How much trade discount on direct sales?

[Moonraker]

I and another author have been offered the opportunity to have a small number of our books about the Great War on display at a commercial organisation for a couple of weeks on a sale or return basis. I assumed that 33% trade discount would be reasonable, but my colleague is willing to offer only 23%, which is what his other direct outlets get. I've pointed out to him that single copies of his book are available on line at 34% off the cover price plus free p & p. (We've discussed before the unbelievably low prices asked by some dealers for new books.) He's a far better salesman than I, but I'm the one who's in contact with the organisation, which has said that it wants to deal direct with us, rather than our publishers.

 

What do you think?

 

Moonraker

Edited 17 March , 2017 by Moonraker

[crackingbloke]

What a very interesting post. My wife and I published our book, only a very short run of 500 with Lottery funding. Quite frankly if it wasn't for that it would never have happened. At an asking price of £10 we make 17p each copy. But as you suggest retailers quite rightly need to make a buck. We have been letting them have the book at £7. Sales have been quite good and we need to hang on to some as examples should we look for funding for another project, but unless you are doing this for your own pleasure I can't see anyone making much from it.

Guy

PS we can be checked out by following the link below.

http://wall-heath-and-kingswinford-war-memorials-group.org

[Moonraker]

As it happens, the outlet to which I refer in post one has indicated that it's happy to take my books with 30% trade discount and my colleague's at 23%.

 

The eventual sales will be interesting - it's always difficult to gauge potential take-up. I seriously over-estimated likely sales at a centenary event back in 2014 and have still got a couple of boxes of each title.

 

Moonraker