distributer, wholesaler, publicist?

K. Wilcox said:

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but would love advise on where to ask.
Do small presses have to have distributors or can they work directly with wholesalers? (Yes, I know nothing and so am probably not even asking the right questions)

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I'm not sure what you're asking here.

Distributors and wholesalers are very specific things in the book trade, and publishers usually work with one or the other--not both.

Wholesalers tend to provide books to bookshops when those bookshops place special orders with them; distributors not only provide the books, and do all the stock control, ordering, and returns on behalf of the publishers they distribute for; they also usually employ sales teams which actively sell the books into bookshops.

Does that help?

I thought publicists were the ones who helped books get into the hands of reviewers.. but I read somewhere recently where they were saying distributors submitted books to the big reviewers (you know, the real big ones, like booklist)

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Publicists and marketing people handle review copies, usually. The review copies are ARCs, not final copies, so they don't get into the hands of the distributors. Who told you distributors handled this? It might provide some context.

I probably have a whole lot of other questions about the different roles of these guys, but I am so new, I really don't even know what questions to ask yet.
I would love clarification by anybody who knows.
Thank you very much.

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I hope I've clarified a few things for you. But don't hesitate to ask questions if not. That's what AW is for!