Printing & Distributing Books In Thailand

[iko]

Hi all,

I’d like to have some information about printing and distributing books here in Thailand.

I live in Phuket (Patong). I have recently published a book with Booksurge,

A subsidiary of Amazon.com that allows writers to publish book “on demand”. So, if

Somebody buys my book on Amazon.com (or on other websites of their network) they

Print the book and send it to the customer. In short, there’s no stock.

All that being said, I’d like to try also the traditional ‘brick and mortar’ market.

I’d like to print some books and try to distribute them here in Thailand through normal bookstores (in

Shops, into the airports etc.).

Now, my question is:

1) Does anybody know a good, realiable and fair printing facility in Phuket island?

2) Does anybody know how the distribution channels work or what should I do in order to offer my books to bookstore chains or shop and see my book on their shelves?

FYI, my book is actually ‘published by’ my thai company and I am a regular here with work permit etc. and the company is entitled to sell, distribute books and magazines (it’s a web solutions company too).

Please, let me know if you have some useful – and possibly first-hand – information about how this business works here in thailand.

Many thanks in advance,

IKO

((link to promotional URL of poster removed - lopburi3))

[monty]

If you want to get on the shelves nation wide I guess yu'll have to talk to a main distributor.

Distri-Thai springs to mind (think they own bookazine as well).

Google them....They probably have printing facilities as well.

I doubt Phuket will be price friendly on major printing shops, things like that you're better of in Bangkok.

[Geekfreaklover]

Hi,

You will have to do this in Bangkok to make any money. There are a number of printers, the market is quite large, so the price per book is quite low. However, there is only really one main distributor and a few other smaller players. The distributor takes 50% of the cover price.

[angiud]

I saw the book here, and look funny.

About distribution, my advice (I was a publisher back in my country) is to contact Asia Books, I think the leader in distributing English language books. You can easily find the address by Google.

Good luck with your book!

[iko]

Thank you all guys.

I've just wrote an email to Asia Books.

I'm not sure if they will consider me as a publisher, since I've published just my own book so far and the book is a collection of (i hope funny) misogynistc quotes (and the manager i wrote to is a woman). but it's worth a try and since the book

Please let me know if you have some other moves to suggest to me.

Thanks again

IKO

[Geekfreaklover]

80% of the books published by foreign authors in Thailand are self-published. They will be used to that. You will probably be expected to meet them in person in Bangkok and put forward your idea. Dress smart. As I mentioned Asia books will take 50% of the cover price for distribution.

Asia Books recommend a printing company called Amarin who have printed Stephen Leather's popular book private dancer. I recommend them.

Good luck.

[iko]

Asia Books answered this way:

Dear Mr. Riva,

Thank you for your e-mail.

Please allow us some time to review the books content and we will let you know our interest ASAP.

Best regards,

For your experience, how long could be this ASAP?

[Geekfreaklover]

Maybe 5-15 days. Depends who they have reading it and how busy they are.

Unlike many countries Thailand still have some laws on what you can or cannot publish. So they will have to read through to check. In your case there should be nothing to object to. Censorship is mostly based around anything antiestablishment or extreme vulgarity. Your book should be fine.

As for printing etc I can put in touch with a guy who knows the English language Asian book market better than anyone if you want. You can PM me for his email.

Edited November 6, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[chuckygobyebye]

Good luck.

Getting a book printed here is easy and fairly cheap, it's getting distributed that is the real trick. Asia Books is the only distibutor left as they've bought up DistriThai, altough they themselves got cleaned out and bought up a couple of years ago.

The problem is that Asia Books aren't very nice people to do business with. I've heard of cases where they've taken books on consignment and then left them in a warehouse. The problem for most authors is that they're not selling books that are going to move fast. If you got into an Asia Books shop you'll see most of the shelf space is occupied by business books, kids' books, design, cooking, coffee table, etc, etc. If your book is funny or crude it may move but you've got plenty of competition in that department.

However I know lots of authors who've walked around and placed their books in the shops themselves, and gone on to sell up to 30 copies.

[iko]

Good luck.

Getting a book printed here is easy and fairly cheap, it's getting distributed that is the real trick. Asia Books is the only distibutor left as they've bought up DistriThai, altough they themselves got cleaned out and bought up a couple of years ago.

The problem is that Asia Books aren't very nice people to do business with. I've heard of cases where they've taken books on consignment and then left them in a warehouse. The problem for most authors is that they're not selling books that are going to move fast. If you got into an Asia Books shop you'll see most of the shelf space is occupied by business books, kids' books, design, cooking, coffee table, etc, etc. If your book is funny or crude it may move but you've got plenty of competition in that department.

However I know lots of authors who've walked around and placed their books in the shops themselves, and gone on to sell up to 30 copies.

Thanks for the advice. About the "walking around", I did think about it my self (not as the first choice, naturally), but I'm not sure how it works. I thought bookstores buy books only from wholesalers or through 'standard' channels. You think I can show up, give a bookstore let's say 10 copies of the book in a "sell or return' mode, and then see what happens? Is this a 'possible' way of distributing my book? I know this won't sell thousands of copies, but I'd really like to see if the book, when on the shelves, attracts people attention or not.