Page 29 - November-December Together

TOGETHER NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2021

in physical stock. This enables publishers to take advantage of long-
tail demand and gain sales across their entire catalogue of titles.
The huge advances made in the quality of print-on-demand books
since the technology was first introduced two decades ago means FEATURE
that virtual inventory is now a viable alternative or complement to
traditional print models.
Ingram owns POD production facilities in the United States,
United Kingdom and Australia, allowing publishers to print copies
of their titles in these markets whenever and in whatever quantity
they require.

Ingram also operates joint ventures with Hachette in France. At the
end of this year, Ingram will open Lightning Source Sharjah in Sharjah
Publishing City, which will be another joint venture with the Sharjah
Book Authority in the United Arab Emirates.
Through Ingram Global Connect, titles made available via Lightning
Source can reach into a huge global market.
How Ingram supplies the global book market
The diagram below illustrates the variety of paths by which publishers’
titles and their metadata can reach retailers around the world. The
route will vary according to retailer location and preferences, and
Virtual inventory and its benefits the currencies in which the retailer trades. When titles are enabled
Virtual inventory is the digital equivalent of having physical copies of through Lightning Source , Ingram Book has the potential to make
®
a book in a warehouse. As with the traditional model, your books are them available to over 40,000 retailers and libraries globally.
ready when someone wants them. Unlike the traditional model, virtual
warehouse space is essentially infinite and not restricted to a single Retailers can order books within or close to their local market, either
specific location. Virtual inventory removes the up-front cost of huge directly from Ingram, through our Global Connect network, or via
print runs and eliminates the risks involved with having capital tied up another wholesaler that trades with Ingram.

E-Book and audiobook distribution
A developing part of the services offered by Ingram is their digital
asset management brand CoreSource. This distributes to over 450
retail and library channels, as well as providing metadata expertise and
standardisation, customisable reporting, and digital conversion services.
Our growing selection of audio retailers, including Apple Books,
Audible, Findaway, Google Play, Hoopla, OverDrive, Libro.fm, Kobo
and more, enables you to get your audiobooks in front of millions of
listeners worldwide.

If any retailer or publisher is interested to learn more, they can
contact me directly at andrew.bromley@ingramcontent.com
Illustrations courtesy of ICG
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