The Merchant’s Keep is the creation of those behind Skullvines Press, S.D. Hintz and Jerrod Balzer. There has always been a need for support in the small press community, and with today’s market, this need is stronger than ever. The store is their response to this.
For the publishers:
Most popular stores out there buy your products for as much as 50-55% off retail price. With the high cost of printing for small presses, this leaves very little for your business to survive on. The best answer to this is getting more direct sales, straight from your business site. With the ever-growing number of presses sprouting up, however, that take people’s money and then fold, customers are understandably worried about buying direct.
The Merchant’s Keep offers a venue to sell your products at only 35% off retail, and we won’t have anything for sale unless it’s in hand and we’ve looked it over to ensure quality. We are consignment-based (hey, so is Amazon) and we pay on a monthly basis, much more frequent than the quarterly payments other stores make, or the 9 or 10 month wait of popular distributors.
We also make a place on our site to show off your press, and we secure a place for you in the “Business Boards” section of our forum.
For the customers:
Know that while we can’t read every book to see how well it’s written, we do inspect for defects upon receiving each item, and store them in a dry, smoke-free environment until shipped. We also won’t take on any publisher that is known for poor quality products or unprofessional treatment of their authors.
Know that when you’re buying books through us, you’re offering more support for the press than with bigger stores who take higher cuts from each purchase. In some cases, you’re offering the author more support due to improved royalties. They’ll also receive their money faster, and everyone likes getting paid.
All purchases are shipped promptly and there is always a clear line of communication if you have any questions. You are welcome to contact us at any time.
Returns:
If you get a damaged product, you can return it within 15 business days of receiving it.
Due to their nature, digital purchases (ebooks) are non-refundable.
Forum:
We hope to be able to create a fun community for readers of all ages, and all genres. Participation in our forum helps strengthen this, along with bringing the publishers closer to the readers. There are also great places for publishers, writers, and artists to talk shop.
