Bookpeople (distributor)

Bookpeople

Company type	Employee-owned cooperative
Industry	Book wholesaling and distribution
Founded	1969
Founder	Don Gerrard
Defunct	2003
Headquarters	Oakland, California , United States
Area served	Nationwide and abroad
Products	Books (wholesale and distribution)

Bookpeople was a book wholesaler and distributor owned by its employees, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, active from 1969 until 2003. It played a pivotal role in the resurgence of independent publishing throughout this era by supplying a diverse selection of rare and difficult-to-find books to bookstores nationwide and abroad. The company notably impacted the expansion of New Age literature and radical political publishing and retail. It should not be confused with The Book People, a publisher based in the U.K., or BookPeople, a bookstore situated in Austin, Texas.

History

The enterprise was founded by Don Gerrard in 1969 and later transitioned to employee ownership, reorganizing as a cooperative. In 1971, it was incorporated as the Bookpeople Employee's Association, marking it as one of the earliest cooperatives established in the Bay Area. Initially headquartered in Berkeley, California, the company moved to Oakland during the early 1990s. Renowned for its extensive inventory of provocative titles, Bookpeople also took a principled stance by declining to carry books deemed excessively sexist or exploitative, such as American Psycho.

Publishing

Although frequently recognized as a publisher, Bookpeople itself did not release books under its own name. Instead, it managed Wingbow Press, a publishing imprint dedicated to regional interests. Wingbow Press published works including early versions of Bargain Hunting in the Bay Area by Sally Socolich and titles focusing on women's spirituality, divination practices, and environmental themes.

Exclusive distribution

Bookpeople provided exclusive distribution services for numerous small publishers, facilitating broader bookstore access. By offering return privileges on unsold stock, bookstores were encouraged to carry titles from lesser-known publishers without incurring complete financial risk. Several books and publishers initially distributed through Bookpeople later evolved into prominent imprints or were absorbed by major publishing houses. Examples include Mutant Message Down Under (originally self-published before acquisition by HarperCollins), The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment (which moved to Bantam Books after years with an independent press), and the Whole Earth Catalog. Significant publishing partners included John Muir Press and North Atlantic Books.

Wholesaling

Bookpeople’s primary business was wholesaling, offering nonexclusive sales of titles from both leading trade publishers and independent presses. Their wholesale catalog functioned as an essential tool for booksellers, consistently featuring new releases in developing areas such as African American studies, feminism, holistic health, spirituality, and LGBTQ+ literature—including erotica.

Legacy

After over three decades of collaboration within the bookselling sector, Bookpeople’s closure left a notable void in the industry. Many former employees went on to assume influential positions within the broader bookselling community, underscoring the company’s enduring impact on the market.

See also

• List of book distributors