Distribution:Are We Getting Swept Up in ‘The Tail?’
If there’s ever a good time to talk about the state of book distribution, this would be it. Right now, everyone is abuzz about changes occurring within the system thanks in part to the July release of Chris Anderson’s “The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More.” Anderson, editor of Wired magazine, declares the demise of common culture and cites occurrences called “long-tailed distributions,” or distributions to a greater number of smaller markets, rather than one, big mass market. According to Anderson, this helps distributors since they are no longer cut off by bottlenecks of distribution, such as limited shelf space, since more niche markets are developing. In essence, he says everything is becoming available to everyone. Book distribution is just as much within range of that growing, swaying tail as is distribution of any product. But what is its impact on book distribution, and what will its impact be in the future?