A Bit About Book Distribution

By Kristen Joseph

Have you ever wondered how exactly a book goes from that first sentence typed up in Microsoft Word to the physical book in the library or bookstore?

We’ve told you about a couple important activities that lead to the finished product, like the acquisitions process and some of our daily goings-on. Well, here is another for you: Distribution! Without this crucial process, books would never be released to the public. However, there is no singular method for distribution, at least not here at Atlantic Pub. Here is a bit about some of the distributors that we use:

Amazon.com – All of our books are available on Amazon, likely the best-known mass distributor. This website allows both self-publishers and publishing companies alike to present their books to any buyer who chooses to surf the web. Amazon also allows us to better market our books using Amazon Advantage, providing an even broader range of potential buyers. Amazon allows for the distribution of print books, e-books, and even audiobooks.

Baker & Taylor – While this name is not very well-known to the average consumer, many people in the book and entertainment industries know that Baker & Taylor is a big deal. It currently holds the title of the largest wholesale distributor of books and entertainment products in the entire world. This company is responsible for bringing your favorite titles to libraries and bookstores, both in print and digital format. Bibliophiles in over 120 countries have Baker & Taylor to thank for keeping their bookshelves stocked for the past 180 years.

Ingram – Ingram is another wholesale distributor with a commitment to providing the best content to as many readers as possible worldwide. Ingram sells to large marketplaces like Barnes & Noble and Amazon, as well as libraries, independent booksellers, specialty markets, and retailers online.

Versa – Last, but not least, we have Vearsa. This company is committed to helping publishers distribute their books using the smartest technology available in this digital age. They provide easy access to sales data and analytics, in addition to making it even easier for companies like us to distribute our content digitally.

All in all, these companies allow books and other content to reach a significant number of consumers easily, and frankly, they make the lives of publishing staff a whole lot easier. The business would not be as vibrant as it is today without our lovely distributors.