Ingram, Baker And Taylor, And Amazon

It’s Important to Recognize That a List Is Just That–and Nothing More
Over the years, I can’t begin to count the number of times writers have contacted me, bubbling with enthusiasm, to let me know that a book of theirs was now listed with the major distributing venues, and they are now “on the way.” I always hate to tell them that the only thing they are on the way to is disappointment, should they believe the lists are sales vehicles that will sell even one book for them.
Don’t Get Excited by Placement with Ingram or Baker & Taylor
Today, almost any title can be placed on either of these lists. And it’s easy to believe that Ingram’s distribution lock with bookstores and B & T’s with libraries would be an immediate path to sales. After all, there are still more than 10,000 retail bookstores in the U.S., and almost 125,000 libraries if the educational system in the U.S. is counted. Let’s see, if those libraries buy just a single book from Baker & Taylor, the world’s mine oyster. If only this were the way it worked.
The Function of Ingram and Baker & Taylor
These firms, which I believe it’s fair to imply have attained monopoly status, since they distribute books to retail bookstores and libraries respectively with almost no other company infringing on either’s turf, have one thing in common: Each is a distributor, not a sales entity.
Distribution Means One Thing, Sales Another
Neither firm sells the first book via its respective list (Ingram now publishes through its own company, Lightning Source, but it still does not sell books via the medium; however, marketing programs are offered, which is a topic all unto itself). It bears repeating, neither Ingram or Baker & Taylor employ a sales force to sell books. They fill orders for books that are presold by outside forces. And that is all!
An Unknown Author on a List Is Like a Drop of Water in the Atlantic
All sorts of statistics are published as to the number of titles on Ingram or Baker & Taylor’s list at any given time, but 70,000 is commonly bandied about. Without publicity, how easy would it be for a reader to find a title amidst 70,000, when the search is not specific?
Amazon Has Its Own Issues
Placement with Amazon might seem like the final step to sales, celebrity, and perhaps salvation. But the same issues exist as with Ingram and B & T. Yes, with Amazon, there’s a lot of “help” available, but the title count in this case is exponentially greater, and therefore the chances for success governed by the multiplier. One of Amazon’s high-ranking executives revealed not long ago that some books on the site don’t sell a single copy.
Back to Understanding What Placement on a List Really Means
For a book to have a realistic chance for the writer who is not a marketing genius or an advertising executive with all sorts of clients in the publishing industry who owe favors, it’s imperative to be listed on Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and Amazon. But this is a starting point and not the end of what is a very tall mountain that except under the rarest of circumstances must be climbed one slow step at a time.