IndieCommerce is for any independently-owned ABA-member bookstore that wants to have a presence on the Internet, and to become part of the IndieCommerce national network of indies online.
Who is IndieCommerce for?
Does ABA membership automatically make me an IndieCommerce store?
No. Only independently-owned ABA member stores are eligible for participation in IndieCommerce—but there is no obligation for members to use IndieCommerce. You must sign-up for it separately, and a monthly fee applies.
Can I use my own domain name?
Yes. The store is responsible for purchasing its own domain name. The recommended URL is yourbookstore.com, or as close to that as possible. There is a fee associated with this process. Domains can be purchased from any number of online retailers, such as GoDaddy or Register.com.
When purchasing your domain name, do not use a private registration service, such as Domains by Proxy. These services are not compatible with IndieCommerce's secure checkout measures.
Does IndieCommerce help with my website design and layout?
At present, there are more than 45 Drupal design templates (known as “themes”) to choose from. The templates are the starting point for the creation of your site. These themes are fully customizable in color, layout, and other options, and the ABA Technology staff can help with design questions.
If I use a template, how will I know my site won't look a lot like another store's?
Your site will have its own unique look, because you will choose its layout and colors, feature the store’s unique logo, create the content such as staff recommendations and events, and decide which titles to feature.
You may opt to install any alternate theme to change the look and feel of your store’s site, as long as it is compatible with Drupal 6, such as those found at Drupal.org or Theme Garden. The vast majority of these are available at no cost. Another option is to work with a web developer to create a custom theme, and ABA will gladly host it for your store only.
What is the expected the gross profit on each sale?
For sales of most print books, expect to see a 30%-40% profit. The percentage of profit varies depending upon whether the book is fulfilled by the wholesaler or your store, as well as whether your store has its own account with Authorize.net (the payment gateway that processes online credit card purchases) or uses ABA's. A typical Ingram-fulfilled order might earn a 30% profit, while a store-fulfilled order for a title which is in stock might earn closer to 40% or even 50%.
Can we discount or mark up titles?
Yes. Each individual store has the ability to discount or mark up titles based on Ingram discount categories. Stores are also able to price individual titles by ISBN.
How will fulfillment be handled?
You store will receive orders through its IndieCommerce website admin section, which should be checked at least once a day. By default, all orders will be filled by wholesalers—except in certain cases, such as when the wholesalers are out of stock for that particular title, or when a customer has requested to pick up books in-store. Keep in mind that, due to the many choices that customers have at checkout, stores may find that only about 10% of orders are filled automatically through the wholesaler. The rest of the orders are handled directly by the individual stores.
A complete list of reason why an order will, or will not be fulfilled by Ingram, click here.
How will customer service work?
You and your staff will be responsible for answering questions from online shoppers regarding purchasing from and using the website. ABA has dedicated customer service to help with technical needs, as well as to help you answer any questions your customers might ask. This customer service center is staffed from 8 AM to 6 PM Eastern time Monday through Friday. Questions may always be emailed to ABA at staff@bookweb.org. In addition, active IndieCommerce users may report a problem, view tutorials, and use the Forums to discuss issues with other IndieCommerce users. The IndieCommerce.com user section offers support, including support for e-books to help you and your staff answer customer questions.
How does payment work?
When a purchase is made via a credit card, all monies go into a holding account. Twice monthly, ABA arranges for each bookstore, IndieCommerce, the wholesaler, and the credit card processing company to be paid from this account, via wire transfer to their respective banks. Additionally, bookstores will receive a report showing how much money is payable to their state tax authority. A signed ACH form must be completed and on file with ABA for all active IndieCommerce users.
What about e-books?
Google e-Books can currently be sold through all member stores’ websites, though stores can opt out of fulfillment. The customer can access their Google eBook purchases anywhere and read them on a large variety of devices including the Nook, iPad, Droid, as well as many other supported devices (Google eBooks are not supported on Kindle).
Google eBooks are instantaneously added to the user's account, and they can begin to read their eBook immediately after purchase.
In addition to increased availblilty of ebooks, what other improvements have been made recently to IndieCommerce?
The ABA Board recently approved a substantial investment in IndieCommerce. ABA recently implemented the following improvements:
- Improved search
- Consumer filtering of search
- Consolidated product pages (related editions on each product page)
- Improved checkout process
The ABA Technology staff is always working on new developments and improvements to IndieCommerce based on user feedback and suggestions.
How does the IndieBound.org affiliate program affect our site?
The IndieBound Affiliate Program makes it possible for users of the affiliate's website to be directed to your IndieCommerce website. When a user who has been referred to your website makes a purchase, you must pay the affiliate a percentage of the sale (calculated from the selling price of the book before tax and shipping, and not exceeding 10%). However, ABA IndieCommerce will actually pay each Affiliate Fee, and then bill your store's accumulated fees monthly. You can find materials to promote the Affiliate Program to your local authors here.
What is the IndieCommerce privacy policy?
It is a requirement that the following text appear on each IndieCommerce site:
Privacy Statement
We are a member of the IndieCommerce family of websites. The IndieCommerce family of sites is deeply committed to protecting your privacy and your First Amendment rights, and this commitment extends to the personal information you provide when you use one of our sites.
The personal information you submit to any IndieCommerce site will not be shared, sold, or disclosed to third parties in any form, for any purposes, at any time unless we first have your consent. This information includes, but is not limited to, your email address. All of our mailings conform to an opt-in policy, which means you have to elect to receive information from us. You will never receive unsolicited e-mail from any IndieCommerce site.
How secure are the IndieCommerce sites?
The following is the IndieCommerce security statement:
To protect the security of the information you give us when you order online, the IndieCommerce family of sites uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology. SSL encrypts your information so that no one other than IndieCommerce sites will be able to decode it. SSL establishes a secure connection between your computer and our computers, and that connection remains secure until you complete or cancel an order.
How will you know if your connection is secure? Simply check the lower left or right corner of your browser window after you access the server. If you see a closed lock or an unbroken key (depending on what browser you are using), SSL is working.
What does participation in IndieCommerce cost?
The monthly cost is $175, and that includes hosting, the title database (including Google eBooks and e-books offered by Ingram), the search engine, the shopping cart, Ingram fulfillment on qualifying orders, search-engine optimized URLs, Google book preview, tech support, and many other unique features. There may also be a 4.5% administration fee for credit card processing on non-eBook purchases. Contact your Membership Relationship Manager for details.
How will my payments to IndieCommerce work?
The $175 per month is charged to each bookstore's bank account, via ACH wire transfer. The 4.5% of credit card sales made via IndieCommerce is deducted directly from each credit card sale processed. Signing an ACH agreement is required as part of participating in IndieCommerce.
When can we sign up to participate in IndieCommerce? When can we start setting up our online store?
If you're an independently-owned ABA Member, you can sign up right now! Get started now by completing the forms below.
IndieCommerce Letter of Agreement & ACH Authorization for Direct Payments
When complete, please email, fax, or mail signed agreements to the attention of:
By mail:
ABA / IndieCommerce
200 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Attn: Scott Nafz
By email (scanned):
scott@bookweb.org
By fax:
(914) 591-2720, attn: Scott Nafz
As soon as we receive the signed agreements, you will be contacted by the IndieCommerce support team and begin building your IndieCommerce website.
Who should I contact if I have further questions?
Contact your ABA Member Relationship Manager with any questions about IndieCommerce, ABA or this site. Member Relationship Managers serve specific regions, so find yours in the list below:
Kaitlin Pitcher serves bookstores in the following regions:
- New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association
- New England Independent Booksellers Association
- Northern California Independent Booksellers Association
- Southern California Independent Booksellers Association
Kaitlin can be reached at kaitlin@bookweb.org, or at 800-637-0037, ext. 6666.
Nathan Halter serves bookstores in the following regions:
- Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association
- Midwest Booksellers Association
- Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association
- Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
- Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance
Nathan can be reached at nathan@bookweb.org, or at 800-637-0037, ext. 6614.
For IndieCommerce Technical Support please contact staff@bookweb.org, or one of our customer service representatives directly.
Scott Nafz can be reached at scott@bookweb.org, or at 800-637-0037, ext. 6654.
Valerie Federici can be reached at valerie@bookweb.org, or at 800-637-0037, ext. 6643.
