From the The Tool Shed Vendors

Getting one's books into the buying channels is a great challenge. In the trade, primary buyers are bookstores and libraries. Most commonly, both of those groups do the bulk of their purchasing of books from wholesalers, distributors and on occasion, jobbers.

You may seek distribution through one of the large national wholesalers, through several of the regional wholesalers, through distributors who tend to specialize in particular areas, or seek distribution through a distributor, either a "master" distributor or again, one who specializes in particular areas.

In addition to these more traditional approaches, you may be interested in developing catalog sales. You'll find a little bit of information on that here, too. Bear in mind on any of these categories in the Tool Shed, we are not claiming to present a comprehensive listing. You will find, though, many starting points.

To learn more about contracts with distributors, you may wish to visit Ivan Hoffman's site, where you'll find articles discussing distributor contracts.

• Wholesalers and Distributors
  
  
• Bookstores
  

  Bookseller Associations
  

  Trade Shows

  
  
• Catalog sources
  
  
• Talk to the Cat

Looking for a wholesaler or distributor?
The dominant national wholesalers are Baker and Taylor and Ingram Book Company. They are the sources for many books ordered by bookstores and libraries. (Traditionally, Baker and Taylor has been a major vendor of choice for libraries, while Ingram has been the choice of bookstores. In recent years, there has been some blurring of these lines.)

Baker and Taylor

44 Kirby Avenue

Somerville, NJ 08876

Baker and Taylor supplies bookstores; libraries academic, government agency, public and school, as well as segments of the international market (notably Canada, Japan and the South Pacific).

In the U.S., B & T has several warehouses; the above address is the one for submitting information on new titles; the Momence, IL, office is the home base for financial transactions.

New publishers wishing to deal with Baker and Taylor should check out the procedures and requirements for getting established on B & T's database.

You can also download the New Title Information Form for submission of new titles.

And for a charming bit on this old company, click on http://baker-taylor.com/mascots.htm to see the cats Baker and Taylor and learn the story behind these lovable company icons.

Ingram Book Company

One Ingram Blvd.

LaVergne, TN 37086

Phone: 800-937-8100, ext. 7584; 615-213-5369; Fax: 615-793-5655

Two important distributors for publishers to know about represent independent and small presses to libraries.

Quality Books Inc. distributes independent presses, special interest videos, audios and CD-roms to the library marketplace. We make personal presentations through independent sales reps presenting jackets to library selectors and decision makers.

Quality Books Inc. offers PCIP (Publishers Cataloging In Publication) data blocks. We have full time librarians on staff to assist new publishers with this service.

Quality Books, Inc.,

1003 W. Pines Road

Oregon, IL 61061-9680

Phone: 800-323-4241; 815-732-4450

Fax: 815-732-4499

E-mail: quality.books@dawson.com

Unique Books is the premier library distributor of non-fiction books, video and audio published by small and independent presses. Our professional library consultants handsell your titles, using the jackets, to key selectors in all 50 states. Additionally, we provide a variety of selection programs to libraries highlighting titles and services meeting the varying needs of the market.

Unique Books, Inc.

5010 Kemper Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63139

Phone: 314-776-6695 Fax: 314-776-0841

E-mail: UniqueBks@aol.com

Sites listing booksellers can be found in at least a couple of places.

The American Booksellers Association's Directory page identifies access over 4,500 independent bookstores; it also provides listing by areas and specialties. ABA is the country's largest association of bookstores.

American Booksellers Association (ABA)

Avin Mark Domnitz, Executive Director

828 South Broadway

Tarrytown, NY 10591

Phone: 914-591-2665; 800-637-0037x207 Fax: 914-591-2720

Email: adomnit@bookweb.org

http://www.bookweb.org/

However, since independent bookstores are disappearing from the scene, if you are interested in contacting individual stores, it might be more pertinent and useful to buy or rent mailing lists from the various regional booksellers associations. Some are affiliated with the ABA, some are not. However, they all tend to embrace the same principles. ABA's site has a search form for their list of over 4,500 book stores.

Interested in New Age outlets? Check NAPRA's member bookstores

Edgehill Associates is a source for out-of-print and used business books. The site features thousands of books concentrating in the field of business. These include books on management, marketing, investment, personal finance, self-help, personal enrichment, workplace relations, jobs and careers, public policy issues, and other books having to do with the life experiences of working, earning, spending and investing. Our website features thousands of business book reviews to help in your selection of the right book. (Michael Pellechia, of Edgehille Associates, for a number of years reviewed business books in a syndicated column.

Edgehill Associates

3200 Edgehill Road

Fort Worth, TX 76116-4417 USA

Phone: 817-738-5649 Fax:817-738-5649

E-mail: workbook@onramp.net

http://www.moneyblows.com

Find a geographical listing of Borders Stores. An additional handy feature of this location is that the surfer finds directions on getting to them.

The traveler can also locate the nearest Barnes and Noble store by listing his or her ZIP code; the closest store(s) and the distance will be given.

Another useful site, for those interested in used, out-of-print and antiquarian book dealers, is that of Book Hunter Press. Their Used Book Lover's Guide Series consists of six regional guides to over 6,000 used, out-of-print and antiquarian book dealers, and in some instances includes remainder dealers.

Many publishers find it useful to affiliate with the bookseller association in their geographical area and to exhibit at their annual trade shows. Larger publishers generally choose to obtain exhibit space and set up their own presence. Smaller publishers may find it more cost-effective to participate in co-operative exhibits, such as those presented by Publishers Marketing Association and regional publishers' organizations. This is becoming an increasingly attractive option (not only for the cost-saving) because (as a look at the calendar for trade shows indicates, several assciations are choosing the same weekend for their gatherings. Likewise, many publishers find it practical to become associate members of these organizations.

The following is a list of bookseller associations, as indicated in the bookweb.com site; Most have the state abbreviation for the number of states in their particular group.

Chesapeake Regional Area Booksellers

Michael Sullivan (Acting President)

Reprint Book Shop

455 L'Enfant Plaza SW

Washington, DC 20024-2192

202-554-5070 Fax: 202-488-8931

Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA)

Jim Dana, Executive Director

509 Lafayette

P.O. Box 901

Grand Haven, MI 49417

Phone: 616-847-2460; 800-745-2460 Fax: 616-842-0051

Email: glba@books-glba.org

http://www.books-glba.org

(MI, OH, IN, IL)

Mid-South Independent Booksellers Association

Joe Holmes, Executive Director

2309 NW 120th St.

Oklahoma City, OK 73120

Phone: 405-751-5681 Fax: 405-755-9208

E-Mail: midsouthbooks@juno.com

http://www.msiba.org/

(AR, LA, MS, MO, OK, TN, TX)

Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association (MPBA)

Lisa Knudsen, Executive Director

19 Old Town Square Suite 238

Fort Collins, CO 80524

Phone: 970-484-5856 Fax: 970-407-1479

Email: lknudsen@mountainsplains.org

http://www.mountainplains.org

(AZ, CO, NM, WY, adjacent states)

New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA)

Eileen Dengler, Executive Director

2667 Hyacinth Street

108 South 13th Street

Westbury, NY 10590

Phone: 516-333-0681 Fax: 516-333-0689

Email: info@naiba.com

http://www.naiba.com

(DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA)

New England Booksellers Association (NEBA)

Wayne Drugan, Exec. Dir.

1770 Massachusetts Avenue #332

Cambridge, MA 02140

Phone: 617-576-3070; 800-466-8711 Fax: 617-576-3091

Email: rusty@neba.org

http://www.newenglandbooks.org

(CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, NY)

New Orleans-Gulf South Booksellers Association

Michele Lewis (President)

P O Box 750043

New Orleans, LA 71075-0043

Phone: 504-243-2436

Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA)

The Presido

37 Graham Street/P.O. Box 29169

San Francisco, CA 94129

Phone: 415-561-7686

office@nciba.com

http://www.nciba.com/

(CA, NV)

Oklahoma Independent Booksellers Association

Joanie Stephenson (President)

Stuve's Sundry, Books & Magazines

2612 S. Harvard

Tulsa, OK 74114

Phone: 918-743-3544 Fax: 918-743-5912

Email: info@stevessundrybooksmags.com

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)

Thom Chambliss, Exec. Dir.

317 West Broadway, Suite 214

Eugene, OR 97401-2890

Phone: 541-683-4363 Fax: 541-683-3910

Email:info@pnba.org

http://www.pnba.org

(AK, ID, MT, OR, WA)

San Diego Booksellers Association

Myrna Robers (President)

Acacia Avenue Books

124 Loma Sante Fe Dr.

Solana Beach, CA 92705-1104

Phone: 619-481-6455

Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA)

Wanda Jewell, Exec. Dir.

2730 Devine St.

Columbia, SC 29205

Phone: 803-252-7755; 800-331-9617 Fax: 803-252-8589

Email: sebajewell@aol.com

http://www.sebaweb.org

(AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA)

Southern California Booksellers Association (SCBA)

Jennifer Bigelow, Executive Director

540 S. Marengo

Pasadena, CA 91101

Phone: 616-792-6157 Fax: 616-792-1402

Email: scba@earthlink.net

http://scba.bookpage.com/

(southern CA)

Upper Midwest Booksellers Association (UMBA)

Susan Walker, Executive Director

5520 Park Place

Edina, MN 55424

Phone: 612-926-5868; 800-784-7522; 922-0076 Fax: 612-926-6657

Email: umbaoffice@aol.com

http://www.abookaday.com

(IA, IL, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Association of Booksellers for Children

Caron Chapman, Executive Director

4412 Chowen Avenue South #303

Minneapolis, MN 55410

Phone: 612-926-6650; 800-421-1665 Fax: 612-926-6650

The following associations sponsor book awards: GLBA, MPBA, NAIBA, NEBA, NCIBA, PNBA

Most rent their mailing lists.

Mail order catalogs Poking around on the World Wide Web uncovers an amazing number of mail order catalogs. Careful perusal of the various categories may reveal those which would be appropriate venues for your titles. Three major collections are listed below. Happy hunting!

Catalog & Magazine Request Center

Mail Order Catalogs! Free Catalogs!

Buyer's Index

Comments or suggestions?

Write to catspawpress@aol.com; we'd love to hear from you. Thanks for dropping by, and come again--we'll be adding new "shelves" and "rooms " in the Tool Shed from time to time, and there's always new material to put in the Tool Shed!

You can also take a publishing class: Pat Bell is a faculty member of the Writers College, where she teaches an on-line class on publishing. Check out When is The Next Publishing Class? for her current schedule.

Don't have time to take a class? You can also arrange for consultations with her. Help is close at hand!