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Private preview

Order straight from publishers

Send purchase orders to publishers over Pubnet from the same place you build them. book by book tracks confirmations, shipments, and invoices, and updates your Square inventory when you receive the books.

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A Penguin Random House order the publisher confirmed and shipped, with one title backordered and a button to receive the shipment into Square

Ordering shouldn't take all afternoon

Ordering direct often gets you better discounts, but each publisher has a different site, email, and invoice. book by book handles all of it, from building the order to receiving the books into Square.

Ordering direct today

  • Log in to each publisher's site or email your rep
  • Retype the order you already built
  • Watch your inbox for confirmations and backorders
  • Check the invoice against what you ordered
  • Enter the shipment into Square by hand

With direct ordering

  • Build one order the way you already do
  • Place it once and each publisher gets its own purchase order
  • See confirmations, backorders, and price changes on the order
  • Ship notices and invoices attach themselves
  • Receive the boxes into Square in a few clicks

How direct ordering works

Connect your Pubnet mailbox once. After that, every order follows the same four steps.

  1. 1 Build your order.
    Scan books, search, paste ISBNs, or create an order from the Restock Planner, just like any other book by book order.
  2. 2 Place it.
    book by book splits the order by publisher and sends each one its own purchase order. Books from publishers that aren't set up yet stay in the draft so you can order them the usual way.
  3. 3 Follow along.
    Publisher confirmations, ship notices, and invoices come back to the order automatically, with a timeline of what happened and email updates.
  4. 4 Receive into Square.
    When the boxes arrive, receive the shipment and your Square inventory and costs update. Receive what arrived now and the backordered copies when they come.

Publishers you can order from

Direct ordering works with US publishers and distributors that accept Pubnet orders.

  • Penguin Random House
  • HarperCollins
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Macmillan
  • Hachette Book Group
  • Scholastic
  • Ingram Publisher Services
  • Independent Publishers Group
  • Chronicle Books
  • W. W. Norton
  • Sourcebooks

Plus other publishers and distributors on Pubnet, including university presses, Christian publishers, and specialty distributors.

What direct ordering handles

One order, many publishers

Place a single order and book by book sends a separate purchase order to each publisher.

Readable confirmations

See which titles shipped, which are backordered, and which were canceled, right on the order.

Cost changes flagged

When a publisher's confirmation or invoice shows a different cost than you expected, the order shows the change before you receive.

Receiving from the ship notice

When the publisher sends shipping details, receive exactly what's in the box. If the publisher ships a different edition, book by book flags it so it isn't received into the wrong Square item.

Publisher setup, drafted for you

Each publisher has to link your SAN (Standard Address Number) before it accepts electronic orders. book by book lists your publishers and drafts the email to each one.

Costs and COGS in Square

Costs from the confirmation or invoice carry through to receiving, so your Square cost of goods stays accurate.

Questions about direct ordering

How do I get access to direct ordering?

Direct ordering is in private preview. Email support@bookbybook.app with your store name and we'll turn it on for your account and help you through setup. If you're not a book by book customer yet, start a free trial first.

What do I need to get started?

A Pubnet mailbox (your Pubnet welcome email has the mailbox ID and password), your store's SAN, and your account numbers with the publishers you order from. Setup in book by book takes a few minutes. Each publisher then links your SAN on its own schedule.

What is Pubnet?

Pubnet is the electronic ordering network many US publishers and distributors use to receive purchase orders from bookstores. book by book connects to your Pubnet mailbox, sends your orders, and reads the replies.

Which publishers can I order from?

Any US publisher or distributor that accepts Pubnet orders. That includes the Big Five, Ingram Publisher Services, IPG, Chronicle, Norton, Sourcebooks, many university presses, and Christian publishers. Each publisher has to link your SAN to your account before it accepts orders, and book by book helps you ask.

Does it work in Canada?

Not yet. Direct ordering currently supports US publishers on Pubnet.

Can I still order some books the old way?

Yes. Only publishers you've marked ready get direct orders. Everything else stays in your draft, so you can order those books however you do today.

Get your afternoons back.

Direct ordering is in private preview. Tell us about your store and we'll help you set it up.

Request Access

New to book by book? See how it works with Square.