Distribution

I recently published my first book on Amazon and Kindle. Sales are trickleing in, which is fine; much as expected as I am going straight for the public and not pressuring friends and family to purchase. I published to Createspace and also printed a run myself using a comercial print service. After a quick Google search, I find that a number of distributors are listing my book for sale, presumably as Createspace partners. Problem is, I was planing to distribute myself as I can produce the book a lot cheaper than Createspace are offering. Now I am in a quandry; it's such early days, I don't want to discourage these distributors by undercutting their price and feel it would be unethical to approach them with a better deal than Createspace are offering them, but my better price would presumably result in better sales.
I could go on but I think the above probably covers the main dillema. Any advice? Has anyone else found themselves in this possition?
Quick update: Waterstones are now listing my book and the price they are listing is the Nielson one, ie my price, not the createspace one. Is this just a normal routine thing or a reason to crack a small smile?

Look at the Amazon.com Marketplace - multiple vendors have the same books for sale that are for sale at a fixed price by Amazon. Apparently Amazon doesn't care. I am selling my own book using Amazon marketplace..

I am somewhat confused, my book is listed on Waterstones and B&N. B&N are listing the Createspace pressing only at the createspace price, which is fine and dandy. Waterstones are listing my pressing at the price I gave Nielson when I registered my ISBN numbers. I have had no contact with Waterstones or Gardeners so have not negotiated a distribution arrangement with either. I had no plans to profit from a single sale of my first book, seeing it as a way to get a foot in the door and hopefully promote book 2 and 3 of the trilogy but am a little worried that as Waterstones are marketing the book at £5.99 freepost and from what I have read about their distribution deals, expect 60% discount from publishers, even at my 1000 copy run print price I am down by .40 per copy.
Even that, I will consider if it means a foot is placed between the door and it's frame but it's an odd state of affairs that the book is listed at a set price before any negotiations have taken place.
I don't want to lose the listing on these two major outlets so would appreciate any advice by anyone who recognises what is going on here.

Okay, I found your book on B & N and copied and pasted the ISBN onto Waterstones site and pulled up the same book: ISBN 9780957628502

The price on B & N is $10.99. The price on Waterstones is £5.99.

The publisher isn't listed on B & N.

The publisher listed on Waterstones is Rhino Trikes.

Using bookfinder4u search engine, you can see the stores stocking the book with the ISBN 9780957628502:

http://www.bookfinder4u.com/IsbnSearch.aspx?isbn=9780957628502&mode=direct

Thanks Shelagh, as always, you are a font of information.
I have spoken to Nielsen who tell me I can change the RRP anytime I wish so I can go ahead and try for a distribution deal with Gardeners. B&N are only listing the Createspace option so that is no issue for me.
I still find it odd that Waterstones are actually offering a buy now option at the RRP without first organising an arrangement but I am pleased to see it listed at all so I'm not going to argue. Be nice if all the interest turned to sales but early days I know and the chances of striking gold with your first attempt are less than buying a lottery ticket and expecting a win.

All my books are listed with Gardners. Unfortunately Waterstones will not order books through them. Last year, I republished my husband's book, An Introduction to Mechanics of Human Movement. When I registered the book with Gardners, I received this email reply:

"As long as your title is registered with Nielsen we will be able to order it for our customers. We can see that it is listed on Nielsen but the record has Gardners set up as your distributor. This is incorrect so you’ll need to get this changed to yourself please. If you list Gardners as your distributor any orders will go into a black hole as we can’t order from ourselves!

With Regards
Buyers New Publishers
Gardners Books Ltd"

I contacted Nielsen and made the necessary correction.

To test out whether it would be possible or not to order through the university book store (Waterstones), I asked my husband to place an order for just one book. They said it would not be a problem and took the order. We heard nothing, so I asked my husband to check it out at the book store. They apologised and said that they would not be able to get the book for him, and he would have to order the book through Amazon.

The university book store (Waterstones) closed earlier this year, so all books will have to be ordered through the city centre bookshop or, if they are self-published/small press published, ordered on line.

What an odd state of affairs! I will try clicking the buy now button on Waterstones. By rights, it should generate an email response from Nielsen to the publisher (me) to complete the order.

You can buy from Waterstones online. I wanted to order the book through a book store.

That's my next move. As soon as book 2 is ready, phase; 'beg the shops to stock copies of book 1' begins.

I've just been contacted by IPR License. Just another company wanting £99 of my hard earned or a valuable and worthwhile institute? Hmmmm I have a gut feeling. Opinions from those in the know?

Don't pay!

So - POD companies...
Is there such as thing as a POD company that will print 'per copy sold' as they're ordered through B&N or Amazon?
I've been browsing the websites of the different publishing companies and so far everything I've read speaks to the purchasing of small quantities at a time as opposed to copies as they're ordered by readers.
Does that mean if you use a POD company you - the author - are responsible for sending each book out yourself after ordering them as a quantity?

Check this out: http://lulu.com

and: http://createspace.com