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Before the full-time writing and publishing I do today, I was once a VP doing traditional distribution for 250 indie publishers to the US trade market. I set up a BookExpo internship for 20 UCLA students to learn about publishing and then work the trade show floor in Los Angeles. This "Journey of a Book" overview was the interns' first lesson. The foundations of traditional publishing remain the same even now, and all our publishing interns still start here.

The Journey of a Book from Concept to Customer…

and the people it meets along the way.

by Nancy Freund

April, 1999

  1. Author
  2. Packager
  3. Agent
  4. Editor
  5. Publisher
  6. Publishing consultant
  7. Production team
  8. Graphic designer
  9. Printer
  10. Publicist
  11. Reviewer
  12. Industry Media
  13. Related (non-industry) media
  14. Distributor
  15. Marketing team
  16. Sales team: trade book stores
  17. Sales team: special markets, including Internet
  18. Fulfillment House
  19. Customer: wholesaler
  20. Customer: retailer
  21. Customer: libraries and special markets
  22. Returns processor
  23. Remainders and Hurts dealer
  24. Consumer

Midpoint National, Inc.

Distribution and fulfillment warehouse.

Kansas City, Kansas

Midpoint National, Inc.

Distribution and fulfillment warehouse.

Kansas City, Kansas

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