A. A. can make the publisher a potential ally by identifying as clearly and extensively as possible the potential audience. Identifying the niche where a proposed book would fit in the publisher's catalog indicates that A. A. has done sufficient spadework to know what a particular publisher focusses on and can articulate how a proposed book will benefit the publisher's product line and bottom line. This problem of reaching the target audience determines who or what is the vehicle for getting books into the desired channels. Bookstores, what most people think of first when thinking of buying a book, account for only about 40 percent of all book sales. Think of books sold in museum shops, on the counters in specialty stores, in stores focusing on other products.
Books get into bookstores through wholesalers and distributors.
Also schools buy books for supplemental classroom use. Books appear in other, less or non-traditional venues. Specialty and specialized book clubs require titles with subject matter appropriate to their area. This is a relatively new area with its own mode of operating. Some publishers publish strictly for direct marketing channels.