Amazon is often the first place you may think of for buying books. Etsy is great for creative products like notepads, card decks, and daily planners. But we also pointed out that using your own website or online store - such as the Vervante Bookstore - is another great option that might fit your needs best.
Here's the bottom line, though. You don't have to choose just one.
You can have it all by selling on all three!
First: Sell from your own website
Your primary sales option for customers should be your own website. Selling your book or products online through your own website/shopping cart (or Vervante’s Online Bookstore if you don't have or want to process credit cards), means more profit, control, and connection with your readers.
Even if people don’t buy right away, by directing them to your website you’ve got a chance to create a connection, offer a free download, or opt into your newsletter. Anything that will put them on the path to staying connected, becoming more involved, and eventually become loyal fans that support your long-term success.
Next: Sell via Amazon or Etsy
The online reach of Amazon and Etsy is impressive, and using them as secondary sales options is a great way to help people discover you and your products. That first sale on Amazon or Etsy is like an introduction that you can follow up with strategic communications that invite them to become a part of your tribe.
But wait, how do I compete on Amazon / Etsy?
Selling from your website is obviously the best option for bigger profits and business-building results. Just remember this: It’s not about competing – it’s about standing out!
Give people a reason to shop with you vs. Amazon by creating an experience that makes you stand out. Exclusive offers, unique bonuses, VIP perks, and exceptional service are just a few ways to attract customers and create loyal, long-term fans.
If you use your own sales pages and shopping carts in addition to Amazon or Etsy, and you’d like to attract more buyers to your own cart vs. Amazon, here are a few ideas:
Exclusive Offers / Extras That Add Value
Attract potential readers by offering exclusive extras they can’t get from Amazon such as limited access to programs, complementary products such as stickers, notepads, and bookmarks, or free downloads such as worksheet, templates, checklists or sneak-peeks with each purchase.
Unique Bonuses
How about creating a special box of goodies to include with the book order? You can create a custom-designed box/package and add a few products that elevate the reader experience. Top it all off by having it wrapped with colored tissue, stickers, and extras for a fun, hand-crafted “Etsy” type experience. You might even end up seeing your product as the star in a social media “unboxing” episode!
VIP Perks
People love a VIP experience. Another idea to help your sales page stand out from Amazon is to offer a special ‘VIP’ print run that will be sent to special customers, connections and influencers to help spread the word. You can autograph your books, include handwritten cards, bookmarks or stickers, and give your readers an early, exclusive peek.
Exceptional Service
When you run the show from the moment they arrive at your website to the moment they receive their book in hand, you’re able to control the content and amount of customer service they receive, so make sure it counts. Be personal, be positive, and shower them with the kind of service you wish you could get. Share helpful information in fun ways such as by including colorful branded postcards with content that shares everything they need. Personalize your packing slips, follow up with emails after the fact to make sure they are enjoying their purchase, and share more info to entice customers to continue to follow you.
Creating unique and satisfying experiences is the best way to get the right kind of attention for your book sales and keep customers coming back for more. If you have ideas for creating products or experiences to help boost your sales, let us know, we’re here to help!
Vervante makes it super easy to sell on Amazon and Etsy!
For Etsy orders, all we need is a copy of the order confirmation email - simple and easy.
For selling on Amazon, we offer a very streamlined system you can learn more about by logging in to your Vervante Author Account and go to the Retail Distribution page accessible via the Services menu.
"What is the difference between “print on demand” and using bulk printing and then drop-shipping? BTW, what does it mean to “drop-ship” something?"
If you’ve ever wondered the same thing, we get it. In fact, we’ve been hearing this question a lot lately, so we wanted to give you the scoop on how these two different types of printing and fulfillment work.
What is Print On Demand?
Print on demand (POD) uses both digital and inkjet printing methods to print books and other products only in the amount needed, when they are needed. Here's how Print On Demand works:
An order is placed for a book or other product.
We print the exact amount ordered.
The order is then shipped to the customer.
You only have to pay for printing when an order is placed.
Here are two scenarios to illustrate how this works:
If you list your book for sale on your website and a customer orders one book, we print one book and ship it to your customer.
If you have a speaking event coming up and need 25 books, we will print 25 books and send them to wherever you need them.
How does Bulk Printing work?
When it comes to bulk printing, the more you print, the lower the price per product. Bulk orders are perfect if you:
Are planning a big book or product launch
Are headlining an event and plan to make an offer from the stage
Have products for workshops and programs that enroll throughout the year
Travel often, giving presentations and offering back-of-room sales
Anticipate extra sales from joint ventures or media appearances
Minimum Order Quantity We're often asked: "What quantity do I need to order to get bulk discounting?"
When discussing bulk orders, it's important to understand Minimum Order Quantity, or "MOQ." Minimum Order Quantity refers to the fewest number of units required to be purchased at one time in order to place an order. The main reason for minimum order quantity is due to the upfront fixed costs associated with setting up a custom print job. Minimum order amounts can vary as well, depending on the product.
The deciding factor on whether you can use Print on Demand, or MOQ Bulk Order printing, depends on the type and complexity of product. We've created a graphic you can see here that lists many of the products we provide and whether they are POD or MOQ. For example:
POD: Card decks, paperback books, notepads, and saddle-stitch booklets
MOQ: Hardcover planners and books, kiss-cut or die-cut stickers, and anything with foil stamping or wire-o binding
You can see and download this graphic from our website Expert Guides page, or download it directly by clicking here: POD vs. MOQ
The MOQ for hardcover products is 25 and we offer quantity discounts for orders of 25 or more. To find out what the minimum order amount is for other types of products, please reach out to us either using the "Get a Quote" link on our website, or by emailing customerservice@vervante.com.
Bulk Order Drop-Shipping
In order to take advantage of lower pricing per product, many of our customers choose to have their products printed in bulk and then stored in our warehouse until they need them. Drop-shipping is what happens when we receive notification that 1 or more of those products need to be pulled from inventory then sent to a customer. For every drop-ship order, we charge small order and pick fees to cover the cost of the shipping package/box and the labor to pull the item from inventory.
Here is how it works, step-by-step:
Products are printed in bulk and stored in our warehouse
We receive a fulfillment order for your product.
We pull that product from inventory and drop-ship it directly to your customer.
Which method is best for you? The answer depends on your budget, your business, and which way works best for getting your products where they need to be. Our team is happy to help you figure out which is best for you, just email us at customerservice@vervante.com.
We hope this helps clarify the differences and benefits for both Print On Demand (POD) and using Bulk Printing with Drop-Shipping. If you have any questions about using POD, Minimum Order Quantity discounts, or bulk printing, storage and fulfillment services, we’re here to help.
As you prepare for holiday product launches and sales (yes, it's that time already!), one thing to consider is where you're selling your products online. While Amazon is often the first place many people think of, that doesn't mean it's the ONLY place. In fact, after taking a close look at your business and goals, the best place might be one that you control yourself.
Using your own website gives you great control over your sales - and often greater profit. But if you don't want to deal with processing credit cards, or are looking for a secondary place to sell where you have more control, the Vervante Bookstore might be the perfect solution.
The Vervante Bookstore is an online storefront solution we offer exclusively to Vervante customers. It allows you to direct customers from your website or social media to your own product page in the Bookstore. We will process the credit card transactions and manage fulfillment and distribution.
This is a valuable option if you just don't want to deal with credit card processing and a merchant bank. All you need is a simple landing page and we take care of the rest.
Here are a few highlights of the advantages and rewards the Vervante Bookstore provides:
Online Storefront: Vervante authors can have product pages created for all their products
Author Bio Page: Similar to Amazon’s author bio pages, connect with your customers by sharing your story.
Always In Stock: If you are using our print-on-demand (POD) services, your book or printed product is guaranteed to always be in stock.
Peek Inside: Just like Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature, customers can see a sample of your book’s interior.
Easy Sales Solution: You don’t need to set up complicated shopping carts or sales pages, we handle that for you.
Database Growth: You have full access to your customer’s data.
Higher Profits: You set the retail price for your product and pay us a 10% transaction fee. The buyer selects and pays for the shipping and postage. These are some of the best royalty numbers in the industry!
Full Access: You can login to your Bookstore account at any time to view activity, including customer data and email address.
Book Launch / Pre-Order Support: Planning for a big holiday launch? Debuting a new daily planner for the New Year? You can use the Bookstore for pre-orders. Shipping estimates can be changed to show pre-order status and expected ship dates.
How to set up your sales pages in the Vervante Bookstore
Log in to your Vervante author account on our website, then navigate to the Vervante Bookstore page under the Services Menu. On that page you will see information about pricing and sales, a calculator to help determine royalties, and directions for submitting books or products to be listed in the Bookstore.
Once your listing is ready, each product will have a unique URL that you can use to direct online traffic to the sales page. If you would like to revise the product descriptions or your author page, please send requests with the final, approved content to customerservice@vervante.com.
If you like the idea of additional places to sell your products instead of (or in addition to) Amazon, the Vervante Bookstore provides an easy, effective and streamlined way to connect with your customers, streamline credit card sales, and get your books and products where they need to be. If you're interested in using this resources, or need help activating this option for products you already produce with Vervante, email us at customerservice@vervante.com or set up a call using our online scheduler.
Earlier on the blog we talked about how important it is to be strategic about where you sell your products online.
"What is the difference between “print on demand” and using bulk printing and then drop-shipping? BTW, what does it mean to “drop-ship” something?"
As you prepare for holiday product launches and sales (yes, it's that time already!), one thing to consider is where you're selling your products online. While Amazon is often the first place many people think of, that doesn't mean it's the ONLY place. In fact, after taking a close look at your business and goals, the best place might be one that you control yourself.