Barnes & Noble buys books from publishers, authors, and wholesalers rather than from a single source. Their materials say they review submissions from both large and small publishers, work with independent and university presses, and use at least one wholesaler for distribution.

How it works

  • Direct from publishers. Barnes & Noble considers books submitted by publishers for store and online placement.
  • From authors/small presses. Independent authors and small publishers can submit titles for review and potential listing.
  • Through a wholesaler. Barnes & Noble says it works with one wholesaler, A360 Distribution, for wholesale distribution.
  • For online inventory. Their website also carries a very large catalog, with over 1 million unique titles in the warehouse and more than 50,000 publisher imprints represented.

Practical takeaway

In plain terms, Barnes & Noble sources books through a mix of publisher relationships, wholesale distribution, and direct submission channels. So if a book is available at B&N, it may have come straight from a publisher, through a distributor, or via a special vendor setup.

TL;DR

Barnes & Noble buys books mainly from publishers and wholesalers, and it also accepts titles from authors and small presses for possible store or online sale.