If you spend enough time talking to publishers, you will hear the same phrase repeated again and again: “We have distribution.” Sometimes that statement is accurate. More often, it is used loosely enough that it becomes difficult for authors to evaluate what it really means.

The challenge is that distribution has become one of the least clearly defined terms in publishing. When authors rely on the term alone, rather than understanding the underlying systems, they often make decisions based on potentially misleading language instead of reality. In practice, distribution requires infrastructure.

A more useful approach, then, is to ask a different question: What systems are actually supporting my book once it is in the market, and will I have visibility into them?

Why “Being in Ingram” Is Not a Strategy

One of the most common phrases we hear from authors is, “My book is distributed through Ingram.” It’s usually said with relief, sometimes with pride, and often with the assumption that a major hurdle has been cleared. However, that’s often not the case.

A book does not move from author to bookstore shelf in a straight line. It moves through a layered system: publisher to distributor to wholesaler to retailer to reader. Each layer serves a specific function. When those functions get conflated, authors mistake access for traction.

Many authors begin the hard work of generating sales for their book long before the actual release date. There are many different options for collecting these preorders, as well as many ways to make the most of them, helping you meet your goals and priorities for the project.

Writers dream of becoming bestselling authors so they can plaster that phrase next to their name on business cards, resumes, books, blog posts, and photos. And they can’t be blamed—that phrase counts for a lot, especially for authors hoping to attract customers with a “national bestseller” banner on their cover. But what exactly does it mean to be a bestselling author? And how much does it really matter?

Having ownership of their own books allows authors to sell directly to the public at high margins, which is great for entrepreneurial authors interested in back-of-room sales. (In a traditional publishing arrangement, if the author is permitted to sell direct, the contract generally includes a set 40–50% discount for copies the author purchases from the publisher.)