Top Independent Book Distributors

Top Independent Book Distributors

These are the most up-to-date addresses we have for the top independent bookstore distributors. If you find that any of these addresses are incorrect or you discover additional information (email, website, toll-free number, etc.), please email the author at JohnKremer@bookmarket.com. Also, please alert us to any slow payments or other questionable distributor activity. We will incorporate any changes as soon as possible into these listings. — John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books

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.

Book Marketing 105: Choosing a Book Distribution System —
This vital mini-guide includes criteria for deciding how you will distribute your books. Also includes complete information on 30 distributors, 4 library distributors, 89 book publishers who also distribute for other publishers, 3 sales representatives to the chains, 27 bookstore wholesalers, 34 library wholesalers, and 23 Spanish-language wholesalers. Plus a sample book distribution contract. Ebook download, $30.00.

APG Sales & Distribution, Van Hill, President, 7344 Cockrill Bend Boulevard, Nashville TN 37209; 615-254-2450; 800-327-5113; Fax: 800-510-3650. Email: vhill@apgbooks.com or vhill@wfsllc.com. Web: http://www.apgbooks.com. Direct: 615-254-2402. Full service representation and distribution plus website development, ecommerce capability, and more.

Atlas Books, BookMasters, 30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland OH 44805; 419-281-5100; 800-Book-Log; Fax: 419-281-6883. Web: http://www.atlasbooks.com. Distributes online and via wholesalers for many one-book publishers as well as some smaller publishers. They bought NBN's Biblio Distribution subsidiary in January 2008. Biblio had 450 clients with 2,000 titles. Last year, Atlas also took over distribution for clients of BookWorld, a distributor that went out of business in 2007.

Reader Feedback: Several self-publishers have reported difficulties with reading their reports and waiting to be paid.

Bella Distribution, P O Box 10543, Tallahassee FL 32302-2543; 850-576-2370; 800-533-1973; Fax: 850-576-3498. Email: info@belladistribution.com. Web: http://www.belladistribution.com. Distributes titles for many small publishers, including Book Strokes Books and Spinsters Ink.

Blu Sky Media Group, Attn: Submission Department, 2670 Memorial Boulevard #D1, P O Box 10069, Murfreesboro TN 37129; 615-995-7072; 888-448-2764; Fax: 615-217-3088. Email: info@bluskymediagroup.com. Web: http://www.bluskymediagroup.com. Gregory Snider, CEO. Motto: A distributor without limits. Clients include Bangzoom, Behler Publications, Eagle Creek Publications, Gillder & Frontier, Growing Field, M&L Press, Prologue Press, Clever Kits, Grey Swan Press, Pink Lemonade Presentations, Blue Water Press, Turtles in Ties, and Spirit Wind Publishing.

Book ClearingHouse, Nancy Smoller, President, 46 Purdy Street, Harrison, NY 10528; 914-835-0015; 800-431-1579; Fax: 914-835-0398. Email: bookch@aol.com. Web: http://www.bookch.com. Publishers may also contact Diane Musto. Founded in 1932, this order fulfillment house started up a distribution service for small publishers (1 to 10 titles) in late 2001. Besides its standard fulfillment services, BCH now offers an in-house telephone sales staff for national accounts, an on-line catalog, a monthly email newsletter, representation at major trade shows, and more. Cost: 69% of list price.

Reader Feedback: You may not be aware that this company is involved in unethical practices, such as overbilling and distributing books whose contents are misrepresented. They are currently under investigation by the NY BBB.

Book Hub, Dan Haldeman, P O Box 4092, Santa Cruz CA 95063; 831-726-1255; Fax: 831-515-5955. Email: bookhubdist@sbcglobal.net. Web: http://www.book-hub.com (active September 2008). Warehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Offers distribution to book wholesalers, independent bookstores, mass-market outlets like Wal-Mart and Target, college bookstores, foreign distribution. Also some gift, online, and catalog outlets.

Book Hub Inc. is looking for publishers that are committed to big design capabilities with editorial visions celebrating lifestyles. Our publishers will be mainstream or eclectic and will compete aggressively for shelf space and the hearts and minds of the book buying pubic with fiction and non-fiction titles alike. Book Hub Inc. wants publishers who know why Chronicle Books, Running Press, Workman, Ten Speed Press, and Sourcebooks are successful and dominate the attention of readers. If you are a like-minded publisher we want to represent your titles and we will help your publishing endeavors with ongoing success in the marketplace.

David Brown Book Company, Ian Stevens, Vice President, 28 Main Street, P O Box 511, Oakville CT 06779; 860-945-9329; 800-791-9354; Fax: 860-945-9468. Email: ian.stevens@dbbcdist.com and david.brown.bk.co@snet.net. Web: http://www.oxbowbooks.com. This North American arm of Oxbow Books is a full-service distribution company representing scholarly and specialist publishers from North America, Europe, and the world. “Your one-stop shop for everything on archaeology, prehistory, the classical world, the Middle Ages, Egyptology, Near Eastern studies, and related environmental and heritage topics.” Distributes for the American School of Classical Studies, American Schools of Oriental Research, University of Exeter Press, British Museum Press, Equinox Publishing, Legenda, and Brepols Publishers, among others.

C&B Books Distribution, Carol Rogers and Brenda Piper, Founders, P O Box 67-1155, 75-25 Parson's Boulevard, Flushing NY 11366; 718-591-4525 or 917-225-3575. Email: cbbookdist@aol.com. Web: http://www.cbbooksdistribution.com. Besides their web site, they also have opened two bookstores in Queens. They distribute books for about 100 self-published black authors.

Cardinal Publishers Group, Tom Doherty, President, 2222 Hillside Avenue #100, Indianapolis IN 46218; 317-879-0871; 800-296-0481; Fax: 317-879-0872 or 317-846-1557. Email: info@cardinalpub.com or tdoherty@cardinalpub.com. Web: http://www.cardinalpub.com. Distributes for publishers of nonfiction book and video publishers, including Wish Publishing, AFN, Blue River, Body & Breath, CS Publishing, Indytech Publishing, International Image, Viceroy Press, SportsWorkout, Woods 'n Water, and Reedswain. Special focus on sports, fitness, yoga, nature, and alternative health. They do distribute some one-book publishers (but no POD authors).

Consortium Book Sales, Julie Schaper, President (Sales, Marketing & Publisher Relations) 1045 Westgate Drive, Saint Paul MN 55114-1065; 651-221-9035; 800-283-3572; Fax: 651-221-1024. Email: consortium@cbsd.com. Web: http://www.cbsd.com. Jennifer Swihart, Marketing Manager. Bought by Perseus Book Group in July 2006. This company distributes 4,000 titles for about 80 literary publishers. Their publisher contract is 14 pages long. Discount: 22 to 26% of net sales plus storage and catalog fees. $12 million in annual sales in 2002; $20 million in 2003. In early 2003, they picked up several strong presses: Soho Press and Seven Stories Press. They also distribute for Bitter Lemon Press, Alyson Publications, Coffeehouse Presss, Curbstone, Anvil Press Poetry, Ausabe Press, Bywater Books, The lilaguide, Insomniac Press, Gryphon Press, Five Ties Publishing, Enigma Books, Editions Intervalles, Magenta Foundation, Sagi Books, New Internationalist, and Center for Environmental Structure Publishing.

Comments: Still the best known distributor for literary publishers. They have a strong commitment to such books. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “Consortium's publishers may not produce runaway bestsellers, but they represent the best and brightest of small publishers around the world.”

Diamond Book Distributors, Kuo-Yu Liang, Director, 1966 Greenspring Drive #300, Timonium MD 21093; 410-560-7100, ext. 380; 800-452-6642; Fax: 410-560-7589. Web: http://www.diamondcomics.com. Roger Fletcher, Vice President of Marketing. Janna Morishima, director, Diamond Kids Group. In business since 1982, this comics distributor now also distributes comics, graphic novels, manga and anime as well as toys and other pop culture product to the book trade. Client publishers include Antarctic Press, Graphic-sha Publishing, Avatar Press, ComicsOne, Toyspress, SQP, and IDW Publishing.

Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 195 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario L2R 4T8, Canada; 905-477-9700; 800-387-9776; Fax: 905-477-9179. Email: godwit@fitzhenry.ca. Web: http://www.fitzhenry.ca. Distributes Pelican Publishing, Beacon Press, The Lyons Press, Basic Health Publications, Globe Pequot Press, Walker & Company, XYZ Publishing, Good Books, and others in Canada. Also distributes Canadian and U.K. publishers into the U.S. (800-387-9776; warehousing at WA Book Service in Hauppauge, New York).

Greenleaf Book Group, Justin Branch, 4425 Mopac South #600, Longhorn Building, 3rd Floor, Austin TX 78735; 512-891-6100; 800-932-5420; Fax: 512-891-6150. Email: justin@greenleafbookgroup.com. Web: http://www.greenleafbookgroup.com. Clint Greenleaf III, President. Email: clint@greenleafbookgroup.com. “Greenleaf is a publisher and distributor that specializes in the development of independent authors and the growth of small presses. Our publishing model was designed to support the independent author and to make it possible for writers to retain the rights to their work and still compete with the major publishing houses. In addition to the books we publish, we distribute select titles from small and independent publishers to major trade outlets, including bookstores, libraries, and airport retailers.” Other offices in Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; and Boca Raton, Florida.

Independent Publishers Group, Mark Suchomel, President, 814 N Franklin Avenue, Chicago IL 60610-3109; 312-337-0747, ext. 209; 800-888-4741; Fax: 312-337-1807. Email: suchomel@ipgbook.com. Web: http://www.ipgbook.com. Curt Matthews, CEO; Email: curt@ipgbook.com.Warehouse: 600 N Pulaski Road, Chicago IL 60624. Founded in 1971, this company distributes for 60 book publishers as well as for 300 publishers in the Publishers Marketing Association distribution program. Discounts: 25 to 30% of net sales. IPG also serves teacher supply stores, museum stores, and garden shops as well as bookstores. They are the largest and fastest growing distributor of independently published computer titles. In the spring of 2001, they created the first full-scale catalog and sales effort for Spanish-language titles. Contact Carolyn Ramirez (email: carolyn@ipgbook.com) for more info. IPG's academic division, Paul & Company Publishers Consortium, sells to professors and academic libraries. In 2005, they bought Trafalgar Square Publishing, a distributor of UK publishers.

Comments: The oldest independent distributor (founded in 1971), IPG is the third largest independent distributor. They must be doing a good job, since many of their publishers have been with them for years.

“I was checking out our listing on your Top Independent Book Distributors list and wanted to clarify that IPG does not care how many titles a publisher has, but evaluates publishers on the quality and salability of a publisher's list, and the commitment to receive feedback and promote titles to the end consumer. We are very selective, but once we accept a publisher the level of service is extremely high. We sell to more accounts than any other distributor, attend more trade shows than any other distributor, and give publishers the option of using our exception PR services. Our titles are all over the Bookscan bestseller lists and we can sell a book as well as anyone in the business. We are the third largest distributor and gaining, but could easily be twice our current size if we took on everyone that wanted to work with us.” — Mark Suchomel

Paul & Co. Publishing Consortium, Bob Paul, President, P O Box 442, Concord MA 01742; 978-369-3049; Fax: 978-369-2385. Distributes scholarly and academic books for more than 50 foreign publishers, including Open Gate Press, Curzon Press, Damned Publishing, Bridget Williams Books, Dresden University Press, Peepal Tree Press, Copley Publishing Group, and others.

Ingram Publisher Services, Janet McDonald, Director of Client Services, One Ingram Boulevard, P O Box 3006, La Vergne TN 37086-1986; 615-213-5349; 800-937-8100; Fax: 615-213-5597. Email: acquisitions@ingrampublisherservices.com. Web: http://www.ingrampublisherservices.com. Mark Oimet, Vice President of Client Acquisitions. Phil Ollila, Senior Vice President, Publisher Services. Starting up in March 2005, this division of Ingram Book Group offers fulfillment and distribution services. Clients include AMMO Books, Ancestry Publishing, Cleveland Clinic Press, Cool Springs Press ESRI Press, O'Reilly Media, and Parkstone Press. They prefer contact via email.

International Publishers Marketing, Jane Graf, Director, 22841 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling VA 20166; 703-661-1531; Fax: 703-661-1547. Email: jane@booksintl.com. Web: http://www.internationalpubmarket.com. Warehouse in Herndon, Virginia. If you are a publisher and are interested in receiving more information about their distribution and marketing services, contact Jane Graf. “International Publishers Marketing was founded in January 1995 to provide complete cost-effective, strategic marketing services for publishers who want to build not only sales and profits but name recognition for their publishing program and authors. IPM offers its publishing clients customized marketing and fulfillment — allowing them to outsource these vital operations and lower their personnel and facilities costs. IPM represents fine multinational publishers working in the fields of history, international relations, military affairs, political science, business, self-improvement, cooking, memoirs, fiction, art, archaeology, Egyptology, religion, inspiration, sports, and children's publishing.” Clients include Capital Books, Allison & Busby, American University in Cairo Press, Haus Publishing, Chaucer Press, Mercury Books, Duckworth, Red Mill Press, ATF Press, The National Archives of the UK, Ransom Publishing, Struik Publishing, Beautiful Books, Tapestries, UCT Publications, Red Mill Press, Renders Wellness, Clear Books, Rubicon Publishing, and Leading Authorities Press.

Kundalini Books, Tyler Parker, Manager, 24 Mabelle Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M9A 4X7 Canada. Email: contact-us@kundalinibooks.com. Web: http://www.kundalinibooks.com. Online distributor of books direct from India on religion, spirituality, and new age topics. Features an extensive selection from all major publishers in India.

Midpoint Trade Books, Gail Kump, 27 West 20th Street #1101, New York NY 10011-3707; 212-727-0190; Fax: 212-727-0195. Inquiries: laurie@midpointtrade.com. Web: http://www.midpointtrade.com, http://www.midpointbooksnyc.com, and http://www.myspace.com/midpointtradebooks. Eric Kampmann, President. Email: eric@midpointtrade.com. Gail Kump, Director of Marketing. Email: midpointny1@aol.com. Chris Bell, Director of Sales. Email: chris@midpointtrade.com. This book distributor covers wholesalers, chain stores, mass merchandisers, independents in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. They currently distribute about 250 publishers with $20 million in sales.

Comments: Midpoint works with small and medium size publishers. Because they are not bound by catalogs, they can take on new titles any time of the year.

Mint Publishers, Morty Mint, 2920 S Grand Boulevard, PMB 173, Spokane WA 99203; 914-729-0040; 800-399-6858; Fax: 914-514-8056. Email: morty@mintpub.com. Web: http://www.mintpub.com. Distributes Visible Ink Press, Etruscan Press, Formula One Publishing, Cooking for the Rushed, and Ripley's Believe It or Not.

National Book Network, Ginger Miller, 4501 Forbes Boulevard #200, Lanham MD 20706; 301-459-3366, ext. 5510; Fax: 301-429-5746. Email: gmiller@nbnbooks.com. Web: http://www.nbnbooks.com. Jed Lyons, President. Neil Levin, Senior Vice President. Marianne Bohr, Senior Vice President. Jeanne Kramer, Vice President of Marketing. For more information on hooking up with NBN, go to their web site at: http://www.nbnbooks.com/ProspectivePublisher/Index.shtml. Distributes for 85 publishers. Their contracts vary by publisher, but usually involve a discount close to 25 to 27% of net sales with additional fees for returns, catalogs, and storage. Currently distribute about 3,000 titles. $54 million in sales in 2000; $64 million in 2001; $100 million in sales in 2007. NBN operates its own Docutech print-on-demand facility in its Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania distribution center. NBN publishers will be able to print their books on a demand basis in small quantities with minimums of 20 copies. In 2002, NBN's parent company Rowman & Littlefield bought Plymbridge Distributors of the United Kingdom. NBN now distributes for 20 children's book publishers (including Tanglewood Press, August House, Kidwick, Two-Can, Rising Moon, NorthWord, Luna Rising, and Cubbie Blue) and publishes a separate children's book catalog. They sold their Biblio Distribution subsidiary to Atlas Books in January 2008.

Comments: NBN is #2 among independent book distributors. I have been continually impressed with the quality of their work, their commitment to their publishers, and the help they give publishers in marketing their books. National Book Network is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Hall of Fame as well as the current distributor for Open Horizons.

NBN Kids, Jeanne Kramer, Vice President, 4501 Forbes Boulevard #200, Lanham MD 20706-4310; 301-459-3366; Fax: 301-429-5746. Web: : http://www.nbnbooks.com/NBNkids/index.shtml. A division of NBN that focuses on children's books.

Partners Book Distributing, Sam Spiegel, Vice President, P O Box 580, 2325 Jarco Drive, Holt MI 48842-1209; 517-694-3205; 800-336-3137; Fax: 517-694-0617. This wholesaler is now looking to take on more distribution clients. Discount: 62% of list price with no additional fees. Currently they distribute about 250 titles primarily from single-title publishers. Their wholesale division has just opened a West Coast office and is looking for regional titles.

Comments: This company seems to want to expand their distribution business. They might be a good place for a self-publisher to start looking. However, I have had several complaints lately (2002) on late payments to publishers, although one publisher has reported that “They pay correctly and like clockwork. The Partners facility is well-organized and runs like a top.” In early 2003, I received several comments from publishers complaining about a high return rate from Partners, which costs them money because they have to pay for shipping both ways.

Penton Overseas, Hugh Penton, President, 2470 Impala Drive, Carlsbad CA 92008-7226; 760-431-0060, ext. 681; 800-748-5804; Fax: 760-431-8110. Email: info@pentonoverseas.com. Web: http://www.pentonoverseas.com. This publisher distributes primarily audiotapes, videos, CD-ROMs, and some books on foreign languages, travel, and education. They distribute to video, gift, toy, and software retailers.

Comments: A good company. Good people. They reach many mass market outlets, including Best Buy, Costco, Office Max, Target, Radio Shack, and more.

Perseus Distribution Services, Sabrina Bracco, Vice President, Client Services, 387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016; 212-340-8131; Fax: 212-340-8115. Warehouse: 193 Edwards Drive, Jackson TN 38301; 800-343-4499; Fax: 800-351-5073. Web: http://www.cdsbooks.com. Formerly known as CDS and now owned by the Perseus Books Group, this company was established in 1999. Clients include Abbeville Press, Assouline, Bow Tie Press, Brighter Minds, Continental Sales, Design Studio Press, Distributed Arts Publishers, Harvard Business School Press, Planeta, Taschen America, University of Michigan Press, and more than 50 others.

Pinkett Distribution, Charlie Pinkett, P O Box 563, Somers Point NJ 08244; 609-601-8300; Fax: 609-927-0903. Email: cpinkett@aol.com. Advertises as “your #1 distributor of independent books, music & DVDs.”

Publishers Distributing Company, 6922 Hollywood Boulevard, 10th Floor, Los Angeles CA 90028-6117; 213-871-1225; Fax: 213-957-9219. An affiliate of Liberation Publications, publisher of gay and lesbian magazines. They distribute a small number of gay and lesbian books for Damron and Bruno Gmunder.

Publishers Group West, R. Anderson, New Product Acquisitions, 1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley CA 94710; 510-528-1444; 800-788-3123; Fax: 510-528-3444. Email: info@pgw.com. Web: http://www.pgw.com or http://www.publishersgroupwest.com. The distribution contracts for many companies were bought up by Perseus listed above.

SCB Distributors, Aaron Silverman, Director, 15608 S New Century Drive, Gardena CA 90248; 310-532-9400; 800-729-6423; Fax: 310-532-7001. Email: aaron@scbdistributors.com. Web: http://www.scbdistributors.com. Lance Tilford, Marketing Director. Patrick Hughes, Special Sales Director. This national distributor distributes all sorts of titles (travel, food, humor, erotica, film/cinema, general, etc.) for 90 publishers. $10 million in annual sales. New publishers include Vox Pop, Dunhill Publishing, Dyna-Paige Corp., Magic Realist Press, CCNM Publishing, No Media Kings, Last Gasp, Sherman Asher Publishing, Mystic Ridge, Gorsky Press, Small Beer Press, and FAB Press. They state on their website that they do not encourage submissions from single-title publishers.

Small Press Distribution, Laura Moriarty, Acquisitions Director, 1341 Seventh Street, Berkeley CA 94710-1409; 510-524-1668, ext. 306; 800-869-7553; Fax: 510-542-0852. Email: laura@spdbooks.org. Web: http://www.spdbooks.org. Founded in 1960, SPD wholesales literary fiction, poetry, and cultural studies. They wholesale to bookstores (60%), libraries (20%), and direct to consumers (20%). Their web site has full details on submitting to them. They carry 13,000 titles from 500 independent book publishers. While SPD is primarily a wholesaler, they do act as a distributor for many of their publishers. SPD is the only intentionally non-profit distributor.

STL Distribution Services, Darren Henry, Director of General Trade, 522 Princeton Drive, Johnson City TN 37601; 423-282-9475; Fax: 423-282-9110. Email: darren.henry@stl-distribution.com. Web: http://www.stl-distribution.com. Launched in 2000 as FaithWorks, this company provides sales and distribution for about 300 Christian publishers and music labels into the Christian marketplace. Formerly a division of National Book Network, it was bought by Send the Light, a UK publisher, in 2005.

Kim Williams is the book buyer for their wholesale division. Email: kim.williams@stl-distribution.com.

Charles E Tuttle Publishing, Airport Industrial Park, 364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon VT 05759-9436; 802-773-8930; 800-526-2778; Fax: 802-786-6946. Web: http://www.tuttlepublishing.com. A member of the Periplus Publishing Group, Tuttle is a U.S. distributor of books from foreign publishers.

Victory Audio Video Services, Randall Freeman, Vice-President, 222 N Sepulveda Boulevard #1306, El Segundo CA 90245-4353; 310-416-9140, ext. 273; Fax: 310-416-9839.

Comments: I've heard bad reports recently from more than one publisher indicating that this distributor is having a hard time keeping up with payments due publishers.

Your Simple Solution for Fast Distribution, Asha Tyson, ATD Publishing; Fax: 313-393-5120. Email: staff@ashatyson.com. For a flat-rate of $2,495 per year, a single-book author can secure book distribution to the major trade channels. “This distribution program provides instant access to the major trade accounts while allowing the author control of the title.” ATD lists the author's book with wholesalers and retailers while the author markets the book to these same accounts. When a wholesaler places an order with ATD, the purchase order is sent to the author for fulfillment. The author ships books to the wholesaler while the wholesaler pays ATD. Returns are handled by ATD. ATD pays the author each quarter for book sales less returns. This program is only open to 20 authors per year.

Foreign Book Distributors, Wholesalers, & Sales Reps —
This report features more than 345 companies that provide foreign distribution or sales representation. This report also includes a sample foreign distribution contract. Just $30.00.

Book Marketing 105: Choosing a Book Distribution System —
This vital mini-guide includes criteria for deciding how you will distribute your books. Also includes complete information on 30 distributors, 4 library distributors, 89 book publishers who also distribute for other publishers, 3 sales representatives to the chains, 27 bookstore wholesalers, 34 library wholesalers, and 23 Spanish-language wholesalers. Plus a sample book distribution contract. Ebook download, $30.00.

Open Horizons, P O Box 2887, Taos NM 87571