Distributors want many of the same things that publishers want. A book that is well written, good looking and that has something going for it and an author behind it that is willing to run the race.

Distributors are the middle men between publishers and retailers. Retailers will not buy your book directly from you. They don’t have the time to order 50,000 different books from 50,000 different places. Makes sense doesn’t it?

Distributors typically have a catalog of books that they present to retail buyers. These are the guys who know how to get the books from the publisher’s warehouse to the bookstore shelves. One problem you may run into using a typical distributor is that they usually have so many books that it is hard to get them to focus on your book. This is why it is important for YOUR marketing efforts to be top notch and create a demand for your book.

Smaller less known distributors may have more time to concentrate on your book but they get less time in front of retail buyers. You will want to make sure that wither you or your distributor has made your title available on Amazon.com and other online retailers. It is not an expensive thing to do and is crucial to making your title available to the masses.