Decide what type of books you want to sell in your store. Though many book distributors are available, many specialize in specific types of books such as textbooks, business aids, religious books, reference material, fiction and nonfiction. You should narrow your selection to a specific genre to help find a suitable supplier.
Search wholesale book suppliers online. Large book suppliers are available and usually have websites to search merchandise such as Amazon.com which provides books for multiple genres to book retailers across the globe. Other suppliers may serve a specific geographic area---and specialize in a specific book genre---such as High Desert Book Supply, which supplies books to Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, and sells primarily to educators, businesses and non-profit organizations. Some suppliers may require a membership or a private business account to access books. Many of these suppliers also only sell books in bulk quantities, so if you're a small bookstore you may not be able to order a single book if a customer requests only one copy. Create a list of possible suppliers based on your needs.
Ask the book supplier about any special services offered, such as free shipping on orders or new membership discounts. Typically, larger orders are given lower shipping rates and shipping may be free on special deals. Inquire with the suppliers about what they offer, then choose the best one based on your bookstore's needs, overall cost and quality of service.
Locate backup book suppliers and keep them on hand in case a shipping problem arises, or your main suppliers go out of business or alter their service. This is just to serve as a fail-safe in case any supply problems arise.