Frequently Asked Question About Sales & Dispatch
How Long Before My Book Is Available For Sale?
For most books it takes about 8-12 weeks from the time the author has first contacted us to the time the book is available for sale. This is the case when the manuscript is completed in its entirety before editing is commenced and payments are made on time. Many authors add and delete the texts in their books or that on the back cover after the publishing process has begun. Similarly they decide to change certain aspects of the book that have already been completed e.g. the cover is tweaked after its design is finalized. This causes unnecessary delay.
Since we commence a service only after it is paid for, delays in payment may also cause delays in delivery of the service. Finally, we do not take any responsibility for any delay that may occur due to tardy courier services.
In case of print orders, books are shipped within 8-12 days of realization of the payment for that order.
How Do I Price My Book?
The price of your book is mainly made of three components: the cost of producing the book, the discount demanded by the retailer and the commission you wish to earn off each book, called the Author’s Earnings.
For more on pricing, visit this page.
Since the cost of production is fixed depending upon the number of pages and dimensions of the book, and since most retailers generally demand a discount of 50% or upwards of that, the author’s earnings needs to be fixed appropriately so as to maintain a balance between earnings and sales. Lesser earnings imply a lower price for your book and might translate into larger sales. If the book sells well, you can always increase this component incrementally on later editions and earn more from each sale.
Can You Provide A List Of The International Distributors You Work With?
A list of international distributors is available here, and is constantly updated.
What If I Want To Avail Of POD And Sell Via Amazon? Do You Cater To That?
What you are probably asking is whether we will list your book on Amazon and print a copy when it is sold and dispatch that copy to the buyer (i.e. print on demand). Yes, we do that, not just for Amazon but also for certain other platforms, where we list your book.
In Addition To Print-On-Demand, Do You Provide Bulk Printing Services?
Yes, we do provide bulk printing services. Typically, authors choose to print one copy using our print-on-demand service, that they can use as a proof and satisfy themselves with the quality of the book. They then proceed to print in bulk.
For more details about our bulk printing service, email us at [email protected]
How Long Does It Take Between A Print Order And Its Delivery?
Once a completed manuscript is submitted and the print order is paid for, it takes between ten days to a couple of weeks to receive it, time of transit included. However, delivery could be delayed due to other, unavoidable circumstances. In the case of overseas orders, particularly, books shipped using the postal service have taken upto 6 weeks to reach their destination.
What Shipping Methods Do You Use?
For shipping both within India and abroad we use private couriers and the Indian postal service. We prefer the latter for its efficiency and reliability, as well as its low charges.
Can I Avail Of An Author’s Discount?
You can. For this purpose, you must email us with the details of your order and not purchase it from any online bookstore where your book may be listed. When you order copies of your book, you will be charged the printing cost and not the listed price of the book.
What Marketing Options Do You Offer?
We do not offer marketing options, but we do offer distribution services. That means we do not offer services that convince buyers to buy your book but we do provide sales channels that make your books available for purchase. These channels include online channels such as dogearsetc.com and other online channels servicing customers in India and abroad. Additionally, under certain circumstances, we also offer retail support that allows your books to be available in certain bookstores all over India.
How Will CinnamonTeal Help With Book Distribution?
We distribute online, through various online channels. If you are willing to have at least 150 copies printed, we can also arrange to have them distributed in stores across India, subject to some conditions.
We can also arrange to have your book available on several online bookstores across Europe and North America. Similarly, in the case of e-books, we can arrange for its global distribution through several channel partners. For more details regarding distribution, view this page or email us.
Can I Use Other Avenues To Distribute My Book?
Yes, as an author you may seek other channels for distribution of your book. These channels could be online or offline. However, you must explicitly mention “CinnamonTeal Publishing” as the publisher of the book. Failure to do so constitutes a legal breach that may attract legal action. It is better that you contact us before such a move to prevent any overlap of efforts.
Can I Ask For My Book To Be Placed In A Particular Store?
When you choose to opt for distribution of your books through physical book stores, we immediately inform our distributor. He then sends all stores details about your book. It is up to the store to accept your book and ask for a certain number of copies for display. It therefore does not bear much fruit to insist that a book be displayed in a particular store because the store decided whether or not to display your book. In any case, our distributor contacts most bookstore chains along with prominent bookstores. If the book is about a particular city, bookstores in that city are often contacted.
How Can I Get My Book Placed In Libraries?
When you book is published by CinnamonTeal, we make sure your book is sent to the main libraries in India as per the Government mandate for all books with an ISBN. Further, there is an increased likelihood that the central governing body for all libraries, the Kolkata-based Raja Rammohun Roy Foundation, orders more copies of your book for placing in other libraries.
Suffice to say that if your book is published with CinnamonTeal, there is a high probability your book will be available in many libraries. This means greater visibility for your book, often resulting in sales as people prefer to own a copy of the book they like.
Can I Contact Distributors On My Own?
You can contact distributors on your own and ask them to supply your book to bookstores. However, you will have to negotiate the terms yourself. Books requested by the distributor will be printed and dispatched only after they have been paid for in full. Similarly, in this case, we will not be responsible for collection of dues from the distributor. It is better that you contact us before such a move to prevent any overlap of efforts.
Do You Distribute Through Amazon?
Yes, we do. For more details refer to our page explaining international distribution.
How Will I Get Paid?
If your books have been sold to persons other than you (i.e. if you have not bought those books yourself), you will receive an amount equal to the Author’s Earnings you have accrued, if it exceeds Rs. 1000/-, by cheque at the end of six months. The cheque will be accompanied by a detailed account of each sale and the amount due to you. This seemingly large period of six months is because many distributors and retailers themselves have such a payment cycle.
What Is Your Return Policy?
We do not accept any returns and will not refund any purchases unless we have sent the wrong book or a defective copy. Copies damaged during transit cannot be returned for refund.
For How Long Will My Book Remain In Print?
For as long as you want. When you publish with CinnamonTeal, your book will never go out of print.
We have several extensive FAQ pages covering a variety of subjects and answering questions you may have about us and our services.