Re: Formal Request for Ingram Audit and Corrective Action Regarding Systematic Sales/Royalty Reporting Issues (SITE 123 / They Heinous)

Dear Ms. Monroe and Gotham Books Team,

I am writing to you in a disappointed and frankly frustrated capacity, but with every intention of remaining professional and constructive. This letter serves as a formal request that Gotham Books initiate direct, documented contact with Ingram (as Gotham’s distributor and the origin point of your retailer reporting) to determine why sales activity for my titles appears to be systematically underreported or inconsistently reported. I am requesting a specific investigation, a written explanation of findings, and a corrective plan (or a documented confirmation that no correction is possible, with the supporting rationale).

To be clear: I understand the position you stated in your February 23, 2026 email—that sales reports are generated through Ingram, that Ingram consolidates sales data from online retailers (including Amazon), and that there may be occasional reporting delays depending on the retailer’s processing timelines. I am not disputing that Ingram is the pipeline. I am disputing the practical outcome of that pipeline as it relates to my author reporting and the reliability of the sales/royalty accounting I am receiving.

I am a small independent author. I do not have a traditional publishing house behind me. I do not have an agent. I do not have an accounting department. I do not have access to retailer-side reporting that would allow me to reconcile purchase activity against what appears in the statements I receive. Like many authors in my position, I must trust the integrity of the reporting system because I have no other realistic option. When that system does not appear to reflect known purchase activity, the author is left “swimming in the sea and drowning without proper representation”—and that is where I am now.

This is not simply a question of money. Proper reporting is a foundational business requirement for brand-building, planning, and professional credibility. I am actively seeking to adapt my novels and grow my brand. That work requires accurate, consistent sales information so that I can (a) assess which titles and formats are moving, (b) validate market response, (c) document performance to potential partners, and (d) make informed decisions about marketing, inventory, events, and outreach. Without credible reporting, it becomes impossible to substantiate traction or to identify problems early. In short, it undermines the viability of the entire enterprise—particularly for an author without representation.

What has compelled this letter is that the reporting concerns are not isolated to a single transaction or explainable by a short delay. I have had multiple book signings and events where friends, family, and total strangers have purchased copies. I cannot identify every buyer. I cannot contact every attendee. I cannot reasonably reconstruct complete sales from third parties after the fact—nor should I have to. In a functioning distribution/reporting system, those purchases should flow into Ingram data and ultimately into the statements I receive. Instead, what I am experiencing looks and feels like systematic reporting issues: incomplete capture, inconsistency across time, and gaps that are not reconcilable from an author’s vantage point.

To support an audit request, I am providing concrete purchase information for known transactions that should be traceable. These purchases were made on Amazon.com (a retailer you have cited as reporting through Ingram) and should therefore appear in the consolidated reporting stream.

Known purchase examples (Amazon.com):
1. THEY HEINOUS (Softcover)
o Date of purchase: September 6, 2025
o Quantity: 2 copies
o Purchaser: James Summers (me)

2. SITE 123 (Softcover)
o Date of purchase: September 6, 2025
o Quantity: 2 copies
o Purchaser: James Summers (me)

3. SITE 123 (Softcover)
o Date of purchase: September 26, 2024
o Quantity: 2 copies
o Purchaser: James Summers (me)

In addition to the above, there have been repeated purchases by friends/family and members of the public connected to my book signings and promotional efforts. I am not asserting that every single purchase should be immediately visible at the time of purchase, nor am I denying the existence of retailer processing timelines. I am asserting that, over time, these transactions and event-driven purchase activity should aggregate into reporting that is materially consistent with real-world sales activity. The current reporting pattern appears to fall short of that standard.

Accordingly, I am requesting Gotham take the following actions:

1. Initiate a formal Ingram audit request (not a general explanation)
Please contact Ingram directly and open a trace/audit inquiry specifically tied to my titles and reporting stream. I am asking Gotham to do this because Gotham is the publisher-of-record interfacing with the distributor that generates your reports. I do not have the publisher-level access or relationship to request this type of investigation with the same authority or effectiveness.

2. Trace and reconcile the known Amazon purchases listed above
Please request that Ingram verify whether those transactions appear in their data (including any identifiers available to Ingram such as ISBN/format, order channel, retailer code, ship date vs. order date, and reporting period). If Ingram indicates these are not captured (or are captured differently), I need a detailed explanation of why and how that occurs.

3. Provide written findings and a corrective plan
I am requesting a written response that includes:
o Whether Ingram confirms the transactions are present in their system, and if so, where they appear (reporting period and any relevant line-item references Gotham can provide).
o If transactions do not appear, whether the issue is attributable to retailer reporting structures, listing configuration, distribution metadata, title setup, returns/chargebacks, or another systemic cause.
o Whether the issue impacts only Amazon reporting or other retailers as well.
o The corrective actions Gotham and/or Ingram can take to improve reliability going forward (or, if no correction is possible, a clear explanation of why not).

4. Clarify what “reporting delays” means in practical terms
In your February 23 email, you referenced “occasional reporting delays.” I am requesting that Gotham (through Ingram) define this in operational terms:
o Typical delay windows for Amazon.com sales to appear in Ingram reporting;
o Circumstances that cause longer delays or non-reporting;
o Whether certain order types (author copies, event sales through certain channels, marketplace sellers, etc.) are excluded or handled differently.

5. Confirm whether there are any listing/distribution configuration issues affecting reporting
If there is any mismatch in ISBNs, formats, retailer feeds, or title metadata that can cause sales to be misattributed, undercounted, or excluded, I need that identified and corrected. If Gotham is able to provide the ISBNs/format identifiers in scope for these titles and confirm they match what is being sold on Amazon.com, that would materially assist in ensuring the investigation is accurate and complete.

Let me emphasize the reality of this situation from the author side: I cannot “prove” every sale that should exist in the system because many are made by people I do not know, at events I host, or as a result of promotional efforts that generate dispersed purchases. That is precisely why independent authors must rely on distributor reporting. When the reporting appears to fail, the author is left with no meaningful recourse unless the publisher intervenes at the distributor level. And without accurate reporting, it becomes impossible to manage growth, plan marketing, evaluate performance, or credibly represent one’s traction to potential adaptation partners. I am pleading for help—not theatrics, not vague reassurance, but direct action.

For the avoidance of doubt, this letter is not an accusation of intentional wrongdoing by Gotham. It is a demand for due diligence, transparency, and a remedy—because the practical consequence of inaccurate reporting is that I am being asked to operate a business blindfolded.

Please confirm in writing that Gotham will contact Ingram to open this investigation, and provide the name/title of the person who will own the follow-up on Gotham’s side. If Gotham believes there is a different procedure I must follow, then I request that Gotham provide that procedure in writing along with the reason Gotham is declining to initiate the Ingram inquiry.

I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to a substantive written response.

Sincerely,

James H. Summers
Author
DarkFictionAuth@gmail.com
502-381-9537
www.peggylanders.com

Re: Formal Request for Ingram Audit and Corrective Action Regarding Systematic Sales/Royalty Reporting Issues (Bereft Reality / Picking Murphys / First Responder)

Dear Xlibris Author Support Team,

I am writing to you in a disappointed and frankly frustrated capacity, but with every intention of remaining professional and constructive. This letter serves as a formal request that Xlibris initiate direct, documented contact with Ingram (as your distributor and the origin point of your retailer reporting) to determine why sales activity for my titles appears to be systematically underreported or inconsistently reported. I am requesting a specific investigation, a written explanation of findings, and a corrective plan (or a documented confirmation that no correction is possible, with the supporting rationale).

To be clear: I understand the position previously communicated—that sales reports are generated through Ingram, that Ingram consolidates sales data from online retailers (including Amazon), and that certain author-discount purchases may be non-royalty bearing. I am not disputing that Ingram is the reporting pipeline. I am disputing the practical outcome of that pipeline as it relates to my author reporting and the reliability of the sales/royalty accounting I am receiving.

I am a small independent author. I do not have a traditional publishing house behind me. I do not have an agent. I do not have an accounting department. I do not have access to retailer-side reporting that would allow me to reconcile purchase activity against what appears in the statements I receive. Like many authors in my position, I must trust the integrity of the reporting system because I have no other realistic option. When that system does not appear to reflect known purchase activity, the author is left swimming in the sea without representation—and that is where I find myself now.

This is not simply a question of money. Proper reporting is a foundational business requirement for brand-building, planning, and professional credibility. I am actively seeking to adapt my novels and grow my brand. That work requires accurate, consistent sales information so that I can (a) assess which titles and formats are moving, (b) validate market response, (c) document performance to potential partners, and (d) make informed decisions about marketing, inventory, events, and outreach. Without credible reporting, it becomes impossible to substantiate traction or to identify problems early. In short, it undermines the viability of the entire enterprise—particularly for an author without representation.

What has compelled this letter is that the reporting concerns are not isolated to a single transaction or explainable by a short delay. I have had multiple book signings and events where friends, family, and total strangers have purchased copies. I cannot identify every buyer. I cannot contact every attendee. I cannot reasonably reconstruct complete sales from third parties after the fact—nor should I have to. In a functioning distribution/reporting system, those purchases should flow into Ingram data and ultimately into the statements I receive. Instead, what I am experiencing looks and feels like systematic reporting issues: incomplete capture, inconsistency across time, and gaps that are not reconcilable from an author’s vantage point.

To support an audit request, I am providing concrete purchase information for known transactions that should be traceable. These purchases were made through Amazon and other retail channels and should therefore appear in the consolidated reporting stream.

Known purchase examples (Retail Channel – Softcover):

1. BEREFT REALITY (Softcover)
o Date of purchase: April 18, 2016
o Date of purchase: September 14, 2016
o Date of purchase: March 24, 2019
o Date of purchase: March 25, 2019

2. PICKING MURPHYS (Softcover)
o Date of purchase: April 18, 2016
o Date of purchase: March 24, 2019

3. FIRST RESPONDER (Softcover)
o Date of purchase: June 2, 2017 – 2 copies
o Date of purchase: June 24, 2017 – 2 copies
o Date of purchase: March 24, 2019
o Date of purchase: September 26, 2024 – 2 copies
o Date of purchase: January 14, 2025 – 6 copies

In addition to the above, there have been repeated purchases by friends, family, and members of the public connected to my book signings and promotional efforts. I am not asserting that every single purchase should be immediately visible at the time of purchase, nor am I denying the existence of retailer processing timelines. I am asserting that, over time, these transactions and event-driven purchase activity should aggregate into reporting that is materially consistent with real-world sales activity. The current reporting pattern appears to fall short of that standard.

Accordingly, I am requesting Xlibris take the following actions:

1. Initiate a formal Ingram audit request (not a general explanation)
Please contact Ingram directly and open a trace/audit inquiry specifically tied to my titles and reporting stream. I am asking Xlibris to do this because Xlibris is the publisher-of-record interfacing with the distributor that generates your reports. I do not have the publisher-level access or relationship to request this type of investigation with the same authority or effectiveness.

2. Trace and reconcile the known retail purchases listed above
Please request that Ingram verify whether those transactions appear in their data (including any identifiers available such as ISBN/format, order channel, retailer code, ship date vs. order date, and reporting period). If Ingram indicates these are not captured (or are captured differently), I need a detailed explanation of why and how that occurs.

3. Provide written findings and a corrective plan
I am requesting a written response that includes:
o Whether Ingram confirms the transactions are present in their system, and if so, where they appear (reporting period and any relevant line-item references Xlibris can provide).
o If transactions do not appear, whether the issue is attributable to retailer reporting structures, listing configuration, distribution metadata, title setup, returns/chargebacks, author-discount exclusions, or another systemic cause.
o Whether the issue impacts only certain retailers or all retail channels.
o The corrective actions Xlibris and/or Ingram can take to improve reliability going forward (or, if no correction is possible, a clear explanation of why not).

4. Clarify how non-royalty bearing purchases are handled in reporting
If author-discount purchases are excluded from royalty calculations, I require clarification as to whether they are excluded from unit reporting entirely or simply from royalty payment. Even if non-royalty bearing, such transactions remain legitimate unit sales and should be traceable within distribution data.

5. Confirm whether there are any listing/distribution configuration issues affecting reporting
If there is any mismatch in ISBNs, formats, retailer feeds, or title metadata that can cause sales to be misattributed, undercounted, or excluded, I need that identified and corrected. Confirmation of ISBNs and format identifiers currently in distribution would materially assist in ensuring the investigation is accurate and complete.

Let me emphasize the reality of this situation from the author side: I cannot prove every sale that should exist in the system because many are made by people I do not know, at events I host, or as a result of promotional efforts that generate dispersed purchases. That is precisely why independent authors must rely on distributor reporting. When the reporting appears to fail, the author is left with no meaningful recourse unless the publisher intervenes at the distributor level. And without accurate reporting, it becomes impossible to manage growth, plan marketing, evaluate performance, or credibly represent one’s traction to potential adaptation partners. I am pleading for help—not theatrics, not vague reassurance, but direct action.

For the avoidance of doubt, this letter is not an accusation of intentional wrongdoing by Xlibris. It is a demand for due diligence, transparency, and a remedy—because the practical consequence of inaccurate reporting is that I am being asked to operate a business without reliable accounting visibility.

Please confirm in writing that Xlibris will contact Ingram to open this investigation and provide the name/title of the individual who will own the follow-up on Xlibris’s side. If Xlibris believes there is a different procedure I must follow, then I request that procedure be provided in writing along with the reason Xlibris is declining to initiate the Ingram inquiry.

I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to a substantive written response.

Sincerely,

James H. Summers
Author
DarkFictionAuth@gmail.com
502-381-9537
www.peggylanders.com