Deconstructing Distribution
In other words, retail sales make up slightly more than 50 percent of all book sales. (Libraries and institutional sales, incidentally, account for 149 million units, netting $3.5 billion, or 10 percent, of all book sales.) So, how economically significant are each of the various distribution channels to the industry? Insights from a number of experts indicate that a lot of guesswork may be involved.
Eugene G. Schwartz is editor at large for ForeWord Reviews, an industry observer and an occasional columnist for Book Business magazine. In an earlier career, he was in the printing business and held production management positions at Random House, Prentice-Hall/Goodyear and CRM Books/Psychology Today. A former PMA (IBPA) board member, he has headed his own publishing consultancy, Consortium House. He is also Co-Founder of Worthy Shorts Inc., a development stage online private press and publication service for professionals as well as an online back office publication service for publishers and associations. He is on the Publishing Business Conference and Expo Advisory Board.