How Your Book Reaches Readers
Once your book files are finished, there is still an important step between having a completed book and having a book readers can actually buy: distribution.
Atmosphere Press handles distribution setup through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Ingram. Together, these systems help make Atmosphere Press books available to readers, online retailers, bookstores, libraries, and other buyers in the U.S. and internationally.
What Does Book Distribution Actually Mean?
A few publishing terms sound similar but describe different parts of the process:
Printing is the physical production of a copy of your book.
Distribution is the system that makes your book available for retailers, bookstores, libraries, and other buyers to order.
Listing means a retailer has created a page or record for your book in its online store or ordering system.
Placement means a retailer or bookstore has chosen to physically stock or feature your book.
That last distinction is especially important. A book can be fully distributed and available for any bookstore to order without automatically appearing on the shelves of every bookstore. Individual retailers and booksellers decide which books they stock.
For more context on what to expect after publication, see Atmosphere Press’s guide to realistic book sales expectations.
Which Platforms Handle Each Book Format?
Atmosphere Press uses different platforms depending on the edition:
| Format | Atmosphere Press distribution setup |
| Ebook | KDP |
| Paperback | KDP and Ingram |
| Hardcover | Ingram |
An ebook, of course, is digitally delivered rather than physically printed.
For print books, KDP and Ingram do not support exactly the same specifications or distribution options. KDP, for example, does not offer Expanded Distribution for hardcover editions and has other format requirements. If KDP cannot accommodate a particular edition, Atmosphere Press can use Ingram instead.
How Does the Atmosphere Press Distribution Process Work?
Once your final book files and publication information are ready, the basic process looks like this:
Final files → KDP and/or Ingram → book metadata distributed → retailer and library systems → customer order → printing and fulfillment
Your book’s metadata includes information such as its title, author name, ISBN, description, publication date, price, and other details retailers use to identify and display it.
Atmosphere Press submits your book and its publication information through the appropriate distribution platforms. Ingram then makes that information available through its distribution network so participating retailers, bookstores, libraries, and other buyers can find and order the title.
Those listings do not necessarily appear everywhere at the same time. Different retailer systems update on different schedules, so some listings may appear before others and the full process can take several weeks.
For print editions, copies can then be produced through print-on-demand. Instead of requiring a large inventory of books to sit in a warehouse, copies can be printed in response to orders and sent through the appropriate fulfillment channel.
Where Will My Book Be Available?
The three online retailers where Atmosphere Press books most consistently appear are Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and Bookshop.org, with additional availability possible through retailers and wholesalers in the U.S. and internationally.
However, distribution does not guarantee a listing on every retailer website, and a web listing does not guarantee physical shelf placement.
How Can Bookstores, Libraries, and Schools Order My Book?
Once your print book is active in Ingram’s distribution system, bookstores that purchase through Ingram can search for it using the ISBN and order copies through their normal account.
Atmosphere Press sets its Ingram wholesale discount at 55%.
When approaching a bookstore, a useful, simple message is:
“My book is available through Ingram at a 55% wholesale discount. You can find it using [YOUR BOOK’S ISBN].”
If a store does not normally order your book through Ingram, ask whether it accepts books from local or independent authors on consignment. In that arrangement, you can supply author copies directly and work out the store’s sales terms with the bookseller.
Atmosphere Press can also help arrange batches of author copies for shipment directly to a bookstore when appropriate.
Libraries and schools can use the same basic Ingram ordering route when they purchase through Ingram. Authors interested in actively building library readership can also see How to Get Your Book into Libraries.
How Do Pricing, Royalties, and Sales Reporting Fit In?
For a detailed explanation of Atmosphere Press’s pricing and royalty methodology, see Book Royalties Explained.
Atmosphere Press authors do not have a live dashboard showing day-to-day sales. Instead, sales and royalties are reported through quarterly royalty reports, using the reporting received from the printing and distribution platforms. Those reports are the source authors should use for their official sales and royalty information.
The simplest way to think about the whole distribution process is this: Atmosphere Press gets your finished book into the systems that allow readers, retailers, bookstores, libraries, and schools to find and order it. Distribution creates access; what happens next depends on reader demand, retailer decisions, and the work you and your publishing team do to help readers discover the book.
Atmosphere Press Distribution Process FAQ
Will my book automatically be stocked in bookstores?
No. Distribution makes your book available for bookstores to order, but individual booksellers decide which titles they physically stock.
How can a bookstore order my book?
A bookstore that purchases through Ingram can search for your title in its ordering system, typically using your ISBN, and place an order. When contacting a store, tell the bookseller that your title is available through Ingram at Atmosphere Press’s 55% wholesale discount.
Can libraries and schools order my book?
Yes. Libraries and schools that purchase through Ingram can locate and order available Atmosphere Press titles through the same distribution system.
What if a bookstore does not order through Ingram?
Ask whether it accepts books from independent or local authors on consignment. You can use author copies for that arrangement, and author-copy batches can also be arranged for direct shipment to a bookstore when appropriate.
How long does it take for retailer listings to appear?
Listings do not necessarily appear everywhere simultaneously. Different retailers update their systems on different schedules, so some listings may appear before others and the process can take several weeks.
What happens if KDP cannot accommodate my book’s format?
Atmosphere Press can use Ingram for that edition instead. KDP has format and distribution eligibility limits, and hardcover books, for example, are not eligible for KDP Expanded Distribution.
Can I keep my book off Amazon by using Ingram only?
Not reliably. An Ingram-distributed print edition can still become available or generate a listing on Amazon even when KDP is not being used for that edition.
Where can I see my sales?
Atmosphere Press does not provide a live daily-sales dashboard. Authors receive quarterly royalty reports based on the sales information supplied through Atmosphere Press’s printing and distribution partners.
Atmosphere Press is a selective hybrid publisher founded in 2015 on the principles of Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, Kindness, and Making Your Book Awesome. Our books have won dozens of awards and sold tens of thousands of copies. If you’re interested in learning more, or seeking publication for your own work, please explore the links below.