There are a few different factors that may cause your book is published to show as out of stock on Amazon. This can certainly be frustrating, so please read on below to explore some potential solutions to the problem.
- Note: if your book is showing at a different price than your suggested retail price, see our related article: Why is my book listed at a price I didn't agree upon?
Scenario 1. Your book was published within the last four to six weeks
In this case the book is still in its "distribution window", where online retailers like Amazon are still pulling information from Ingram the distributor, and as such the listings may be incomplete or out of stock until this time period is up. This is the nature of print-on-demand distribution through Ingram and is not within our control.
Solution: First, wait until after the distribution window passes. Then, if your book is still not showing correctly, reach out to support@tellwell.ca and we will try to correct the problem by contacting the distributor to request they "rebroadcast" your title information to retailers.
- *Note: If a third-party reseller is the first to list any given book on Amazon, they will often remain as the default seller until the book is purchased at least once from Amazon itself (the seller that says ships and sold by Amazon). For more info, click here.
Scenario 2. The paperback and/or hardcover listing is out of stock on Amazon.ca
The book is likely to show as in-stock on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.au after the above mentioned distribution window passes; however, Amazon.ca currently only picks up books listed on Ingram indirectly, via Amazon.com. This means orders on amazon.ca are actually fulfilled by Amazon.com, then routed through an Amazon warehouse/distribution centre in Canada. This can cause the book to show as out of stock, or only be sold through third party resellers.
Solution A: Add Enhanced Amazon Paperback and/or Hardcover Distribution top your publishing package. These services optimize Amazon listings of the corresponding format, enabling "Prime" shipping on the listings on Amazon.ca and .com, and ensuring they never say "out of stock" and always show at your Suggested Retail Price. The cost is CA $260 + tax per format and we can set it up for you at any time. Learn more about the pros and cons of Enhanced Amazon here.
Solution B: Unfortunately, Enhanced Amazon paperback & hardcover distribution are not suitable for all book types. If your book is not suitable for one or both of these options, then we recommend directing Canadian buyers to different listings by sharing links to retailers such as Indigo/Chapters or Barnes & Noble. To quickly find some of the links to where your book is listed online, log in to Octavo and click the Online Listings tab.
- Final note: as with all products, it is ultimately each retailer’s decision whether or not to list any given book. With that said, as part of the support included in the Managed Distribution program, you can email us at support@tellwell.ca and we will always be happy to investigate if you encounter any issues with your book’s listings on any of the expected retailers.
Related Articles:
What is Enhanced Amazon distribution? Is it right for my book?
What is Print-On-Demand Distribution?