I've signed up to the Amazon Advantage seller programme to sell copies of my new book, which will be out next week. I already have over 40 orders placed on Amazon.
However, I'm struggling to work out what I need to do once I have packaged the books. Trying to speak to someone at Amazon who understands the Advantage programme is impossible. I've completed the contact form on the Advantage web site, outlining my questions, but haven't heard back
I've also been through all the Amazon Advantage instructions, searched on Google, and I'm still not clear. One web site I visited said I need to complete a "shipping plan". I can't see this mentioned on the Amazon Advantage home page. I've read the Amazon Vendor Manual and this talks about using "Vendor Central" when you are shipping products through Amazon Advantage. But, it seems, you have to be invited to join Vendor Central.
I'm also unclear about whether I have to wrap each book individually before packing it, whether I need to attach an Amazon label over the ISBN number, and if I have to invoice Amazon. It's all incredibly confusing.
Can anyone help. If you can, please send me a private message, as I think I need to talk through the steps.
Does any authors sell books through Amazon Advantage?
Re: Does any authors sell books through Amazon Advantage?
If you are not selling a huge number of copies (hundreds), you would be better selling them direct to customers through Amazon Marketplace. As far as I know, Amazon Advantage is really for people selling in bulk, which makes it worth sending stuff to the Amazon warehouse. I've used a combination of Market Place where I sell direct and having my Amazon orders (i.e. ones that have gone through Amazon because they have automatically created a listing) fulfilled by the print-on-demand service I used. If you have the physical copies, it's much better to sell as a Marketplace trader. Amazon will take a huge chunk of the cover price if you sell through their listing. You'll barely make anything. I listed my book at a price slightly lower than the Amazon price to tempt customers my way.
It sounds like you've already had your book printed. Can I ask what service you used? If your book is listed on Amazon with its ISBN and you have used a print-on-demand service such as Lightning Source or CreateSpace, they will supply direct to your customers when they order via Amazon so you don't even need to keep a lot of copies in stock and send them out. They will print a copy and send it out to the customer, take their cut and pay you the residual (which is vanishingly small, but still better than Amazon itself. Marginally).
Are you selling via Kindle as well? The conversion process is pretty simple, Amazon are very helpful with that. And there's no trundling off to the post office with packages!
It sounds like you've already had your book printed. Can I ask what service you used? If your book is listed on Amazon with its ISBN and you have used a print-on-demand service such as Lightning Source or CreateSpace, they will supply direct to your customers when they order via Amazon so you don't even need to keep a lot of copies in stock and send them out. They will print a copy and send it out to the customer, take their cut and pay you the residual (which is vanishingly small, but still better than Amazon itself. Marginally).
Are you selling via Kindle as well? The conversion process is pretty simple, Amazon are very helpful with that. And there's no trundling off to the post office with packages!
Re: Do any authors sell books through Amazon Advantage?
Thanks for your reply, Rachel. I know about Amazon Market Place and print on demand publishing, such as Create Space. The reason I've opted for Amazon Advantage is because my book won't be listed as being sold by a third party, which is the way Market Place works. I'm also using a traditional printer rather than a print on demand service. The Advantage programme is designed for small publishers, like me. But the explanations provided by Amazon about the nuts and bolts are just so confusing.
Re: Does any authors sell books through Amazon Advantage?
Ah, okay, if you are doing it as a small publisher rather than a self-published author, Advantage is probably the route for you. Do the economics of using a traditional printer work for you? We did that the first time we published and used Amazon Advantage, but it wasn't right for us. But I suppose it depends on what sort of books you are publishing. For self-published fiction, e-books are the most profitable, and print-on-demand the only sensible way to sell paperbacks.
The first book, as I said, was printed locally and I posted them out. I do remember having to send some to Amazon and don't remember it being a complicated process, although it was a while ago! I had to post them out to the big book distributors as well, if the book was ordered by a book shop. What are the labels you refer to, to put over the ISBN? If it's this requirement: All products must be labeled with one scannable barcode that contains the ISBN/EAN/UPC and placed on the outside of the product., that just means it needs to have an ISBN on the back of the book. Which it does. I think they use the word 'labeled' to mean it has a barcode on the product (or exterior packaging if it's not a book), not that it is a separate physical label.
The 'Payments Basic' page is pretty clear on invoicing. If what you are selling is zero-VAT rated (which most books are), there is no need to invoice, you'll be paid automatically.
I'm not sure what you mean about wrapping the books individually before shipping them. Remember that Advantage is used by people selling all sorts of things, not just books, so reference to 'packaging' etc may not be relevant to you.
The first book, as I said, was printed locally and I posted them out. I do remember having to send some to Amazon and don't remember it being a complicated process, although it was a while ago! I had to post them out to the big book distributors as well, if the book was ordered by a book shop. What are the labels you refer to, to put over the ISBN? If it's this requirement: All products must be labeled with one scannable barcode that contains the ISBN/EAN/UPC and placed on the outside of the product., that just means it needs to have an ISBN on the back of the book. Which it does. I think they use the word 'labeled' to mean it has a barcode on the product (or exterior packaging if it's not a book), not that it is a separate physical label.
The 'Payments Basic' page is pretty clear on invoicing. If what you are selling is zero-VAT rated (which most books are), there is no need to invoice, you'll be paid automatically.
I'm not sure what you mean about wrapping the books individually before shipping them. Remember that Advantage is used by people selling all sorts of things, not just books, so reference to 'packaging' etc may not be relevant to you.
Last edited by Rachael on 20 Feb 2015 08:00, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Does any authors sell books through Amazon Advantage?
Thanks, Rachel. You've cleared up the label and invoice issues.
One problem is that the instructions/advice Amazon provides is often unclear or sometimes contradictory. In the Vendor Manual, which I accessed through the resources button on the Amazon Advantage page, it clearly states each unit/item has to be wrapped. Yet I've watched a couple of You Tube videos about packaging books for Amazon and the books weren't individually wrapped. I've also viewed an Amazon pdf about packaging different products. It mentioned, toys, textiles, liquids, sharp objects etc, but, oddly, not books.
What's more, the Vendor Manual provides a flow chart showing you had to place an order and says you have to manage your order in Vendor Central. But, from what I can gather, you have to be invited to Vendor Central, which is described on Amazon as a "portal" for business. And then you have Seller Central. But seller and vendor mean the same thing. Baffling.
Anyway, thanks again, Rachel.
One problem is that the instructions/advice Amazon provides is often unclear or sometimes contradictory. In the Vendor Manual, which I accessed through the resources button on the Amazon Advantage page, it clearly states each unit/item has to be wrapped. Yet I've watched a couple of You Tube videos about packaging books for Amazon and the books weren't individually wrapped. I've also viewed an Amazon pdf about packaging different products. It mentioned, toys, textiles, liquids, sharp objects etc, but, oddly, not books.
What's more, the Vendor Manual provides a flow chart showing you had to place an order and says you have to manage your order in Vendor Central. But, from what I can gather, you have to be invited to Vendor Central, which is described on Amazon as a "portal" for business. And then you have Seller Central. But seller and vendor mean the same thing. Baffling.
Anyway, thanks again, Rachel.
Re: Does any authors sell books through Amazon Advantage?
It is confusing! We got signed up for Vendor Central but it was no use to us. You have to pay an annual fee for it, too. As far as I can tell, it is for bulk distributors and manufacturers, the real big boys. It's for those items listed as 'Sold by Amazon'. Amazon Advantage is for smaller sellers like you and me.
Seller Central is, I think for Marketplace selling and Amazon Advantage for when you item is listed by Amazon and you supply it.
I absolutely wouldn't worry about individually wrapping the books.
Seller Central is, I think for Marketplace selling and Amazon Advantage for when you item is listed by Amazon and you supply it.
I absolutely wouldn't worry about individually wrapping the books.