About ISD

Accurate, timely metadata is essential to the success of scholarly publishing and serves as the foundation of the distribution process. ISD works closely with publishers to ensure that complete and up-to-date bibliographic information is distributed to booksellers, wholesalers, library suppliers, online retailers, and other industry partners throughout the book supply chain. Our streamlined onboarding process makes it easy for publishers to provide and maintain the information needed to bring books and journals to market effectively.

Our team manages metadata for books and journals, including title information, pricing, availability, subject classifications, descriptive copy, series information, and other key details that support discovery and purchasing decisions. We regularly distribute updates and enhancements to ensure customers have access to the most current information available.

By combining strong metadata management with active sales and marketing support, ISD helps publishers improve discoverability, expand market reach, and ensure their publications are easily found by the audiences they are intended to serve.

ISD’s sales and marketing team works year-round to increase the visibility and sales of our client publishers’ books and journals. Through longstanding relationships with booksellers, wholesalers, library suppliers, academic institutions, specialty retailers, and online marketplaces, we ensure publications receive broad exposure across key scholarly and specialist markets.

Our approach combines active sales representation with targeted marketing initiatives designed to reach scholars, librarians, instructors, students, and other engaged readers. We produce subject-specific promotional leaflets, direct email campaigns, virtual exhibits, and other targeted marketing materials that showcase both new releases and important backlist titles. These efforts are supported by extensive mailing lists developed through years of engagement with academic communities, libraries, conferences, and customers.

Conference marketing is a particular strength of ISD’s program. We exhibit at major scholarly and professional meetings throughout North America and internationally, providing publishers with opportunities to reach readers, authors, librarians, and academic decision-makers directly. Unlike many distributors, ISD continues to actively sell books at conferences while also providing promotional support, display opportunities, and visibility for publisher programs.

In addition to generating demand, ISD manages standing orders, subscriptions, and other ongoing sales programs that help publishers build long-term customer relationships. By combining industry expertise, established market relationships, and personalized support, we help publishers expand their reach and grow sales throughout North America and beyond.

ISD’s dedicated Customer Service team provides responsive support to booksellers, librarians, wholesalers, institutions, individual customers, and publisher partners. Whether answering product inquiries, processing orders, managing standing orders and subscriptions, or resolving shipping and fulfillment issues, our staff serves as a knowledgeable and reliable point of contact.

Working closely with our sales, warehouse, and operations teams, Customer Service helps ensure orders are processed accurately and efficiently while addressing questions and concerns as they arise. From tracking shipments and handling claims to assisting with account inquiries and special requests, we are committed to providing the high level of service expected by scholarly publishers and their customers.

At ISD, customers and publishers can speak directly with experienced staff who understand scholarly publishing and are available to provide timely, personalized assistance when it is needed most.

ISD offers both working-stock distribution and long-term storage solutions for books and journals. Our warehouse operation is designed to ensure efficient order fulfillment, reliable inventory management, and consistent product availability for customers throughout North America and beyond.

Inventory levels are monitored continuously and managed using sales history, forecasting, and publisher-defined parameters. We work closely with publishers to coordinate new title shipments and replenishment orders, helping maintain appropriate stock levels while minimizing inventory risk.

Books are received directly from publishers or through our European logistics network, which includes regular stock consolidations between North America and the United Kingdom. Combined with fast order processing and fulfillment, this integrated approach helps ensure publications remain available and accessible across key markets.

ISD provides comprehensive digital distribution services for publishers seeking to expand the reach of their books and journals across both institutional and consumer markets. We distribute content through leading library and academic platforms, including EBSCO, JSTOR, Project MUSE, iResearch, and Torrossa, as well as major consumer-facing channels such as Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble Nook.

Our digital program is actively managed by a dedicated digital distribution specialist who oversees title onboarding, metadata quality, platform relationships, file management, pricing, and ongoing sales optimization. As new platforms emerge and existing channels evolve, we continually evaluate opportunities to expand distribution and maximize visibility for our publishers’ content.

ISD maintains an efficient digital warehouse and digital asset management system to ensure files are securely stored, accurately delivered, and readily available across multiple platforms and formats. We also work closely with publishers to meet evolving accessibility requirements and industry standards, helping ensure content is available in the formats best suited to institutional and retail customers.

Through strategic pricing, broad market coverage, and active channel management, ISD helps publishers maximize both revenue and readership across the growing digital publishing landscape. Our experience across institutional and retail markets allows us to advise publishers on the sales channels, licensing models, and distribution strategies best suited to their content, ensuring digital publications reach the right audiences while achieving the strongest possible financial return.

ISD provides publishers with timely sales and inventory reporting in accordance with their distribution agreement, along with regular royalty payments based on established reporting schedules. Our goal is to provide publishers with clear, accurate information that supports informed business decisions.

Publishers also have access to ISD Publisher Central, our online reporting portal, which provides up-to-date information on sales, inventory, backorders, consignments, and order activity. Data can be analyzed by title, author, series, customer, market segment, and sales channel, giving publishers valuable insight into the performance of their publishing program.

In addition to sales and inventory data, ISD Publisher Central tracks marketing initiatives and connects promotional activities to sales results whenever possible. By bringing sales, inventory, marketing, fulfillment, and operational data together in a single platform, publishers gain a more complete understanding of their publishing program and the measurable benefits of ISD’s full-service distribution approach.

ISD is owned and managed by Ian Stevens, a book industry professional with over 30 years of bookselling and publishing experience in the global marketplace. Ian was running a scholarly book distribution business in the US for the last nine years before starting his own company, and before that was involved in international sales and marketing for Boydell & Brewer and TSO (HMSO Books). He has extensive experience in the scholarly book market.

Allyce Amidon is the Metadata Strategist for ISD. She’s been working in publishing since 2012 and has run the gamut from distribution to review journals, children’s publishing to academic, which has given her a uniquely broad overview of the entire supply chain. She sincerely believes metadata is the most interesting part of publishing. Her favorite BISAC code is LAN028000.

Paul Bilodeau is ISD’s Warehouse and Shipping Manager. From shelf-building to the stocking of books, to picking books for customer orders to packing and shipping, Paul deftly manages the “nuts and bolts” of the book business.

Matthew Charlton joined ISD in 2025 as Head of Sales & Marketing. He brings over a decade of experience in scholarly publishing, most recently serving as Director of Sales, Marketing, and Open Access at Academic Studies Press. His experience across a range of publishing functions has given him a deep understanding of the challenges facing independent scholarly publishers and how to bring specialized scholarship to a wider audience while maximizing its visibility, discoverability, and sales.

Kelly Gagne joined ISD in 2018 as Administrative Assistant. She manages incoming customer orders and supports a wide range of day-to-day administrative operations across multiple areas of the company.

Melanie Palleria joined ISD in January 2012 as our Finance and Office Manager. She brings over 10 years of bookkeeping and customer service experience to our team. In addition to handling all of the incoming and outgoing finances, Melanie also oversees all of the day-to-day operations of the office.

Sam Schultz is ISD’s Digital Content and Distribution Coordinator. They work with all things eBook and digital, with a passion for accessibility. They hold a BA in English and an MA in Medieval Studies.

Susanne Wilhelm is the company’s Design and Production Manager. Susanne looks after all aspects of ISD’s design, from leaflets and catalogs to this website and all company-branded items. She also runs the company’s Typesetting and Pre-Press services and works with authors, editors and publishers to take manuscripts through to a print-ready and e-book ready state. Susanne has extensive experience of design and book production within the scholarly publishing milieu and holds an MA in Near Eastern Archaeology (Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tübingen).