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Bulk Books — Save & Smile with Every Order

Bulk book orders are our specialty and our experienced team of Book Specialists will do whatever it takes to bring a smile to your face with every order, live chat, email, and phone call. Our customers say it best and will quickly tell you that buying books from Bulk Bookstore stretched their budgets — just check out these success stories  and reviews from thousands of our happy wholesale book buyers  from organizations of all types and sizes including Private Businesses & Public Corporations , Educational Institutions , Libraries , Non-Profit Organizations , Religious Groups & Organizations  and Government .

Unlike traditional booksellers, as a book wholesaler, we do have an order minimum, as follows: 25 copies per book title, $100 total minimum order.

We provide free ground shipping nationwide in the continental US only. We welcome Canadian and other international customers to have their books shipped to a US address and arrange their own forwarding.

On this website you will find an extensive selection of currently published trade books in a wide variety of formats including paperback  and hardcover books , board books  and others. With more than 3 million titles available, if you can’t find the book you need by searching our site, one of our Book Specialists will be happy to provide you a quote quickly via email. All books sold by Bulk Bookstore are brand new and are shipped in their original cartons. At this time, we sell only published physical books and do not sell eBooks, audio books, CDs, pdf downloads or textbooks. We also do not sell returned, used, remainder or overstock books.

We are here to help you every step of the way! Our book-loving team in Portland, Oregon have worked, for more than a decade, to create a friendly, customer-focused, book buying experience. We want your every interaction with our website, our team, and delivery to be a positive one. That’s why we make it easy for you to get the answers you need by searching our FAQs  or to live chat with a helpful human, weekdays from 5:30 AM -5:00 PM PST.

Our prices are based on the quantity you purchase for each book title, so the more copies you buy, the less you’ll pay. Our standard discount tiers are based on quantities of the same title: 25 copies; 100 copies; 250 copies; 500 copies; and 1,000+ copies. Our loyal customers can expect to be surprised and delighted with additional savings and coupon codes… so make sure to subscribe to our newsletter  so that you always have access to our latest offers and specials in your Inbox. Our Facebook page is another great place to check for exclusive promotions, contests, frequent book giveaways as well as opportunities to outfit yourself with our popular swag and other goodies.

Whether you are an educator or school administrator ordering books for an elementary school, middle school or high school; or a non-profit organization purchasing books for a literacy program; or a public library preparing for a summer reading event you will find millions of unique titles from hundreds of publishers. For businesses, we offer the lowest prices on every popular title for employee training and education, like Strengthsfinder 2.0 as well as every bestselling business title from The New York Times Bestseller list . Educators will discover a tremendous selection of classic books , classroom novels , Dr. Seuss books , award winning books , as well as popular children’s titles like Oh the Places You'll Go, Wonder or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; activity books, picture books, dictionaries, Spanish children's books, bilingual books, No Fear Shakespeare series and so much more. Religious organizations will find the lowest prices for bibles , Catholic and Christian books.

We promise to provide you with helpful service, guaranteed lowest prices and free shipping on every wholesale book order. Do you have a large list of book titles that you’d like to purchase? Just email your list to one of our friendly, experienced Book Specialists and you will quickly receive a quote. We never limit the quantity you can buy, so if you need 25, 250, 2500 copies or more of a single book title or have a long list of titles, we are here for you. Our Price Match Guarantee  ensures that when you purchase books in bulk quantities, you will always receive the lowest possible price.

Bulk Bookstore offers a variety of payment methods, both online and offline, to make purchasing easier including: credit cards, school p-cards, PayPal or Purchase Orders. Credit terms are available for educational institutions, businesses, and government agencies (upon approval) with check payments and wire transfers also accepted. We have no membership fees, and all bulk book orders receive free shipping in the continental USA.

You will find that we are so much more than just bulk book sellers. We believe in supporting our community and our planet, which is why Bulk Bookstore donates thousands of dollars in free books to schools and non-profit organizations every year. When you buy books from Bulk Bookstore, we also donate a portion of our proceeds to help plant trees across America through our ongoing partnership with American Forests.

Bulk books are our specialty and our experienced team of bulk book sales specialists will do whatever it takes to bring a smile to your face with every order, live chat, email, and phone call. Our customers say it best and will quickly tell you where to buy books in bulk to stretch your budget (and it’s NOT Amazon or Barnes & Noble) — just check out these success stories and reviews from thousands of our happy wholesale book buyers from organizations of all types and sizes including Private Businesses & Public Corporations , Educational Institutions , Teachers , Libraries , Non-Profit Organizations , Religious Groups & Organizations and Government .

Unlike traditional booksellers, as a bulk book wholesaler, we do have an order minimum, as follows:

• 25 copies per book title
• $100 total minimum order

On this website you will find an extensive selection of currently published trade books in a wide variety of formats including bulk paperback and hardcover books , bulk board books and others. With more than 3 million book titles available, if you can’t find the book you need by searching our site, one of our Book Specialists will be happy to provide you a quote quickly via email. All books sold by Bulk Bookstore are brand new and are shipped in their original cartons. At this time, we sell only published physical books in bulk and do not sell eBooks, audio books, CDs, pdf downloads or textbooks. We also do not sell returned, used, remainder or overstock books.

Our book-loving team in Portland, Oregon have worked, for more than a decade, to create a friendly, customer-focused, bulk book buying experience. We want every interaction with our website, our team, and your shipment and delivery to be a positive one. That’s why we make it easy for you to get the answers you need by searching our Bulk Book Purchasing FAQs or contacting a helpful human weekdays from 6:00 -5:00 PST on live chat. We are here to help you every step of the way.

Our prices are based on the quantity you purchase for each book title, so the more copies you buy, the less you will pay. Our standard bulk discount tiers are based on quantities of the same title: 25 copies; 100 copies; 250 copies; 500 copies; and 1,000+ copies. Our loyal customers can expect to be surprised and delighted with additional savings and coupon codes… so make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so that you always have access to our latest offers and specials in your Inbox. Our Facebook page is another great place to check for exclusive promotions, contests, frequent book giveaways as well as opportunities to outfit yourself with our popular Bulk Bookstore swag and other goodies.

Whether you are an educator or school administrator ordering books in bulk for an elementary school , middle school or high school ; or a non-profit organization purchasing books for a literacy program ; or a public library preparing for a summer reading event you will find millions of unique titles from hundreds of publishers at Bulk Bookstore. For businesses, we offer the lowest prices on every popular title for employee training and education, like Strengthsfinder 2.0 in bulk as well as every bestselling business title from The New York Times Bestseller list . Educators will discover a tremendous selection of classic books in bulk , classroom novels in bulk , bulk Dr. Seuss books , award winning books , as well as popular children’s titles like Oh the Places You'll Go , Wonder or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ; activity books in bulk , bulk picture books , dictionaries in bulk , bulk spanish children's books , bilingual books , No Fear Shakespeare series in bulk and so much more. Religious organizations will find the lowest prices for bulk bibles , catholic books in bulk , and Christian books in bulk .

We promise to provide you with helpful service, guaranteed lowest prices and free shipping on every bulk book order. Do you have a large list of book titles that you’d like to purchase? Just email your list to one of our friendly, experienced Book Specialists and you will quickly receive a quote. We never limit the quantity you can buy, so if you need 25, 250, 2500 copies or more of a single book title or have a long list of titles, we are here for you. Our Price Match Guarantee ensures that when you purchase books in bulk you will always receive the lowest possible prices.

Bulk Bookstore offers a variety of payment methods, both online and offline, to make purchasing easier. On our site, you can checkout using a major credit card, school p-card, PayPal or by uploading a copy of your organization’s Purchase Order. Credit terms are available for educational institutions, businesses, and government agencies (upon approval) with check payments and wire transfers also accepted. Our bulk book order minimum is only $100, we have no membership fees, and all bulk book orders receive free shipping in the continental USA.

You will find that we are so much more than just bulk book sellers. We believe in supporting our community and our planet, which is why Bulk Bookstore donates thousands of dollars in free books to schools and non-profit organizations every year. When you buy books in bulk from Bulk Bookstore, we also donate a portion of our proceeds to help plant trees across America through our ongoing partnership with American Forests.

While our core business is selling bulk books, developing loyal customer relationships is what makes us most proud. More than 35,000 preK-12 schools, businesses, non-profit and government organizations compliment us on the ease of our bulk book purchasing and timely delivery. To us, Save, Smile and Repeat is not just a tagline, it’s truly what we want you to experience and feel with each and every bulk book order. Give us a try, we can’t wait to make you SMILE!

Living in Portland, Oregon it rains often, so it doesn't take much to make us smile. On many days, all we need is a fresh cup coffee and a good book and the world is looking a little brighter instantly.

At Bulk Bookstore, our goals are simple...for you to Save, Smile and Repeat when buying books in bulk. And we will do whatever it takes to bring a smile to your face with every order, email, and phone call.

If this is your first experience buying books in bulk or if you've bought before from a book retailer, we guarantee you that you've arrived at the best possible place. Selling books in bulk is our only business and we pride ourselves on this expertise. Our discounted pricing, efficient ordering and timely delivery of 25 copies or more of any currently published book sets us apart. Our catalog includes more than 3 million currently published book titles with new books added every day.

Book Design Made Simple

You can do it yourself.

Book distribution 101

November 8, 2020 By Glenna Collett 1 Comment

Before we even start the discussion, we want to emphasize that you should plan for distribution well before your book goes to press. This goes for both printed books and ebooks. Marketing is very important, and you need to work out a preliminary scheme before you print (or, ideally, before you even write) your book.

Keep in mind that bookstore managers and librarians place their orders through only one or two major book distribution centers. These folks are busy and generally do not have the time or inclination to order directly from you no matter how great your book might be. And so this is why book distributors exist.

There are several models of book distribution. We’ll tackle them in order of current popularity, addressing printed books before ebooks. Use this little table of contents to jump to any topic you wish:

• What book distribution is and why you need it
• IngramSpark (LightningSource) and Ingram
• Other online publishing services

How to find a full service book distributor

Warehouse book distribution, ebook distribution, your bottom line, what book distribution is and why you (probably) need it.

What is it? Distribution is how you get your books from your printer to your retailer, or directly to your reader. Here are the most common routes for getting printed books to readers:

Ingram is the largest warehouse and wholesaler to stores. Baker & Taylor is the largest wholesaler to libraries.

Not every single publisher needs a warehouse and wholesaler for every single book; it depends on the audience you’re trying to reach.

Online book distribution schemes

Book “distribution” through amazon.com.

Amazon KDP is the most popular system for getting a book into the hands of readers these days. If you use their services, they will print each copy of the book when it’s ordered and send it out right away. It’s the most efficient method for many publishers, but it only goes so far—because not everyone wants to buy books online. And libraries and bookstores are completely left out of the picture.

Of course, if you’ve printed your book elsewhere, you can still use Amazon to sell your book by simply sending them copies as needed. Or you can have Amazon print on demand for their customers while you print and sell other copies some other way. You might want to review our our article about how this works .

Book distribution through IngramSpark (LightningSource) and Ingram

You’ll notice in the chart that Ingram Spark sends books to Ingram . Hmmmm, what’s up with that? Ingram is the largest book warehouse and book wholesaler in the US, and every bookstore orders almost exclusively from them. They run both IngramSpark and LightningSource. So if you print on demand with IngramSpark, you skip the warehouse. Or if you print in bulk through IngramSpark, your books will sit in Ingram’s warehouse, waiting to be ordered by bookstores, libraries, or even Amazon.

The other wholesaler that keeps appearing in the illustrations on the right is Baker & Taylor, which is the largest wholesaler to libraries. They order from Ingram or whatever other book distributor or warehouse is holding your book, and sell to libraries.

Book “distribution” through other online publishing services

You can see from the illustration that they sell a few books directly to readers through their own websites. But, honestly, as an example, have you ever even browsed the lulu.com bookstore page?

One caution here. Before you choose an online publishing service, find out what you’ll have to pay to get copies of your own book. If you’re required to purchase them at full retail price, how could you possibly make a profit at a bookstore event or through your website? Please check this out before you decide.

Full service book distribution

• Store your previously printed book in their warehouse
• Send printed books to Amazon, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, individual bookstores, libraries, and universities
• Convert books to ebooks
• Upload your ebook to online vendors
• Include your book in their annual catalog and their online listing
• Offer group advertising rates in popular library magazines such as Publishers Weekly and Library Journal
• Offer free advice and instruction for your individual marketing efforts
• Keep track of your orders and inventory
• Receive book returns
• Print books in small batches to replenish your supply (some do this, others do not)
• Bill customers
• Send you a monthly statement and pay you.

For all of these services, they do take a small slice of each sale.

The online companies discussed above also do many of these things. For instance, all of the POD printers display your book on their sites and send you regular payments.

So why opt for full service book distribution? Convenience and scale. For Book Design Made Simple , we use IPG , a full service distributor, and for the most part we’re happy to let them take a tiny bit of each sale just so that we never have to think about any of it ourselves. They know what they’re doing and they do it well. And we already have our hands full with our ongoing marketing efforts.

Some distributors do not accept single-book or small publishers at all. Others specialize in certain topics or certain markets. To begin your search, you might want to check out this 2020 list from Wikipedia . The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) also has a useful list .

In order to have your book accepted by a full service book distribution company, you must plan ahead.

First, there’s the application process, which takes place more than 6 months before your official publication date. You’ll need to show them your book cover, send at least a section of your book, and reveal your printing plans plus your marketing scheme and budget.

Once you’re accepted, you’ll sign a contract. Most contracts establish exclusive rights to distribute your book, with the exception of sales through your website or from personal appearances. Please read the fine print.

Thanks to Amazon.com, the number of book distributors has been shrinking. In our case, our original distributor (Partners Publishing Group) went under without warning but sold the books to another (Midpoint Sales). Then Midpoint merged with yet a third distributor (Independent Publishers Group). (Ironically, IPG had rejected Book Design Made Simple when we first approached them.) We’ve published only one book, which was fine with our original distributor, and luckily for us, the subsequent ones have kept us on despite our tiny size. Through all these changes we’ve never had any problems.

Some of you publishers don’t need full service book distribution. Perhaps you have an established audience (for a specialized annual anthology, for instance) but no time to send out orders yourself. Or maybe you want to save money by printing large quantities (lower cost per book than POD), and then using a warehouse to ship cartons or individual copies to Amazon or Ingram (lower cost than doing it yourself).

For publishers like this, a book warehouse is really all you need. The warehouse most likely will alert you when the supply is running low, and some might even print books on demand to tide you over for a while.

Using a simple warehouse saves the costs of a sales force and advertising. Some warehouses set up an Amazon account for clients, and others let you do that for yourself. Most wholesalers are less fussy about the books they’ll accept, which makes the application process a lot easier. Once again, IBPA has a useful list to help you find a reputable book warehouse.

As far as distribution goes, ebooks are easier to deal with.

You probably already know that there are three basic ebook file formats: EPUB (for all reflowable ebook readers and devices), MOBI (for fixed-layout Kindles, such as comics) and PDFs.

If you decide to sell your ebook on Amazon, watch for the choice called KDP Select. It’s an exclusivity agreement that does not allow you to sell your ebook through any other vendors for at least 90 days. The KDP Select program does give you certain advantages, so consider it. You can learn more about weighing your ebook marketing options in this Reedsy blog post .

You probably also know that you need digital rights management (DRM) in order to prevent copying, printing, and sharing your ebook content. Luckily for you, DRM will be provided by your ebook vendors, no matter what company or file format you use. If you don’t want this type of encryption, that’s fine, too. Here’s a good article about why you might want to forgo DRM.

With ebooks, a distributor is sometimes called an aggregator . Publisher-vendors such as BookBaby and Smashwords will act as aggregators and distribute your ebook to lots of other retailers for a fee. Once again, this is when you should carefully read the Distribution section of any online publisher-vendor’s website.

If you’ve decided to go with full service book distribution, you’ll probably find that they will act as your ebook aggregator.

Ebook vendors are not nearly as fussy as full-service book distributors and will take almost any book that doesn’t contain illegal or pornographic material. You can simply send your file to them for inclusion on their site, but do read the fine print before you hand them exclusive rights to anything.

Of course you’re thinking about your profit as a publisher. We cannot tell you which model to use for your circumstances, but when you’re making your decision, keep these factors in mind:

• The amount of money you would receive from your distributor or online retailer for each book. In some cases that amount is just pennies, so be sure to price your book well by juggling costs with readers’ price expectations. This is a very complex calculation, one that all publishers contend with.
• How difficult it would be to do without any kind of distribution. You could perhaps sell only at personal appearances or through your own website. Consider physical book storage (print-on-demand wouldn’t work, so you’d need to print in bulk), shipping costs, time, and the need to monitor your site constantly and not stray far from your book cache.
• Protecting your ebook content with encryption.

Balancing all your requirements, figuring your potential profit, and finding a practical solution for your book and your publishing company is a complex task, but certainly a vital one. You can try a couple of different approaches at first, but don’t get stuck in a timed agreement or sign away any of your ownership rights. Once you find the best book distribution method for you, stick with it.

We wish you the best of success in distributing your book in the best possible way for you .

Read more: How to price your book » Juggle all the factors to find the best one for your book. And more: Our book sales, three years in » Avoid some of our mistakes and learn from our successes. And still more: POD book publishing » How to get the best of both worlds.

Book Design Made Simple. You can do it yourself.

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Books are vessels that carry our shared knowledge, stories, and discoveries.

We craft these vessels from idea to the page, to your reader., we are experts in bringing books to life..

Lakeside Book Company takes pride in providing comprehensive book printing, binding, and distribution solutions to publishers of all sizes.

With a legacy spanning 160 years, customers trust us to produce the highest quality books for readers around the world., leveraging our deep knowledge of book manufacturing, we efficiently handle every aspect of the production process to ensure timely delivery of books to market..

Our Passion. Our People.

We love books., our committed team, from our skilled crafts people to our support staff functions, are passionate about the craft of bookmaking., crafting quality books is paramount because the beautiful books we make impact the world and create cherished memories., markets we serve, publishers across diverse industries and market segments need the efficiency of a single powerful partner – lakeside book company. we offer full-scale book printing and expansive distribution solutions that are unparalleled in the industry., trade & consumer, government & healthcare, industrial catalogs​, college & higher education​, k-12 education​, our solutions, whether you require a small print run or over a million copies, our scale, diverse manufacturing capabilities, and centrally located facilities in the us and canada can accommodate it all..

Large capability offset printing

Lakeside Book Company employs the latest technology for the highest quality offset printing, ideal for large print quantities at lower per-unit costs.

Robust digital printing

Harnessing the power of cutting-edge inkjet and toner technology that deliver optimum solutions, our digital production platform supports both 1 and 4-color titles, making it the best option for automatic inventory replenishment.

Children’s picture books​

We specialize in creating memorable, heavily-illustrated children’s books and specialty commercial products to showcase your books competitively in the marketplace.

Choose a binding style that’s as timeless as the message in your book. With options ranging from traditional Smyth Sewing to PUR adhesive and an array of mechanical binding techniques, your book will hold up to being read over and over.

Custom component manufacturing​

Through our subsidiary, Phoenix Color, Lakeside Book offers industry-leading decorated components, specialty covers and jackets to set your books apart. Seamlessly integrate customized and highly colored artwork for your book covers, while keeping costs down.

Book warehousing, fulfillment and logistics​

Our support extends beyond printing to include warehousing, kitting and assembly, fulfillment, and freight solutions. Utilizing our strategically located facilities and network helps facilitate significant savings on freight.

Books always in stock on Amazon​

Lakeside Book Merchant offers direct-to-consumer order fulfillment via Amazon Seller Central. We manage the entire process, ensuring your books never run out of stock on Amazon. You can enjoy higher profits without lifting a finger.

Large Capability Offset Printing

Robust Digital Printing

Children's Picture Books

Custom Component Manufacturing

Book Warehousing, Fulfillment And Logistics

Books Always In Stock On Amazon

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Retail Book Ordering Services

Access to a huge inventory is great, but what makes it even better is how simple Ingram makes it to get the content from our warehouses onto your shelves.

Ingram’s Online Ordering Platform: ipage®

By using Ingram’s easy-to-use online search, order, and account management platform, you’re able to free up time to do more of what you love – selling books.

Search extensively by publisher, language, category, and more

Order quickly and easily with ipage’s one-click option

Real-time stock check for each warehouse

Access all available formats for a particular title on one page

View invoices, track shipments, and make payments

Browse and shop Ingram’s trade catalogs

View estimated times of arrival for backorder titles

POS Integration

Integration with most major POS vendors allows Ingram to offer you more ways to order. There are some unique ordering options available when using POS systems.

Real-time POS inventory management

Access to more content

Ship directly to your customers*

License plate receiving; visibility to carton details and tracking numbers* ‍ *Participation varies by POS vendor

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Through a team of dedicated EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) specialists, Ingram communicates with all major automation systems to ensure efficient order placement and acknowledgment. Ingram also supports both basic and enriched ordering via EDI.

Create Your Ingram Account Today

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Turning Inventory into Profit

As a bookseller, your inventory is your lifeblood. In the average bookstore, it also represents the majority of your total financial investment!

Retail Products

Shelves stocked and ready. More than 17 million titles ready to ship when you need them.

Data Services

Enhanced metadata and other services ensure you’re always front-and-center for your customers.

Covenant Books is an international Christian owned and operated book publisher based in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina. Our staff includes graphic artists, typeset specialists, publicity agents, staff editors, chief editors, distribution coordinators, wholesale marketers, web designers, social media managers, and customer service specialists. We distribute books to over 30,000 traditional secular channels as well as specialty Christian outlets.

Featured Books

New Releases

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Author Testimonials

Every step of the process with Covenant Books has been easy. Kris, my publication assistant, has been extremely helpful and is always kind.

As a brand-new author and being unfamiliar with the world of publishing, I did not know what to expect. But, throughout the process, the crew at Covenant Books partnered with me from the early stages of acceptance, contract wording, editing, design and publishing. I never felt alone. Communication channels remained open the whole time and the team immediately responded to my many inquiries. I would recommend this publishing team, as they were outstanding.

As a first-time author, I made a few mistakes along the way. My representative, Kris, very graciously walked me through the process. I am very pleased with the final product and would recommend Covenant Books to other writers, whether they are seasoned authors, or just starting out like me.

I just received my completed book from Covenant Books publishing, and I could not be more pleased with the results. I have worked with several other publishers on previous projects and nothing compares to the ease, professionalism and customer service of Covenant Books. Their supportive staff handled everything for me including cover design and the layout for the 150 photos in my book. My experience with Covenant was thoroughly enjoyable and I am already looking forward to working with them on my next project!

I would like to thank Covenant Books and their professional team of experts who helped me write, review, edit, design and print my book for publication and distribution. I really enjoyed working with my Publication Assistant, Ashley. She was wonderful, professional, genuine and courteous. She explained and guided me through every phase of the publication process. I am really pleased with the finished product, awesome work, and a well-crafted master piece! They far exceeded my expectations.

Recently, I had a book published through Covenant Books. I must say, they have an excellent system and a wonderful team. It was a pleasure to work with this company; I could not say enough for the creative team they have that developed my cover and my video trailer--it all makes me want to publish my next book with them.

Working with Covenant has been wonderful! From the very first phone call with Joe, I felt like I was working with folks I'd known forever! They make you feel at ease and answer all your questions with no worries. Denice has been more than patient and professional with each of my "new author" panic moments. Editing and designing my cover was also very easy...they seem to live by the motto "it's your book, we are just here to help you make it the best it can possibly be to bring you the most success!" I hope to work with them again once my next book is completed, and ready for publishing.

As a first time author I was absolutely blown away how easy and seamless the publishing process was. With the help of their awesome staff guiding me along the way, from the layout to cover design, ever detail was perfectly and professionally done, including the very smallest of details, with my vision in mind. Covenant Books turned my dream into reality and I look forward in working with them on future works.

My experience working with Covenant Books has been wonderful. The people are very easy to work with and they made the process of publishing a book so much easier than I thought it would be. I appreciate their assistance and expertise so much along the way. They have done everything they promised they would. I love how my book turned out. I would highly recommend them to other authors.

Are you searching for an honest, trustworthy publisher? Do you expect their staff to treat clients with kindness, respect, and understanding? If so, you will discover it all and much more at Covenant Books. In short, Covenant exceeded my expectations throughout the year, from beginning to end--such a remarkable achievement for a company, especially in this day and age.

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American Book Company (ABC) is proud to a part of the Book Depot family.

ABC was founded in 1997 as a wholesale Bargain Book distributor with a steady and robust supply, forged by strong partnerships with the world’s top publishers. We have prided ourselves on pioneering exceptional value-added services for our clients and hiring the most talented group of successful women & men assembled in the industry to innovate, serve & achieve new standards. All of this led to our offering of third-party logistics services for retailers within and outside of the publishing industry.

In December 2021, ABC was acquired by Book Depot out of Thorold, Ontario, Canada. As friendly business partners for many years, combining our efforts allowed us to integrate our talented staffs and set out to accomplish more, together. Book Depot is continuing to focus on its Direct-to-Consumer and Wholesale excellence, while ABC continues its Retail Distribution and has set out to become North America’s largest Book Returns processing center.

Our Corporate office is in Knoxville, TN, and our Distribution Center of over 900,000 sq. ft. is in Jefferson City, TN (pictured above).

Packaging, Display, & Design

If you have concerns or needs about how to merchandise your Bargain Books, we have solutions. One of our greatest strengths is the ability to help design promotional programs based on our industry knowledge and help you execute them. We have a host of corrugated displays ranging from PDQ’s to Floor Stands, to Full Pallet Treasure Bins. For these displays, we offer graphics options such as value statements and seasonal designs.

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Costco will no longer offer books for sale year-round and will instead stock them only for the holiday shopping period and during special promotions, according to a report — a surprise move that poses yet another threat to the publishing industry.

Several publishing executives who were informed of the retailer’s plans told The New York Times that Costco will cease offering books for sale on a consistent basis starting in January.

The decision was met with criticism on Reddit , where users vented that the decision was akin to “ cancelling the hot dog in the food court” — a reference to Costco’s beloved $1.50 hot dog-and-soda bundle deal that remains a hit with customers.

The executives said that Costco was looking to cut back on labor costs associated with stocking books, which is often done by hand.

Unlike books, many of Costco’s other products are rolled out on a pallet.

Costco staffers also have to devote considerable manpower to put new books on display every week when they are released for sale while returning old books that went unsold.

The Post has sought comment from Costco.

The decision is a blow to the publishing industry given that Costco buys books in bulk — ordering tens of thousands of copies of a book at a minimum — and offers them for sale to shoppers who may not otherwise seek them out.

“Costco across the country was a big outlet for books,” Robert Gottlieb, a literary agent who heads Trident Media Group, told the Times.

“There are now fewer and fewer places to buy books in a retail environment.”

Last week, Costco reported robust earnings in its most recent quarter as cash-strapped consumers flocked to its warehouses to grab low-priced discretionary items and groceries.

Costco’s total revenue was $58.52 billion for the quarter ended May 12, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $58.07 billion, according to LSEG data.

The company also posted a profit of $3.78 per share, above estimates of $3.70.

The book industry is facing economic headwinds as younger people migrate to online sources.

Last year, more than 767 million books were sold in the US — a slight drop of 2.6% compared to the 787 million books that were sold in 2022.

Despite the drop, the 767 million figure is well above pre-pandemic levels.

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, book sales surged in the US, according to data compiled by Statista.

In 2019, more than 697 million books were sold nationwide.

The next year, the number leaped to 756.82 million.

In 2021, while the country was at the height of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, books sales hit a record of 837.66 million.

In 2022, the federal government blocked a proposed deal that would have seen Penguin Random House acquire Simon & Schuster.

The publishing industry has been beset by increasing consolidation as larger houses such as Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Hachette and Simon & Schuster have bought up small and midsize publishing firms.

The book publishing industry in the US generates more than $28 billion annually.

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‘It’s part of our culture’: Portlanders brave weather, long lines for Powell’s Books Warehouse Sale

When Andrew Schafer arrived at the Powell’s Books warehouse in Northwest Portland early Saturday morning, he saw a small line of people near the front door.

“I was wondering, ‘Why are employees lining up to get in?,’” he said. “And then I realized, ‘Oh, those are customers.’”

Schafer, the chief marketing officer for Powell’s, then saw the line grow and grow until it was nearly two miles long.

Customers purchase books at the Powell's Books Warehouse on June 2, 2024. Many had to wait hours just to make it inside.

Joni Land / OPB

It was all for the Powell’s Books Warehouse Sale, where for two days bibliophiles could sift through more than 30,000 surplus books at heavily discounted prices. Hardcovers could be purchased for $3, while paperbacks were $2.

And people traveled from all over the country to take advantage. Employees said some came from Seattle, Idaho and even Florida.

Saturday saw the largest crowds, with lines winding for miles. Even with rain showers on Sunday, hundreds still waited outside, drenched in anticipation for an opportunity to explore the warehouse.

Related: Portland booksellers at Powell’s City of Books are experts on your favorite genre

Amy Gervais waited for an hour-and-a-half to get inside and said she felt overwhelmed amid the sea of people looking through books. Still, she left with two tote bags full of materials.

Asked why she thought lines were so long, Gervais said Portlanders are passionate about books and especially Powell’s, which claims to be the largest independent new and used book store in the country.

“I think we have a love affair with Powell’s,” Gervais said. “It’s part of our culture.”

Powell’s Books was originally founded in 1971 by father-son duo Walter and Michael Powell. On Sunday, Michael could be seen preparing shopping bags for customers with his daughter Emily, the company’s current president and owner.

Both had expected a large turnout for the sale, but not on such a massive scale.

“Yesterday was mind-boggling,” Michael Powell said on Sunday. “It’s been rough since the pandemic, but just seeing this kind of turnout really energizes you to do more.”

Dan Kolenberg (center) looks amid shelves of surplus books at the Powell's Books Warehouse Sale. He was one of thousands to visit the warehouse for during the sale.

Emily Powell said she doesn’t yet know when the company will hold another warehouse sale — the current backlog had taken five years to accumulate — but that similar sales will be held in the future.

Some customers came out with one or two books, while others filled wagons and backpacks with as many materials as they could carry home. Shafer estimated that customers bought about half of all the books in the warehouse by Saturday afternoon.

One of those customers was Elizabeth Steffen, who exited the warehouse with two large bags and a gigantic backpack full of DVDs that were on sale.

After waiting in line for three hours on Saturday to no avail, she had arrived the next day at the crack of dawn with an awning and chairs to beat the lines and be one of the first people inside. Despite all the waiting, she said the experience was well worth it.

“This is a moment I’m going to be bragging about to all my friends and family.”

Crowds of people sift through books during the Powell's Books Warehouse Sale in Portland.

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How a Self-Published Book Broke ‘All the Rules’ and Became a Best Seller

Keila Shaheen’s “The Shadow Work Journal” shows how radically book sales and marketing have been changed by TikTok.

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By Alexandra Alter

Last summer, a book changed Kohn Glay’s life.

A TikTok ad had steered him to “The Shadow Work Journal,” a slim workbook that directs readers to explore hidden parts of their unconscious — their shadow selves, in the book’s vernacular. He ordered a copy, and soon was back on TikTok, fervently recommending it to his followers.

“If you’re on your spiritual journey, you absolutely need to go and get you one of these,” he says in the video , urging viewers to buy the book in the TikTok store.

The video went viral, eventually drawing more than 58 million views. Glay, who is 43 and lives in Baltimore, began holding online classes to guide people through the journal. Over the next few months, people who watched his videos bought more than 40,000 copies of the book on TikTok, and Glay earned more than $150,000 in commissions. By December, he had quit his job as a sales representative for Home Depot and now runs his own business, “Happy Healin,” which offers subscribers spiritual mentorship and coaching through Zoom sessions.

Glay is part of the army of TikTok influencers who helped turn “The Shadow Work Journal” into a mega best seller. He’s so closely associated with the book that people often assume he wrote it. “It became a daily thing to tell people I’m not the author,” he said.

@girldadsos For those on a spiritual Journey #theshadowworkjournal #shadowwork #spiritualhealing #spiritualawakening #healingjourney #healingtiktok #healing #spiritualtiktok #spirituality #emotionalhealing ♬ original sound - GIRL_DAD

The real creator of “The Shadow Work Journal” is Keila Shaheen, a 25-year-old writer from Texas with a background in marketing who self-published the book in 2021, and has since been crowned “the self-help queen of TikTok .”

After the journal blew up on TikTok, Shaheen went on to sell more than a million copies. Most of those — nearly 700,000 copies — were sold through the TikTok shop, and were marketed relentlessly by passionate influencers like Glay, who earn a 15 percent commission on each sale from Zenfulnote, Shaheen’s company.

Shaheen’s unusual path to bestsellerdom shows how radically book marketing and sales have been changed by TikTok. Over the past few years, publishers have frantically rushed to harness the power of the platform as viral videos and reviews by influencers have propelled sales for blockbuster authors like Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry and Sarah J. Maas.

But Shaheen is perhaps the first self-published nonfiction author to break out in a big way on the platform, a feat she accomplished by fully harnessing its potential not just for marketing, but for direct sales.

Her stunning trajectory has left many authors and publishers wondering whether that formula can be replicated, and how publishers can navigate the new online retail ecosystem — a fast moving, algorithm-driven marketplace that threatens to cut them out entirely.

“To think that she achieved a million copies sold in the United States alone, without a publisher, without any international expansion, without brick and mortar support, it breaks all the rules of what makes a best seller,” said Albert Lee, a literary agent with United Talent Agency, which represents Shaheen.

Others wonder just how much bigger Shaheen’s self-help empire can get. Earlier this year, Shaheen signed a five-book deal with Simon & Schuster, after months of being courted by big publishing houses.

Simon & Schuster won her over with an unusual arrangement: a seven-figure advance, plus a 50-50 profit share. Publishers typically give authors an advance and then a 15 percent cut of royalties if they earn back the advance. The deal included a new, expanded edition of “The Shadow Work Journal,” which was released in late April, with a first printing of 100,000 copies, plus two new books by Shaheen.

“We really wanted to show Keila that we had a long-term vision,” said Michelle Herrera Mulligan, the vice president and associate publisher of Primero Sueño Press/Atria, the Simon & Schuster imprint that signed Shaheen. “There is still a huge untapped audience for this book.”

In person, Shaheen comes across as soft-spoken and reserved, not as a hyper-driven entrepreneur or a charismatic wellness guru.

During an interview in late April at a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, Shaheen seemed slightly stunned by the flood of attention, and money, that her book has generated. The next day, she appeared on “Good Morning America” to promote the new edition of “The Shadow Work Journal,” then had meetings at her publisher and literary agent’s offices.

Shaheen, who has suffered from acute social anxiety in the past, was surprised by how calm she felt, she said.

“I’m a huge introvert, so that was a testament to how much I’ve grown,” she said.

Shaheen first encountered the idea of shadow work in 2021, when she was feeling anxious and adrift in the wake of the pandemic. After graduating from Texas A&M in 2020 with a degree in business and psychology, she found work in online retail and marketing — including a stint as a creative strategist for TikTok. Coming out of the isolation of Covid, Shaheen felt disconnected, and found working in a corporate environment overwhelming.

One day, while searching online for therapeutic journaling prompts, she came across references to the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung’s idea of the shadow self, which holds that parts of our unconscious can mask hidden fears and desires. She learned about a practice called shadow work, a somewhat fringe field that draws on Jung’s ideas to guide people as they interrogate their shadow selves, with the goal of accepting parts of themselves that make them feel guilty, ashamed or afraid.

Shaheen started posting videos on Instagram and TikTok about shadow work exercises she was trying, and began getting messages from viewers asking for a printed guide. So in the fall of 2021, she self-published the journal, and began selling copies for $19.99.

The first edition — which didn’t even have Shaheen’s name on the cover — was a slim paperback that guided readers through shadow work with interactive exercises, including Mad Lib-style fill-in-the-blanks (“As a child, I was told not to ___, this made me very ___”), inner child affirmations (“I am protected”) and journaling prompts (“What is your biggest fear in life?”).

Sales were slow at first. Then, in late 2022, TikTok expanded into online retail. The platform started selling products directly through the app, and created an affiliate program, which allowed influencers to post videos about products in the store and earn a commission. Once Shaheen started selling the journal through TikTok, requests came pouring in from influencers who wanted free copies in exchange for video promotion.

TikTok was soon flooded with emotional videos of users filling out the journal’s pages; some gushed that the journal is cheaper than therapy .

The journal also drew some skepticism. Some on social media attacked shadow work as anti-Christian and even demonic. Others said it failed to live up to the hype, or complained that their feeds seemed to be wallpapered with ads for the journal.

Still others questioned Shaheen’s credentials as a mental health guide. Shaheen — who is described in her author bio as “a certified sound healer and behavioral therapy practitioner” — completed an online training course in cognitive-behavioral therapy, but is not a licensed therapist.

Some experts in Jungian psychology worry that “The Shadow Work Journal” oversimplifies Jung’s ideas.

“My concern about it is that the shadow is really complex,” said Connie Zweig, a retired psychotherapist who has published several books on shadow work. “It can be risky to go exploring in the dark without guidance, without expertise.”

Shaheen said that she always intended the journal to be an introduction to shadow work, not a comprehensive guide.

“The journal is meant to be a bridge,” she said. “I wouldn’t say that it’s created to replace therapy.”

By September, the book hit No. 1 on Amazon. In October, Shaheen met with two agents from United Talent Agency, Rebecca Gradinger and Albert Lee. The agency could help her build an international audience and get her book in physical stores, they told her.

Shaheen signed with them about a week before the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest fair for international rights in publishing, and the agency then sold translation rights to “The Shadow Work Journal” in 27 countries, Lee said.

Shaheen was still reluctant to hand over U.S. rights to “The Shadow Work Journal.” She was already a best seller, and “the initial offers weren’t compelling,” she said. Her agents agreed that a typical publishing deal might not benefit her.

“Keila’s at the vanguard of unlocking this entirely new market and ecosystem,” Lee said. “It became very obvious that in traditional publishing, we were all well behind what Keila was doing.”

Shaheen was swayed by Primero Sueño’s profit-splitting offer, which came with a plan to publish and market Spanish-language editions. Shaheen, whose father is from Puerto Rico and whose mother is from Brazil, saw the potential to expand her reach among Spanish speakers.

It’s still unclear whether “The Shadow Work Journal” will catch on with a wider demographic, or if it owes its popularity to a viral trend that has waned. So far, the new edition has sold nearly 18,000 copies, according to Circana Bookscan — a healthy amount, but hardly a hit.

Herrera Mulligan, Primero Sueño’s publisher, said “The Shadow Work Journal” is just the beginning: “We really want her to be the new empress of self-help.”

Primero Sueño is now aiming to saturate the self-help market with Shaheen’s books, and has set an aggressive publishing schedule, releasing two more of Shaheen’s self-published titles this year — one in July, another in October. The titles, along with her poetry collection, are big on TikTok and have sold around 100,000 copies collectively on the platform.

She is also working on two new books: one about the origins and applications of shadow work and another titled “The Light Work Journal,” which prompts readers to reflect on and enhance their strengths.

And Shaheen, no longer held back by social anxiety, seems ready to embrace the spotlight. Unlike the first edition of “The Shadow Work Journal,” the new edition features her name in large font — under a banner that says “more than 1 million copies sold.”

Alexandra Alter writes about books, publishing and the literary world for The Times. More about Alexandra Alter

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Russia’s attack on Kharkiv printing house puts publishing industry at risk

T he aftermath of Russia’s May 23 attack on Kharkiv’s Faktor Druk printing house shocked Ukrainians: mountains of charred Ukrainian books covered its blackened floor. The strike had destroyed over a quarter of the company’s warehouse.

The 4,000 square meter building is owned by the Faktor group of companies, which includes publishing house Vivat — Ukraine’s third largest printing house.

The country’s literary mecca, Kharkiv , prints 80% of all books published in Ukraine. In recent weeks the city has come under constant attack as Russia opened a new offensive just dozens of kilometers north of the city on May 10.

The strike destroyed over 50,000 books and printing equipment. It also killed seven employees and injured 22. The Faktor group’s total damages from the attack are nearly 5 million euros ($5.4 million), Vivat Publishing House CEO Yulia Orlova told the Kyiv Independent.

Among the destroyed titles were world bestsellers by Elissa Sussman and Maggie O’Farrell, as well as Ukrainian books by Natalia Kornienko and Valeriy Puzik.

Interest in Ukrainian-language books has flourished since Russia invaded Ukraine, as Ukrainians seek to distance themselves from Russian culture and more people switch to speaking, and reading, in Ukrainian. Several new bookstores have opened across the country since February 2022.

A ban on the import of Russian-language books to Ukraine and a law stipulating that foreign language publications, including those in Russian, must be translated into Ukrainian has also given the publishing industry a boost.

The publishing industry has nonetheless suffered from the war and the destruction of Faktor-Druk, accounting for 30% of Ukraine’s printing market, will only worsen the situation, according to publishing houses.

“(The attack) will limit our development as a publishing house. Important books will not be published. New bookstores will not open,” Orlova said.

Faktor-Druk produces books for 30 Ukrainian publishing houses and accounts for a third of books in Ukraine, the company’s CEO Tatyana Grinyuk told the Kyiv Independent.

Operating since 1996, the facility employs over 400 people and churned out 450 million books, newspapers, and magazines every year before the full-scale invasion. On the eve of the full-scale invasion, 20% of the printing house's output was foreign orders for around 200 publishing houses.

While the company says it plans to reopen in the future and has launched a fundraiser , the impact of the strike will significantly delay an already protracted printing process, publishing house Urbino told the Kyiv Independent.

Urbino, which translates foreign publications into Ukrainian, notes that the war has doubled the printing time for books. Moreover, the damage to Faktor-Druk will burden Ukraine’s other printing houses, primarily Kharkiv Unisoft and Globus, Urbino noted.

Ukraїner, a publishing house focussing on Ukrainian culture and history, told the Kyiv Independent that it will have to postpone publishing its books and it will likely cost more as the market has shrunk. Moreover, the remaining Kharkiv printing houses will have to manage increased risks, resulting in higher prices.

“We can’t print books abroad,” Ukraїner founder Bohdan Lohvynenko said. “Taxes and logistics (would) make this book too expensive for the Ukrainian market.”

Relocating printing facilities to Western regions is also out of the picture, Faktor-Druk plant owner Serhiy Polituchy told Radio Free Europe/Liberty. The process would be costly and finding specialists in western Ukraine would also be a challenge if employees refuse to relocate, he added.

Faktor-Druk was not the first printing house to come under attack. Just three days before, a missile destroyed the Hurov&K printing facility during another attack on Kharkiv, head of the Ranok publishing house Viktor Kruglov wrote on Facebook.

Several other printing houses and publishers in Kharkiv have come under attack throughout the duration of the war, according to Ukrainian cultural media Chytomo.

“There is no guarantee that another company will not be the next target of the cynical Russians,” Urbino said.

In addition to books, newspapers, and school diaries, Faktor-Druk printed over 40% of Ukraine’s textbooks, according to Grinyuk. She noted that the consequence of the attack will affect Ukraine’s education, which she says is a deliberate act by Russia.

Grinyuk and Orlova claim the attack was also an attempt to eradicate Ukrainian culture and damage the nation. U.S. historian Timothy Snyder, who has written extensively on Ukraine, labeled it “an example of a larger genocidal policy” in a post on X.

Wider issues such as workforce deficit, power outages, and issues with paper supply, are also causing hurdles for Ukraine’s publishing industry, Vivat told the Kyiv Independent.

In the first months of the war, 39% of Ukrainian publishers were unable to operate , according to the Ukrainian Book Institute. However, the situation improved after the frontlines retreated in the east and south and publishers were able to operate in relative safety.

The number of printed titles skyrocketed from 9,691 in 2022 to 15,187 in 2023, according to the Ukrainian Book Chamber. And book circulation skyrocketed from 11.7 million in 2022 to 24.7 million in 2023.

Following news of the attack, Ukrainians flooded Vivat’s eight bookstores and website amid a call for support.

Last year, Vivat opened four stores in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Ivano Frankivsk, bolstered by Ukraine’s book boom. The company plans to open another in Chernivtsi next month.

According to Orlova, war-weary citizens need a distraction from the everyday horrors but the strike will harm Ukrainian citizens looking for respite.

“In the end, the reader will suffer. They will not receive interesting and useful books,” she said.

Read also: Russian missile strike reduces Kharkiv printing press to ashes, killing 7 (Photos)