FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT DISTRIBUTION
THROUGH IPG

Can IPG handle a bestseller?

In any year, IPG has dozens of titles that appear on the Bookscan category bestseller lists, sometimes as many as 10 or 12 of the top 50 titles in some categories. This demonstrates that titles handled by IPG can compete with anything on offer from the major publishing houses. Recently, an IPG-distributed title was the top overall seller on Amazon, selling at the rate of 100 copies per hour, and is number one on The New York Times bestseller list.

IPG smoothly handled the complex logistical issues that arise when large quantities of books need to be shipped direct from the printer and from the distribution center.

Why does IPG use commission reps instead of house reps to cover the smaller accounts?

IPG's largest accounts are called on and serviced by in-house staff. But by also employing commission representatives, we can field more than three times the number of sales reps and see many more accounts than distributors or publishers with only an in-house sales force. Since IPG is one of the top lines carried by these reps, they work very hard for us and get excellent results. Usually the decision to employ house reps is made in order to reduce overhead, not to sell more books.

Will my publishing company lose its identity if my books are distributed by IPG along with the titles from many other houses?

Our experience is that it takes the bookstore buyers no more than two seasons to get to know, by name and reputation, the IPG client publishers who have active publishing programs. For newer publishers, inclusion on the IPG list is a strong first step toward building a positive company image in the trade.

If my company joins IPG, what happens to the customers that we have now?

IPG will inform the wholesalers and major accounts that your books will now be available from IPG, but that invoices for books supplied by you before the transition will be payable to you. Since IPG already does business with virtually every account in the book trade, the changeover is quite smooth, and is in fact welcomed by these accounts because it simplifies their ordering and record keeping.

What happens if an account does not pay for my books?

Part of IPG's job is to judge the creditworthiness of its customers, and therefore IPG takes the credit risk. Books not returned are considered sold for the purpose of payments due you.

Titles handled by IPG can compete with anything on offer from the major publishing houses.

Can you supply references?

IPG encourages all prospective clients to call any number of distributed publishers and is happy to supply names and phone numbers. You are also encouraged to phone small and national accounts to ask them about their experiences with IPG.