Self-Publishing and the Book Trade, Part 2: Distribution

摘要

Self-publisher or not, you'll need intermediaries to help you distribute your books. Both distributors and wholesalers act as intermediaries. On the Midwest Book Review site [http://www.midwestbookre view.com/bookbiz/advice/jobbers. htm], Mary Westheimer explains the difference: WHOLESALERS work for stores (booksellers), fulfilling their orders. DISTRIBUTORS work for publishers, actively selling their titles to stores (booksellers). There are some hybrids, but those definitions seem to hold pretty true. Distributors often ask for exclusives or exclusives in a certain channel (say, bookstores) . Wholesalers? The more the merrier.