Independent Distributors

Morsel for today about distributors or wholesalers depending on what the particular company wants to call themselves.

From a site that boast a list of Independent distributors:

Note: No distributor listed below is likely to take on distribution of a single POD (printed-on-demand) book. POD does not lend itself to distribution via distributors, except in the case of backlist books that are being kept in print only via POD. Frontlist books, which are the books that most benefit from distribution by a distributor, need to be produced in sufficient quantity to merit the sales efforts of one of these distributors.

And what are Frontlist books. Here's the clearest definition I could find:

"There are two publishing seasons each year: Spring (January to June) and Fall (July to December). Publishers who issue catalogs used to do so twice a year to match the publishing seasons. The new titles were listed in front of the catalog--hence the name. Older books were listed in the rear of the catalog--hence the name "backlist." . . . This can vary from house to house, but it usually refers to a title that is less than one year old. "Backlist," therefore means a book that has been in print for at least one year."

No distributor listed below [at this link] is likely to take on distribution of a single POD (printed-on-demand) book? Really? And yet distributors such as BookMasters are listed and they pretty much distribute POD books--POD books they themselves print. I suppose the wording "is likely" gives the right for POD distributors such as BookMasters to be listed. And so small publishers flock to BookMasters because they can afford this [so they think until they reap the benefits of fee after fee after fee that ultimately sink any small and POD publisher before they even get out of the gate.

Atlas books of which Book Masters is a division, does have an arm for large publishers. It's BDS another division of Atlas Books Yet if you qualify for distribution through BDS you probably won't have any trouble getting "hooked up" with either Ingram or Baker & Taylor for distribution. So why waste your time and money getting "hooked up" with a smaller wholesaler who most likely charges the same and can only offer less benefits as Ingram or Baker & Taylor who are the top two wholesalers that bookstores buy from. And no, I'm not advocating "hooking up" with Ingram or Baker & Taylor as they are the two wholesalers who are facilitating the bookstores ludicrous return policy that kills all POD and small presses that seek distribution.

I suppose I'm just saying to call a duck a duck. It is not relevant to refer to a distributor simply as distributor any more than it is relevant to call a title "Christian" when it is written for a very specific denominational market.

Speaking of Christian, STL is also on the list of distributors. Yes, they are a distributor but the bookstores they primarily shop their customers book to are "Christian" bookstores which actually only provide books for the conservative evangelical fundamentalist Christian. And most of those stores only take books that are CBA approved and already [and automatically] have distribution through Ingram's denominationally exclusive Spring Arbor or rather, as Ingram puts it, their fundamentalists arm. If you want your book in "Christian" bookstore then you need to bite the bullet and sign up with CBA. Ingram provides this denominational branch their OWN distribution. No need to waste your money on distributors who claim to serve the "Christian" market. Rest assured they will take your money.

Okay, that's enough for now. ;)

Off to work on Electric Angel!!