in a vacuum. Most of what I do is in my head. IPG is my advisor and sounding board for all things publishing. Simply put, they are an extension of my business.

Over the years they have reviewed manuscripts and book covers, suggested subject matter, answered questions about taxation and accounting as it relates to publishing, suggested printers and, most notably, marketed my titles to people and places I could only dream about reaching. They are knowledgeable, sharp, efficient, very professional, and influential in the publishing world-all those things. And friendly.

Tracks and IPG just fit together. I guess that's Teamwork. I am reluctant to use a word that has lost so much meaning but it really feels like I'm on a Team and a damn good one. Working with people who care about what I care about-making good books and getting them on the shelves.

Doug Werner, Tracks Publishing, Chula Vista, California

Publishers with an established, ongoing publishing program that are interested in distribution through IPG should email us with the following information:

• A description of your publishing program (include how old it is, how many titles published per year, mission statement etc).
• Link to the website and catalog (or a list of titles and ISBNS, at a minimum)
• Any additional marketing or publicity documents that would allow us to evaluate your promotional efforts

Email this information to [email protected] so that our publisher development staff can determine whether the books are a good fit for the IPG list and/or what the next best steps will be.

Start-up publishers and smaller publishers (ie. with fewer than 10 titles) who are looking for distribution services can visit Small Press United. Small Press United is designed to help publishers break into the market and succeed from the start.