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Afri-Ware Inc. 948 Lake St., Oak Park, IL 60301
708-524-8398 WWW.AFRIWARE.NET,
email: Afriware@aol.com
F.A.Q.’s
Frequently Asked
Questions from Authors last updated 11/72003
1.
Will you carry my book?
Congratulations on completing your book! We are glad that you have taken the bold step of entering the book industry. Thank you for considering us as one of your book retail outlets Feel free to look around our store to examine the book selection we presently carry. Every store is filling a certain niche. It will be easier to sell your book if your book already fits under the umbrella of the titles we carry. The main categories we have currently are: Historical/cultural Health/melanin, Essay, African American (inventors, business, Black firsts), The Maafa/Enslavement, Psychology/Africentric Applications, Historical Fiction, Philosophy and Children’s books. Our smaller sections are religious, novels, and poetry. We are happy to review your work and would appreciate either a review copy or details on your book including press release/reviews etc. We will need approximately 2 weeks to review your book. You are welcome to give us a call after that time if you have not heard from us.
We are also happy that you would consider having a Black bookstore carry your important work. In Afri-Ware Inc.’s 10-year history we have been honored to host such noted authors as: Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan, Del Jones, Walter Mosley, Tanarive Due, Anthony Browder and many more. Our promotion contact list has enabled Afri-Ware Inc. to be covered by The Chicago Defender, The Austin Weekly, WVON, The Tri-City Journal, The Austin Voice, The Chicago Reader, The Oak Leaves, The Wednesday Journal, Ebony Magazine and many more. We would be honored to be considered to review your work and encourage you to seek out other Black Bookstores as well in the Chicago area as listed on Afri-Ware’s website: www.afriware.net and go to the “Black Businesses” link.
2.
When will you place an order?
Afri-Ware Inc. prefers to work with Distributors (see a list on our website: www.afriware.net under “Black Businesses” link). We encourage you to take the extra step of contacting a Black Distributor as one of our goals is to support the recycling of our dollars thru all aspects of book production/sale. Ordering direct from the author unfortunately can add a lot of extra overhead (paperwork, communications with many authors, shipping costs etc.). The shipping cost is probably the biggest factor that we’d prefer to avoid. When we place a large order with a distributor we are able to offset this cost. An example: an order of 3 books from one author incurs a shipping + COD cost equal to approximately 20% of retail cost of the book. When ordering direct from a distributor > $100 worth of books allows the shipping cost to be distributed across all the books and ends up being ~10% of total cost. If we do decide to order the book direct from the author, the author should be sure to leave an invoice indicating the number of books dropped off, date, and the terms of sale i.e. consignment/wholesale/net 30 (see question #6 for details).
3. Do
I need an ISBN number?
Afri-Ware Inc. does not require you to have an ISBN number in order to sell your book. We enter books sold by title into a spreadsheet. Some retailers do require it for scanning machines etc.
4.
Can I have a book signing?
Afri-Ware Inc. hosts a number of book signings, presentations, workshops etc. throughout the year. Adequate time is needed to plan, promote and execute a successful book signing. When considering a book signing we will review our schedule, current sales of the book, requests for discussions on the subject matter etc. Another option is a private signing that is completely promoted by the author and requires a fee for rental of space. Promotional materials must be reviewed by Afri-Ware Inc. before they are sent out. We would be happy to discuss these options with you further.
5.
When Can I get paid?
For consignments, arrangements must be set up with Afri-Ware management only to discuss sales of the book/adjustments to price/payment etc. Staff persons are not authorized to pay authors nor negotiate terms of sale. The standard split is 60 percent to the author/supplier, and 40 percent to the seller (business owner). Other arrangements/percentages can be made as well. We would also consider buying upfront (wholesale) or net 30 at an attractive price (see question 6 for details).
6.
What is the difference between consignment, net 30 and wholesale?
Consignment – This arrangement gives the business owner the flexibility to pay for the merchandise after it has sold. It is the least risk to the business owner because no upfront money is needed. Because the risk is on the author in this case, the author may decide to charge a little more for the merchandise than they would if it was being bought outright (at a wholesale price-see below definition). For consignments, the supplier will leave a certain amount of products with the business owner. The retail price and author/business owner’s profit margins of the book are agreed upon up front (if not printed on the book). Profit margins are usually discussed as percentages of the retail price the items are sold for. The standard split is 60 percent to the author/supplier, and 40 percent to the seller (business owner). Other arrangements/percentages can be made as well. After a prearranged time, the business owner and author review the invoice left with the business owner to determine what items have been sold. Only the items that have sold are what the business owner is responsible for payment on to the supplier. At that time, also, there may be an adjustment of the number of items to keep in the store based on the demand. Also, there may be an adjustment of the price/percentages if necessary to turn over the product better.
Net 30 - Similar to consignment, no money is due upfront. The difference between net 30 and consignment is that 30 days from the merchandise drop-off date, payment in full is due of all merchandise left, whether it has sold or not.
Wholesale – This arrangement is the highest risk to the business owner particularly if a new/unknown author. Because of this, the author may consider “sweetening” the deal to least impact business owner expenses. Author’s are paid up front and the cost of the book if not printed on the book already is solely determined by the business owner.
7. Why shouldn’t I charge you
the same price I charge out of the trunk of my car?
Afri-Ware Inc.
is interested in finding out the consignment, net 30 and or wholesale price of
your book. Each should be considered
carefully when discussing the pricing of your book.
Pricing of your book should take into account your expenses, time, uniqueness and perceived value of the product. Unfortunately, this is a difficult science to master. It is important to do some market research/asking around to determine what people would be willing to pay. Sometimes producers of handicrafts are unpleasantly surprised that the time put into making the product is much more than the consumer is willing to pay. Volume in most cases is what will bring back a better return on your investment. Sometimes the place of business is not the best one to showcase your work. Do your homework to determine the best environment/mix of merchandise/salesforce to adequately showcase your work. All businesses are not the same. We are filling different niches. Please do not take it personal if one business decides not to carry your product. Many of us have day-to-day experience with our client bases, have a good idea of what people are asking for and have a certain focus/theme for the store. Simply go to the next store and start your analysis again. Make sure you are able to reach the client base you are targeting.
Also see References: “Self Publishing - For Profit and Service to Humanity” by Muata Ashby, and “A Writer’s Guide to Self-Publishing”, by Tracy Grant, Black Issues Book Review, July-August 2002 p. 66.