The World of Book Distribution
Going behind the scenes of Parea’s forthcoming venture into the distribution world
I have a few longstanding beliefs: first, a company should only be direct-to-consumer if being direct-to-consumer offers a specific benefit to the end customer (I find that it rarely does; now, it seems to be a way to get fast capital and keep your margins down and your ad spend up but there isn’t value passed along to the customer). Second, that publishing is one of the few consumer industries left that truly has no clue who their customer is—they know that someone bought a book, but they don’t know if that person is the reader, if the reader actually ends up reading the book, how long it took them to read it, etc. Third, that there’s a huge opportunity for publishers to build greater brand equity among their readers. In the same way that Netflix pays to acquire certain content whereas HBO pays to acquire other content, Simon & Schuster pays to acquire certain books and FSG pays to acquire others. You make a conscious choice to open Netflix vs. HBO, so why not make a conscious choice to buy from one publisher vs. another? Probably because you don’t know who’s publishing what or why it matters—hence the opportunity for publishers to insert themselves more powerfully into the conversation.
I’m recapping these beliefs because a few months ago I was presented with an incredible opportunity: to partner with Two Rivers, one of the best book distributors in the world (they’re part of Ingram and they distribute for Spiegel & Grau, Zando, Taschen, Harvard Business Review, etc.) to get Parea books in bookstores around the world.
Some people asked, why would you do that? Isn’t the point of what you’re doing to build a publishing company that doesn’t adhere to the norm, one that goes direct to consumer? I asked myself the same question.
Before answering, I started digging into the book distribution world a bit more. If you’re one of the big five publishers you likely have your own distribution arm. If you’re not part of the big five, you need a distributor in order to get your books into both indie and giant chain bookstores. Book buyers aren’t going to deal with each publisher directly, and although I did get Parea’s first book, The Hours Before Dusk by Jenna Matecki, into some incredible indie stores without a distributor, many told me they were interested in the book but wouldn’t order it unless they could go directly through Ingram. Not only that, but it’s hard to get a book distribution deal if you’re not a huge established publisher. The distributors make a slim cut of the sale, so they only work with publishers they believe will sell exceptionally well. I also did some consumer research and found that the overwhelming majority of book purchases are made impulsively, on the spot, in a bookstore.
So in considering how to think about distribution, I went back to my original set of values: I want to get more people reading more often, I want to redefine the relationship between a publisher and its readers, and I want to publish books that not only offer a fresh perspective or new voice, but are also beautiful pieces of art in and of themselves, paying close attention to design, illustration, and production quality. I realized that all of these things are possible if I work with a distributor; in fact, they’re even more possible because they reach a much bigger audience. The thing about direct to consumer marketing is that yes, the internet enables you to target a specific audience and more quickly and smartly acquire customers, but if the books I publish end up going into the hands of people who were most likely to read them anyway, is Parea actually expanding people’s horizons? I want the books to be in as many hands as possible, including those who wouldn’t have been included in an Instagram target audience but who buy the book and realize they now have a new favorite genre, author, or cultural topic to dive into.
I eagerly and excitedly said yes to the deal, and as I walked through Two Rivers’ office in Times Square I couldn’t quite believe where I was. Less than a year after launching the company, with only two published books under my belt, I was signing on to distribute my books all over the world in the best and most revered bookstores. I had the immense muscle of a distributor behind me, one that is well-known in the industry for working with extremely high-quality publishers, and soon I’d be able to walk into my favorite bookstores and see books that Parea published. It still hasn’t hit me.
So here’s what happens after you sign a book distribution deal: first, you’ll find out there are two major sales cycles for books—spring and fall. I signed the deal in December which meant I’d attend the spring sales conference, the one that arms the sales reps with all of the information they need to get the books in bookstores by the fall. In March, I presented the two existing titles and the two new titles to about 20 different sales reps that cover global territory and I received such positive feedback. The team immediately understood Parea’s focus on craftsmanship and quality, remarking how beautiful the book designs are. They also loved the subject matter and the diversity of the authors. And, most of all, they were intrigued and very excited about our community-driven approach to acquiring, editing, and launching books. This told me that I could continue to build a publishing company that was doing something truly new and different and also distribute my books in bookstores everywhere. Now the reps are in the field, pitching Parea books to the best and biggest bookstores, and we’re gearing up for a big launch in Fall 2023.
I am so grateful for the team at Two Rivers for seeing Parea’s vision and backing it, and always grateful to you, the people who support Parea and make this entire dream possible.