Distributors and Wholesalers You can sell a lot of books at the back of the room after your speaking engagements, or via an 800-number fulfillment service after a radio show interview, but you will also need help to get into the bookstores. Distributors have a sales staff or reps that call on chains and regional stores. They also produce a catalog and work closely with publishers. Wholesalers, on the other hand, do no pushing, and have no sales staff. They simply respond to bookstore orders by picking, packing, and shipping.
Wholesalers often buy from distributors, because distributors usually specialize in what they carry.
Since they represent particular publishers, they know more about the products they represent. Distributors will rarely take on a single-title publisher, so this is where having a credible marketing plan helps. One important thing to remember is that distributors, wholesalers, and bookstores each have too many titles, too many prospective customers, and not enough time to sell every title to each buyer. The ultimate responsibility for selling any title rests upon you. Successful book marketing requires that you actively promote your title.