E-book Retail Services

Get your content working for you!

With e book sales set to increase to 6-7% this year in the UK there has never been a better time to look at your e resource strategy. As much as we all love a real book that we can hold lovingly in our hands, there’s no escaping the fact that a growing proportion of the reading public prefers to have their books in a handy mobile format - so they can read on the go, on their laptop, iPad or mobile phone. So if your book’s not available as an ebook, you could well be missing out on a sizeable market!. With our brand new turnkey Ebook service, it’s surprisingly simple and cost-effective to transform your original work into a state of the art ebook with animated turning pages and typography and layout that’s just as elegant as the printed original.

Of course that involves all our expertise in converting your typescript into professional Ebook formats - but equally importantly, we never forget that books are about words and their meaning, not technology for technology’s sake! Because a computer can’t grasp the subtleties of style and syntax that make your work unique, we use actual human beings to make sure the electronic version of your book’s every bit as elegant and readable as your printed version. But it doesn’t stop there. Once your publications are in a secure digital form, we throw our considerable logistics clout behind it utilising global e-book retail channels that put your title online, on phones on social networking media and much more!

We offer Ebook publications and distribution in Epub , Kindle , PDf and legacy formats to suit the material and retail channels existing today but also guarantees future compatibility – new platforms will always be offered to our clients in advance and at the lowest possible price .

We offer online, mobile, mobile internet and Library sales channels. We can also offer a bespoke service for embedded audio and video and App creation.

How does it work?

Publisher sets up their files in the PODW virtual digital library and supplies metadata.
Publisher decides retail price together with the retail discount.
PODW feeds the title metadata (and any image and author biography information) out to the leading bibliographic agencies and wholesalers/retailers via our e commerce system.
For every copy sold PODW pays publisher sales revenue calculated as retail price less discount (net revenue).
No download fees - pure revenue back to you.
A totally non-exclusive service
PODW deducts a 20% commission fee from the net final balance due to the publisher.
Our handling charge for handling multiple feeds to retail partners, supplying your files and processing multiple payments from different retailers is upfront and clear. We guarantee to sell to our retailers at the full discount you set!

Example prices:

You decide the sell price£12.99
You decide the discount35%
Net price£8.44
We deduct 20% of Net- £1.68
We pay you£6.76

Please contact a member of our sales team for more information on our E book services or (click) to download a sample contract containing a list of our current e retailers.

Most frequently asked e book questions

What formats do you offer?

We can convert your content into multiple e book formats for you. PODW ebook conversion is hand checked by professional book technicians unlike other suppliers who use computers to check e book conversion.

E book formats offered are E pub, PRC (Amazon Kindle), .lit and Adobe Glassbook from supplied typeset pdf file or MS word file. Two e formats only are offered within our conversion pricing structure. If you require other formats or have input files which are not typeset pdf or MS word conversion prices will vary so please ask us.

Many similar services only offer PDF and Microsoft reader only, neither of which are really suitable for modern ebook retailers or tablet Ebook Readers so they are unable to sell ebooks through Apple I book store or Barnes and Noble or Amazon unlike our service.

How do I get my files and metadata to you?

Our Bookvault system is an online virtual library which is unique to you and allows you to upload your metadata and e book files directly into our system.

How long before my e book is ready for sale?

Timescale varies depending on if you are supplying pre-converted files. Typically if requiring conversion work the time from receipt of file to online publication is 2 to 6 weeks depending on the individual e retailer.

What else do I need to supply other than my files?

You need to supply us with the long and short title description and any author information you would like to include. When you load your e book details onto your personalised virtual library you will be asked for this information.

What is the 'Key Word Generation' and why do I need it?

Key words within your title description encourage title discoverability when buyers are searching and is an optional service.

If using our e book conversion and retail services we include key word generation in the cost. If supplying pre-converted files this service is not included but can be an optional purchase at £70+VAT.

What do I pay for this service?

We charge a 20% commission fee on the net sale of your book (retail prices less discount). This charge covers:

The cost of feeding out your data to the individual e retailers - we believe we have the most comprehensive of retail channels.
Preparing your metadata so that it is search engine optimised to allow you to pick up more sales through discoverability.
Collecting and processing the revenues
Buy links and Publisher/Author facebook links (if required)

Our commission structure is clear and upfront with no hidden charges. We always sell on at the full retail discount you set on an e book. Other e book retailers may look like they make no charge for feeding out your data and downloading your e files to retailers but remember the old adage 'Nothing comes for free'!

What if I have pre-converted e books and want to sell them through your service?

Not a problem! You do not have to use our e book conversion services. You can upload your pre-converted file through your virtual library together with associated metadata and pricing information.

How do I get paid?

You are paid every 6 months for all e book sales across all regions. We will send you a statement letting you know where those sales were made with your cheque.

Can I restrict what market my e book is sold in?

Yes, when you upload your e book metadata you will be asked to tell us what countries you do not want your e books sold in. This means that we will exclude your e book from the data feed we send out direct to retailers in that area.