There is a lot to consider in starting a bookshop – location, name, website, shelving, marketing, staffing, e-commerce platform, curation of stock, branding…
Becoming a member of Booksellers Aotearoa NZ (Booksellers) can help you run your bookselling business more effectively online and in-store, keep your finger on the pulse of the book industry, represent your interests to the book trade and wider retail community and connect you with your peers. Find out more about membership here.
Distributors
Ordering books for your shops will mean setting up accounts with various different distributors and publishers. A few New Zealand publishers supply books directly to retailers, but others supply through larger distributors. The best place to find contacts and ordering information for publishers is at the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) website; their members directory is here: https://publishers.org.nz/members/
Offshore distributors
Many bookshops source the bulk of their stock from the ‘big three’ offshore distributors:
- ADS – Alliance Distribution services – distribution for the Hachette Book Group and more – www.hachette.co.nz/booksellers
- HEDS – Harper Entertainment Distribution Services – distribution for HarperCollins Publishers and more – www.harpercollins.co.nz/contact-us
- PRHD – Penguin Random House Distribution – distribution for Penguin Random House and more – www.prhdistribution.com.au
Through the links above you can find customer service email addresses to get in touch and ask about opening an account. These three distributors provide services to many other publishers so often you will place orders directly with the distributor.
Local distributors
Bookshops also source local books from a few smaller distributors:
- Upstart Distribution – www.upstartdist.nz
- Nationwide Book Distributors – www.nationwidebooks.co.nz
- Expensive Hobby Distribution – www.expensivehobby.org
Once you have some accounts set up you will be able to browse publishers’ websites for more titles you might wish to order and you may be assigned a publisher’s rep to assist you in your book-buying adventure!
Book data
Nielsen BookData and TitlePage are two essential resources: these are databases of book publication records that give you information including pricing and distribution.
Nielsen BookData
Nielsen is an international system and will show you multiple editions of books published around the world, including NZ editions. It is a paid-for resource, but you can get a free trial to see how it works.
TitlePage
TitlePage is a similar resource run by the Australian Publishers Association. It is free to use and because distribution rights are often the same in Australia and New Zealand, many NZ booksellers use it as a good way to look up books and even check stock levels with suppliers: https://www.titlepage.com/
At our annual conference in winter we have a Trade & Exhibition Day, which is a great opportunity to talk to many publishers and suppliers about your business and place some orders. It’s also a great opportunity to meet with other booksellers and share ideas.
Through membership with Booksellers Aotearoa NZ you’ll receive lots of helpful information like this. Click here to apply.
Resources:
Reinventing retail: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores, Ryan L. Raffaelli
The cultural Role and Value of England’s Independent Bookshops
5 Things you should know before opening a bookstore
Seven Habits of Successful Bookstore Owners / Entrepreneurs
Recommended Reading:
Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone
Diary of a Bookseller, Shaun Bythell