Though books are increasingly distributed in other mediums, book stores still own the majority of book sales. Authors rely on their books reaching large book chains, such as Barnes and Noble, in order to reach a broad readership. Since release dates are contingent on editing changes and other variables, the dates might be moved up by several weeks or months. Book tours, in which authors would travel to stores across the country, have become rarer as publicity budgets have been cut.
Books arrive in stores largely through the efforts of book distributors. Some major distributors are Book Hub and Consortium Booksellers, and they must maintain good relationships with both publishers and book sellers. These distributors are responsible for recognizing patterns and meeting reader demand, often on short notice and with limited data.
In his book, "The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less for More," Chris Anderson, the editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, suggested that retail habits have been radically altered by Internet sellers. Recently flourishing business, like Netflix and Amazon, took advantage of niche interests by offering a greater variety of products but with the intent of selling less. Anderson calls this strategy "the long tail." As a result, book buyers are frustrated by the limitations of traditional book store distribution. Book distributors can take advantage of "long tail" strategies by finding ways to offer variety, in place of bulk sales.
"Vanity presses," which print books that would not be accepted by major publishing houses, have inspired dismissive skepticism but have also produced some successes. Though large publishers like Random House and Knopf dominate the market, books like "The Shack" by William P. Young can find a niche and sell millions of copies. After Young could not find a publisher for his religiously-themed book, he self-published, with the result of major sales and positive reviews. Despite the mixed perceptions for independent and "vanity presses," they have the potential of helping literature reach its audience.
E-book distribution is another area that the Internet and advances in technology have changed the way that book buyers acquire titles. Mobile devices like the Kindle and the Nook have made e-book distribution even more ubiquitous. The direct benefits to e-books are convenience, fewer space demands for a book catalog, and lower distribution costs.