Most publishers are strong with their distribution journey. However, fewer own direct sales, reader relationships, and data. This checklist will help you understand just how complete your journey really is.
This checklist is designed to give you an overall view of just how much of the book-to-reader journey you truly control. Work through each stage and see where you stand. Tap any stage header to collapse it.
0%You own 0% of the whole journey.
Your publishing profile
We sell both physical and digital books directly on our website
We sell physical books only on our website
We sell digital books only on our website
We do not sell directly on our website
1
Discovery & visibility0 / 4
Your catalog is distributed to all major retail and library channels
Your metadata is optimized and consistently maintained across channels
Your titles are discoverable in academic and institutional library systems
You know exactly how readers are finding your books right now worth checking
2
Distribution & format0 / 3
You distribute EPUB, PDF, and audio formats through a single workflow
Your distribution pipeline is format-agnostic as new formats emerge
You are not relying on a single channel for the majority of your revenue worth checking
3
Direct sales & margin0 / 4
You have a direct-to-consumer channel that does not erode your margins
Readers can buy directly from you without leaving your branded experience
You are capturing the full retail value of your titles, not just a wholesale cut worth checking
Your direct sales integrate cleanly with your distribution infrastructure
4
Reader relationship0 / 3
You have a direct communication channel with your readers
You know who your readers are, not just how many copies sold worth checking
You can reach readers with new titles, offers, or series updates
5
Data & ownership0 / 3
Your sales and readership data lives somewhere you control
You can act on that data, not just report on it worth checking
You are not dependent on third-party platforms for insight into your own audience
Now that you can see the gaps, let's talk about filling them.
Send your results to Etienne Breault, Senior Director of Sales & Marketing at De Marque, and book a conversation to work through what is possible together.
Open your email client with the results pre-filled, or copy them to paste into Gmail or wherever you work. Email them to etienne@demarque.com
What we built together
Cantook Publishers × Supadu
The gaps in that checklist are exactly what this partnership closes. Cantook Publishers' distribution infrastructure and Supadu's direct-to-consumer platform, connected so publishers can own the whole journey, for both physical and digital books, including ebooks and audiobooks.
Full distribution
Every channel, one workflow for both print and digital
Direct sales
Your store, your brand, your margin
Reader data
Know your audience, own the relationship
Actionable insight
Data you can actually use
Etienne Breault
Senior Director, Sales & Marketing · De Marque
If you found gaps in that checklist and want to think through what is possible, Etienne would love that conversation. No agenda, no deck. Just a real talk about where you want to go.
