Logistics; do they still deliver?

One of the points that Big 5 had to its favor was logistics. A sudden success could bankrupt a small publisher, venues are easier to reach by the hand of a Big 5...

Is it still true? When you can reach your market through amazon and PoD, is the chance of reaching a gas station useful, when your distributor doesn't care about his own books, much less yours, in small shops? Yes, physical bookstores may boycott books sold through amazon [*]. And the buyer can open his cell and buy it right there. Those boycotts presume a brand fidelity they haven't nurtured in years.

So, let's say your indie book gets traction and goes to bestseller. Unless the terms are way better than CreateSpace... how is Big 5 distribution worth it?

Take care.

[*] Oh, you hand't heard? Fancy, that. They do.

PS: Yes, I know. Kris wrote it first. That's four years ago! I'm slow.

Start here:

The difference between Small Publishing now and Small Publishing just five years ago is in the all-important area of distribution. If you go back to my earlier posts, you’ll note that I said that publishing companies are really in the business of distributing books, of getting books from the writer to the reader.