Step Seven - Fulfillment (Discounts and Terms)

Part of the reality of book selling is discounts. You will be expected to give discounts to most of your buyers. This will often exclude direct sales and libraries. While major wholesalers and distributors "require" a large discount (55 percent), hold the line on a great discount if asked. Inform the potential buyer that you only give a 60 percent discount if sales are done on a nonrefundable basis. Below is a sample "Dealer Discount Schedule" that I created for my books. Note that the discount starts low (i.e., at zero!) but quickly reaches 40 percent.

***** BEGIN SAMPLE ****

DEALER DISCOUNT SCHEDULE

Quantity (% Discount)

1 (0)

2-4 (20)

5-49 (40)

50-99 (45)

100-199 (50)

200+ (55)

***** END SAMPLE ****

Stating Your Terms

Terms and Conditions (a.k.a., T's & C's) govern how your publishing company sells a book to nontraditional markets. The T's & C's cover everything from the processing of invoices to return policies. Give some thought to your T's & C's. Self-publishers benefit from having consistent policies from the beginning. Below is a sample "Terms and Conditions" from IRIE Publishing & Productions. Keep in mind that if you work with a distributor or wholesaler, they will provide you with their own set of terms and conditions.

***** BEGIN SAMPLE ****

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Prices. Subject to change without notice.

Terms. Terms are Net 30 days from date of invoice. A finance charge of 1.5% per month will be added to all balances due over 60 days. US currency only.

Resale Number. Colorado dealers must mention their resale number with their order.

Shipping. Shipping is free-on-board (FOB) Fort Collins. We recommend shipping all books via the US Post Office's "book rate." Upon special request we can ship via truck, UPS, or Federal Express.

Shortages or non-receipts. Must be reported to IRIE Publishing within 30 days of the order date.

Promotional materials. Publisher can supply photographs for all publications and authors for inclusion in your catalogs.

Orders. Purchase orders may be sent to PO Box 273123, 301 Boardwalk Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80527-3123. You can also fax your orders to (630) 604-5157. Telephone orders may be made to (970) 482-4402; 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Mountain Time.

RETURN POLICY

All unblemished books may be returned for credit or refund if received within one year of the original invoice date. A copy of the original invoice must be included with return shipment. Shipments must be returned prepaid to IRIE Publishing. Unblemished books are not torn, mutilated, scuffed or defaced in any way.

Go To Page: 1 2