Getting a distributor can help you get your book on the shelves of national chains and independent book stores. There are general book distributors, but a better choice for a Christian-themed book might be one of the Christian book distributors.

Christian book distributors specialize in representing Christian books, they work primarily with Christian book stores and understand the market in a way that a general distributor may not.

Whether you choose to work with a general distributor or a Christian book distributor, the process is much the same. They will want to see that you have a marketing plan, that there is a market for the book, and that the book is quality. That means an attractive, effective cover, the text is well-written and edited, and the interior design is professional.

If you wish to work with a Christian book distributor, two of the largest and best-known are:

Spring Arbor Distributors Inc.
An Ingram Book Group Company

STL Distribution

Book distributors sell books to bookstores and wholesalers. Although it may sometimes be possible to sell directly to bookstores, most booksellers prefer dealing with a few wholesalers and distributors rather than entering into transactions with thousands of publishers.

Although many people use the terms book wholesaler and book distributor interchangeably, they are different. Book distributors often have a sales force to represent books to buyers. Wholesalers generally do not market books, and simply fill orders. You may have relationships with more than one book wholesaler, but most book distributors will require an exclusive. Discounts to wholesalers are typically around 55%, while distributors may receive 65% or more.

Ingram Book Group and Baker & Taylor are two of the largest book wholesalers. In most cases, Ingram will only represent books from presses with significant sales volume. You may, however, be able to get into the Ingram catalog “through the back door” by having your book represented by one of the book distributors recommended by Ingram. You might start with one of the distributors listed below.

BCH Fulfillment & Distribution
46 Purdy Street
Harrison, NY 10528
800-431-1579 Phone

BookMasters, Inc.
30 Amberwood Parkway
Ashland, OH 44905
800-537-6727 Phone

Greenleaf Book Group LLC
4425 Mopac South, Suite 600
Longhorn Bldg., 3rd Floor
Austin, TX 78735
800-932-5420 Phone

Independent Publishers Group
814 N. Franklin St.
Chicago, IL 60610-3109
312-337-0747 Phone

International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Dr.
Sterling, VA 20166
703-661-1586 Phone

Midpoint Trade Books Inc.
27 W. 20th Street
New York, NY 10011-3707
212-727-0190 Phone

National Book Network
4501 Forbes Blvd. Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
301-459-3366 Phone

Partners Publishers Group
2325 Jarco Dr.
Holt, MI 48842
517-694-3205 Phone

Pathway Book Service
4 White Brook Road
Gilsum, NH 03448
800-345-6665 Phone