Global reach through local availability

There has been a lot of upheaval in the global publishing supply chain over the last few years, from Covid-19 shutdowns to ships running aground in the Suez Canal. And with Amazon’s decision earlier this year to stop ordering books from North America to fulfil orders overseas, British publishers face extra challenges.

This is where global print-on-demand (POD) networks like Ingram Content Group can help. Ingram now owns POD facilities in four countries—the US, UK, Australia and Sharjah (Sharjah is an Emirate within the country of the UAE)—and has direct links with ten more POD printers & distributors across Europe, Africa, Asia and South America through Global Connect. The capability to sell, print and distribute POD titles in so many markets enables retailers and readers around the world to order books and have them supplied from close to home, and not from a warehouse thousands of miles away in North America.

Minimise impact, maximise sales

By printing locally and traveling fewer miles to the end reader, global POD networks can reduce a book’s environmental impacts and supply chain costs. They also lead to faster delivery times—which is important because Ingram’s data shows a positive correlation between delivery time and sales. David Taylor, senior vice president at Ingram Content Group UK, says: “We understand the needs of publishers and booksellers to distribute and print as close to readers as possible. Ingram’s high-quality global print-on-demand, alongside our established distribution network, is transforming the way books are sold around the world.”

As IPG members learned in an overview of European trends from Lightning Source senior sales manager Darragh Deering at the recent Autumn Conference, BookTok is fuelling English language growth across Europe, with sales hotspots including Scandinavia and eastern Europe. When a book unexpectedly starts trending on TikTok, making sure that it is available via POD with pricing for as many European markets as rights allow for can make all the difference between customers getting a book in a few days or a few weeks, and without unwelcome customs charges.

A special offer for independent publishers

With some distributors shutting and new marketing platforms constantly emerging, publishing feels in a constant state of flux. To help, Ingram is offering support to UK-based independents with its POD services. Until the 2024 London Book Fair, we are waiving set-up and access-to-market fees and offering free file conversions for new titles to meet Ingram’s POD model of distribution. Please note that you'll need to be logged into you IPG member profile to view the offer.

As strategy and innovation expert Will Higham told the Autumn Conference, younger generations are eager to read, so there is lots for publishers to look forward to. But to avoid missing sales, you need to make sure your books are positioned to reach global audiences as easily and quickly as possible.

Jessica Nelson is marketing manager at Ingram UK. To learn how Ingram can help publishers reach global audiences, please contact Vanessa Mall at [email protected].