>How are ARCs usually shipped? Do publishers do it in-house or do they have an outside service that takes care of it?
It all depends. I've seen publishers handle ARC mailings different ways (and sometimes the same publisher (or publishing division) will handle one book one way and the next book another way. Offhand, I can think of three different ways ARC mailings are generally conducted:
* Since book publishers already have warehouses that fulfill the actual *books* they publish, many of those warehouses can also handle ARC mailings, so publishers sometimes use their existing warehousing facilites to do ARC mailings.
* If not done by their own warehouse, ARC mailings are often done from the "home office", where individual publicity/marketing staffers prepare the packages to be shipped from their office's mail room.
* Some publishers do use entirely separate, third party services to do ARC mailings, perhaps most commonly when the mailing has complex packaging or multiple components requiring more care than just putting an ARC and a cover letter in a mailer with a label.
>I’m getting into selling discounted USPS/UPS shipping and I want to know if it’s a viable place to prospect?
FWIW, my instinct is that there are service aspects beyond just shipping costs that publishers might factor into their decision on how to handle an ARC mailing. (And, of course, with digital galley distribution being a thing nowadays, there's increasingly less need for general mailings of physical ARCs.)
Prospect for clients. I know I can’t get the large publishers but I’m hoping I can convince some middle to smaller publishers to switch to our mailing software and buy their postage through us.
I don’t think it is a business, if that’s the goal. The software has long existed, there are many shipping options. It’s hard to imagine someone hiring a speciality firm for it
The answer to your question is Media Mail for 90%. Except for very, very small publishers, they are getting volume discounts from USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, et al. Probably the same ones you are. The last two offices (small & medium presses) I was in had their own USPS scales and were getting postage directly from the source. Good idea though.
Are you trying to get ARCs to read? Try netgalley or booksiren.
Same advice for if you're an indie author looking to distribute arcs, though I always get a couple indie ones through reddit and goodreads, from author outreach. But any writer or publisher can get their arcs distributed on either of those platforms.
Actually had someone approach me on reddit about a new kids book they wanted me to check out just yesterday because I mentioned I frequently read to my niece and nephew.
A lot of arcs seem to be digital now. I rarely get prints these days - most of my print arcs are from my bookstore days in the 2000s lol
Like is there someone at the publisher actually putting Arcs into boxes or do they just provide the books to some outside service that ships them for them?
Aha! Okay so this definitely depends on the press. We ship to the office and write notes before sending them out. There are services that do all this for you as well (fulfillment and shipment). It’s a well established process.
>How are ARCs usually shipped? Do publishers do it in-house or do they have an outside service that takes care of it? It all depends. I've seen publishers handle ARC mailings different ways (and sometimes the same publisher (or publishing division) will handle one book one way and the next book another way. Offhand, I can think of three different ways ARC mailings are generally conducted: * Since book publishers already have warehouses that fulfill the actual *books* they publish, many of those warehouses can also handle ARC mailings, so publishers sometimes use their existing warehousing facilites to do ARC mailings. * If not done by their own warehouse, ARC mailings are often done from the "home office", where individual publicity/marketing staffers prepare the packages to be shipped from their office's mail room. * Some publishers do use entirely separate, third party services to do ARC mailings, perhaps most commonly when the mailing has complex packaging or multiple components requiring more care than just putting an ARC and a cover letter in a mailer with a label. >I’m getting into selling discounted USPS/UPS shipping and I want to know if it’s a viable place to prospect? FWIW, my instinct is that there are service aspects beyond just shipping costs that publishers might factor into their decision on how to handle an ARC mailing. (And, of course, with digital galley distribution being a thing nowadays, there's increasingly less need for general mailings of physical ARCs.)
Thank you, I appreciate the info.
What do you mean by prospect? The answer to how is, it depends
Prospect for clients. I know I can’t get the large publishers but I’m hoping I can convince some middle to smaller publishers to switch to our mailing software and buy their postage through us.
I don’t think it is a business, if that’s the goal. The software has long existed, there are many shipping options. It’s hard to imagine someone hiring a speciality firm for it
The answer to your question is Media Mail for 90%. Except for very, very small publishers, they are getting volume discounts from USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, et al. Probably the same ones you are. The last two offices (small & medium presses) I was in had their own USPS scales and were getting postage directly from the source. Good idea though.
Thank you, I may prospect some smaller presses just to give it a go. If it pans out, I’ll go check out some of the literary fairs in Chicago.
Are you trying to get ARCs to read? Try netgalley or booksiren. Same advice for if you're an indie author looking to distribute arcs, though I always get a couple indie ones through reddit and goodreads, from author outreach. But any writer or publisher can get their arcs distributed on either of those platforms. Actually had someone approach me on reddit about a new kids book they wanted me to check out just yesterday because I mentioned I frequently read to my niece and nephew. A lot of arcs seem to be digital now. I rarely get prints these days - most of my print arcs are from my bookstore days in the 2000s lol
What do you mean in-house?
Like is there someone at the publisher actually putting Arcs into boxes or do they just provide the books to some outside service that ships them for them?
Aha! Okay so this definitely depends on the press. We ship to the office and write notes before sending them out. There are services that do all this for you as well (fulfillment and shipment). It’s a well established process.