Distributors and Wholesalers in Publishing

"My book is distributed by Ingram. That means my book has a distributor, right?"

Your book is carried by Ingram, but Ingram is a wholesaler, not a distributor. Ingram does "distribute" as far as getting books to bookstores is concerned. However, a distributor does far more than that. Let's look at the differences between a wholesalers and distributors in the publishing business.

Wholesalers are companies that handle the resale of books in large quantities and serve booksellers. Wholesalers that carry most Wheatmark books include Ingram Book Company (U.S.), Baker & Taylor (U.S.), and Bertram Books (U.K.).

Distributors, on the other hand, are companies that, for a fee, represent publishers by handling the warehousing and shipping of books to retailers. They sometimes request an exclusive relationship with publishers and serve as the source for wholesalers.

In a nutshell, book distributors work for publishers, while wholesalers serve bookstores.