How to Market Books

You might expect this chapter to get straight down to business by offering you a series of techniques likely to result in sales. We will turn to this, but my aim is first to promote a longer-term view. If you begin your sales campaign by considering the needs of the buyer, their buying history, current circumstances and how much they understand about both organisation and product, it is more likely that your approach can be relevant, specific, personal – and therefore also heard.

Selling is often understood as a simple process: the offering of goods in exchange for satisfaction; the fulfilling of needs. As a skill it was surely quickly acquired when early man bartered food for tools. Today, however, how the sales role is described is both culturally and organisationally specific; in some cultures, trouble is taken to hide the essentially transactional nature of selling, referring to those in sales as ‘representatives’ or involved with some aspect of ‘communications’, with an accompanying implication that information rather than money is changing hands.

Within the publishing industry, the existence of specific retail outlets that managed the sale of books to customers (bookshops) meant that distance was established in the selling process. In many markets this was supported by the existence of retail price maintenance, which meant books could not be sold for less than their net price.¹ Publishers sold to third parties, wholesalers and retail buyers, not to the end user, and direct selling to the customer was frowned upon. This was combined with a professional, and frankly class-based reticence about involvement in the selling process and money actually changing hands. The marketing function emerged to provide sufficient information to prompt a buying decision, the assumption being that the market knew what they were looking for and would find it through advertising copy on the jacket or in catalogue materials sent to the retailer.

But since the demise of retail price maintenance in many markets and the rise of new selling mechanisms, many of which are online, consumers have become much more aware of their own best interests. Searching for information and purchasing online has accustomed consumers to being specific about their needs and careful in their use of vocabulary in searches, hence the importance of publishers ensuring the copy for their products meets the requirements of search engine optimisation (see Chapter 5). Consumers increasingly want to be an active part of the buying process rather than simply purchasing what is offered and experience of this has empowered them to take part in the evaluation of information, to hunt for the best deal, to cut out middle people whose involvement raises prices without adding value to what is on sale. And this now suits publishers, who want to develop rather than delegate these buying relationships, so that they (rather than the retailers and wholesalers) gain the valuable marketing information that can be secured at the same time, and build longer-term relationships.

Direct selling has also been influenced by the policies of local government, where the level of parking charges and rises in high street rental and rates have often reduced the ability of independent shops to operate, and hence the quality and variety of the local shopping experience available to the consumer – who may henceforth choose to drive to out-of-town shopping centres or malls, or buy online. New shopping services offered direct can make available a wider and enhanced range of delivery options that feel personal to the consumer (e.g., evening delivery to home addresses when those ordering are more likely to be in; extended options for returning what is not needed through a much wider range of collection points; free delivery both to and from the consumer; significantly extended guarantees of satisfaction). Some of these are organised through existing retail outlets such as ‘click and collect’ through high street stores, which allows the customer to place an order online, but have it delivered to a local store which reduces delivery charges and congestion and encourages the customer to buy something else while they are collecting their order.

These changes have led those managing the sales of publishing products to adapt their selling processes and priorities too. There have been significant changes in how publishers sell their wares to those they are hoping will stock, display and promote them for potential sale. Unless the shop is particularly important, individual representation to individual stores, using a range of supporting printed materials, is much less common. Today materials can be presented online or via the telephone – and a regular voice call or email can still feel personal. Large organisations may prefer to buy centrally, through their head office at the discretion of the nominated subject buyer, smaller organisations may buy through a central consortia or a professional/representative organisation. Terms and conditions will be part of the arrangements, and these will include a variety of isolatable variables, including the terms on which material is supplied (firm sale or can it be returned; who pays for carriage; how long is the payment period?). The growing familiarity with online shopping has also reduced its associated perceived risks, and this too benefits publishers – for example, fiction titles (especially ebooks) are generally low in cost and individual customers can be willing to try a small-scale purchase on the grounds that the price was minimal should it not prove what is wanted.

Influences on individual buyer behaviour

Given the centrality of the customer to the marketing process, we have looked in detail already (in Chapters 2 and 3) at the various influences that may be impacting on their readiness to hear a sales message and their willingness to absorb it. These may range from influences close to home, within the micro-environment (e.g., personal change or institutional reorganisation that impacts on their willingness to buy; reduction in personal income or departmental budget) to those within the wider external or macro-environment (e.g., decline in the economy or a forthcoming general election). The salesperson’s ability to affect these may vary; in the first instance it may be possible to effect a short-term change, say by lowering prices or offering longer-term credit options, in the latter to empathise and make a note to keep in touch to contact again once the situation changes or perhaps improves.

Then there are a range of new influences on timing that stem from online retailing. The digital lifecycle moves faster and is more malleable. It’s possible to organise short-term pricing and special offers to stimulate interest and to measure the results within particular markets or on specific populations, feeding back observations into subsequent campaigns.

These complexities will be apparent depending on the nature of the item being purchased, whether it is a straightforward repurchasing of standardised items or services that are already listed (arranging the delivery of basic utilities; office supplies such as paper or the photocopier), a modified purchase that offers the opportunity to reconsider how the product or service is delivered (computer servicing for a family that allows for various people wanting access with varying levels of skill; contracts with designers which anticipate a move away from print to web-based delivery) to a completely new purchase, to meet new situations that must be costed and secured from a very basic starting point (organising a funeral for the first time; arranging space for the establishment of a hub for online delivery, when the existing warehouse has always been located next to the organisation).

There are likely to be significant differences in how the organisation behaves when buying compared with the individual. Kotler et al’s (2013) model for buying behaviour within business is divided into three stages – consideration of the wider environment at the beginning, the buying decision-making process of the specific organisation in the middle, impacting on the buyer’s responses at the end. How this works in practice will vary between organisations, but there are likely to be more people involved in the purchasing, and each of these will have different responses to the various stimuli within both the organisation and the environment, some based on their role (production may have different technical requirements to those of colleagues in distribution), their experience to date (ordering key components long distance was not a success last time) as well as their personal responses (perhaps a preference to buy from organisations selling ethically sourced products). It is also likely that selling to organisations will involve working with professional buyers, those who have been trained to manage the process of purchase and are hence effective negotiators. The requirement to work with a range of different individuals and departments within the organisation will mean that negotiation and the decision-making process are likely to be both more complex and more formal.

There are also many potential influences on buyer behaviour to consider, from those within the wider business environment (are the banks willing to lend to us? If we hold off changing our supplier now, can we buy better when the technology has improved in a year’s time?) to those that operate within the individual organisation (what is our policy on how many suppliers to accept; long term are we trying to reduce our reliance on too few suppliers and create more purchasing options?). Within this mix must be considered interpersonal influences such as status of the individuals, their relative seniority and their tendency to be influenced by each other (e.g., do they automatically reject the recommendations of colleagues from other departments or those from lower levels of seniority?) as well as the responses of the individual to this situation (do they fit in with the suggestions put forward by colleagues, persist in making recommendations for change or decide to move on, taking their purchasing recommendations to a competitor?), all of which can impact on organisational purchasing patterns.

Within an organisation, the different stages of making a decision may be represented through a series of involved individuals – the gatekeeper who allows (or blocks) access to the selling process, the initiator who begins the search, the influencers who shape the process, the individual who decides, the buyer who places the order and the users who work with what is decided upon. In some organisations these roles will be established clearly, with associated job titles, in others they may be less apparent, and the salesperson may be forced to try to work out the politics of purchasing and who best to approach and in what order; hence a hunt for the manager with the authority and need for purchase.

Example of individual roles within a buying situation

The sale of materials to schools gives a good example of the complicated nature of organisational purchasing patterns. Teachers are generally highly collaborative when considering material for use in class – what is chosen will be used by a range of colleagues in curriculum delivery and once a purchasing decision has been made, another choice will not be affordable for a considerable period of time. While precise operation will vary according to institution and associated personalities, in general the following roles can be identified. The gatekeeper is often the school administrator, or receptionist, who can block or permit the entry of marketing information and providers into the organisation. This may be by relatively simple means such as deciding (or not) to circulate marketing information and passing on information on callers. The initiator of a suggested purchase may be a teacher who has moved from another school and used different materials, or is tired of the existing ones. Influencers will be other teachers involved in delivering the curriculum, other staff who have experience of installing new materials and the suggested provider or those with a specific interest or responsibility, for example the school’s (appointed/self-appointed) IT coordinator who is interested in the extent to which materials receive publisher support and online updates. The individual who decides may be the head of section (generally the head teacher in schools for younger children; the head of the curriculum area in schools for older children). The person who places the order may be the finance manager or the school administrator. At each stage in the process of considering, deciding and ordering, the process may be influenced by a range of different factors from the previous purchasing decisions to personal relationships (and cooperativeness) between individuals.

Selling to individuals

Having explored the background to sales, it’s time to think about how to communicate with those who will make decisions about the products and services you have to offer. This is perhaps best thought of in terms of the relationship that is built up with individuals.

Building long-term relationships with customers

By sales development consultants www.miradorus.com

Looking at sales purely in terms of totals achieved risks creating a series of ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ relationships. So rather than looking at one-off sales, how can we really make a connection with customers? How can we spot the personality type we are dealing with and look towards a longer-term relationship? Perhaps it’s best to begin by understanding that we really do have a say in the outcome of the sales process.

Let’s consider for a moment what happens when we meet someone for the first time. Before we begin to discuss business with them, they need to feel safe and trust us as quickly as possible. According to Dr Michael Solomon of New York University, we assess a new person within the first 7 seconds of contact, and we make decisions about 11 different aspects of that person, including their credibility, level of sophistication and personal values.

This process of information gathering takes place against a backdrop of general assumptions about what a ‘salesperson’ looks like, probably based on a bad experience with an overbearing salesperson who had their ‘patter’ and was not going to stop talking until every word of the script had been delivered. In short, there are various factors working against effective communication within a sales situation.

There are other pressures on the person delivering a sales message:

• Buyers will only engage in sales activities if they want to and if they can see that doing so will deliver results – no matter how much you talk at them!

• People will generally only do business with people they like and trust.

So how can we at least increase our chances of being trusted and liked? To actually close that first sale we need to develop a relationship with the potential buyer. The initial investment of time and effort to do this should be on the basis that it will form the foundations of a longer-term relationship, one where multiple sales and referrals may well take place over a period of time.

When we are selling something, whether product or service, we have to consider what we are selling and why we need to do so. We then need to look at our potential customer in a similar manner by understanding their needs and therefore what value the solution we are offering (or selling) represents to them. The way in which we do this will determine just how effective the relationship can be from this point on.

The quickest way to create rapport and establish our credibility is to treat our potential customers in a way that we would like to be treated. Put another way, we need to understand how our customers prefer to think so we can interact using their language and their style. This will ensure that we do business with them in the way they prefer, not the way we prefer.

Science tells us we give off clues to our preferences all the time, so as salespeople we need to understand and apply what those are in order to increase our chances of success. We would recommend starting with an objective and easy to understand approach such as Herrmann International’s Whole Brain Thinking^® Model. This brain-based model has established that there are four distinct thinking preferences (see Figure 7.1) and that we all have a strong preference for at least one of the quadrants.

Figure 7.1 Analytical thinking/practical thinking/relational thinking/experimental thinking diagram. Courtesy of Miradorus.

The global database of more than 3 million individuals who have completed the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI survey) demonstrates that more than 90 per cent of the population have multiple thinking preferences, which means they are likely to give off multiple clues.

So just how do you translate personal thinking preferences into something that helps you engage, build a relationship and gain the trust of a potential buyer? If you are unfamiliar with your customers then you will need to ensure your approach appeals to all four thinking preferences; once you know them better then you can target their preferences more accurately. Whatever your starting point, some preparation and practice will be required prior to any initial interaction.

• Customers with a left, blue (A) quadrant preference are looking for a brief, precise, clear and well-articulated sales pitch. Be sure to have your facts and figures to hand; and if you don’t know the answer, be honest and say so!

• Customers who have a left, green (B) quadrant preference will want to experience a step-by-step sales process that minimises potential risks associated with buying from you and your organisation. If you try to push these people into a quick decision, or introduce any last-minute surprises, then you are unlikely to see them for dust!

• Right, red (C) quadrant preference customers may well only be talking to you because someone referred you. If they do not feel comfortable with you, their body language will make that obvious and you will see them physically pull back to put space between you and them. Once this happens it is time to start the rapport-building process again, if you want them to do business with you.

• Customers with a preference in the right, yellow (D) quadrant are looking for something new and innovative. They want just a high-level overview, so try to avoid detail and data if you want to retain their interest. Don’t be surprised if they lose their train of thought mid-sentence, they may well have thought of yet another good idea!

Enjoy practising clue-spotting with family, friends and customers – remember very few people are ‘single’ minded, most people have a combination of multiple quadrants so taking a ‘Whole Brain Approach’ is your best tactic. And as you begin to become skilled at stretching your arguments into other people’s preferences, just take a moment to notice how much easier the sales process has become.

Top tips for effective sales communication

1 Understand that sales communication is not just about talking. Communication is a two-way process that involves listening, picking up clues that tell you why the customer might need the product in question, how they might use it – and who else they might be buying it for. Buying reasons may vary and the customer’s focus may be different from your own. A good adage is that you have two ears and one mouth, and they should be used in the same proportion.

2 Focus on the buyer and how they will use and benefit from your product or service rather than seeing sales as the initial entry point to an organisation. The role of the sales person can be integrated within the organisation at a variety of levels from someone you see on a regular basis (but don’t really engage with) or someone who can be relied upon to provide a quotation and estimation of delivery times (often against which to judge other estimates) to someone who is a trusted adviser and can recommend particular solutions for specific organisational needs. Sellers who understand a business’s needs and the forces that drive them are in a better position to communicate solutions and promote a longer-term business relationship. It follows that understanding what the customer wants and why they are buying is likely to lead to more embedded and sustained relationships.

3 Look for the right person to receive, and hopefully act on, your message. Within an organisation, this may be a manager with the authority and need for the product or service you have to offer; within a family there may be a range of key individuals who influence the buying decision. You need to consider whose needs are paramount but whose perspectives must also be accommodated – or just shown respect.

4 Maintain the relationship. Longer-term commitment to maintaining a sales relationship, through acting as a business consultant or wise adviser, can both promote activity in the short term and yield much more prolonged longer-term results.

5 Promote the ability to deliver an effective and succinct summary (a ‘pitch’) that is relevant to the selling situation in hand. Get to the point while remaining alert to recognise buying signals. But how do you ensure this remains fresh and relevant? Jenny Powell of Miradorus comments:

Once you have gained an understanding of the customer’s needs, and the drivers for those needs, then you will be in a position to make sound recommendations at a business level. As you communicate what products and services you can provide, you will need to edit the information you present to include only those that are relevant to the customer’s needs. This will ensure that your pitch is always customer specific and never generic. Consider how to deliver this in a way that also takes into account the customer’s thinking preference(s).

6 Close the deal by asking for the order. Without it, you are simply providing information, not selling. But how can you spot that the customer is ready to order? Sue Farmer of Miradorus comments:

When the customer seems confident in what you’ve recommended, then it will be time to decide together how to proceed. Sometimes it is obvious when to close the meeting and ask for the order and the customer will take that step for you. At other times you may have to look for less observable signs of acceptance. Words, tone and body language may all give clues that the customer is ready to buy or move forward in the sale process, and you need to consider how to do this in a way that respects their individual thinking preference(s).

How selling works in a publishing context

Kotler et al’s (2013) theoretical model of buyer behaviour concentrates on a series of logical stages from problem recognition and information search to information evaluation, decision and post-purchase thinking, all within a context of marketing and other stimuli that may affect buyer thinking. While this has a strong relevance to decision-making over publishing products, and what goes on within organisations making buying decisions that affect many people (e.g., deciding which reading scheme to use within schools or which online information service to support a legal firm), in reality the purchasing of reading material is often subject to much less considered influences, and frequently whims – books are regularly an impulse purchase.

Reading material for leisure is seldom a life essential, and the ‘need’ may be fulfilled in other ways, perhaps through buying published items from other suppliers but also through the purchase of alternative discretionary items (e.g., chocolate, drinks, lottery tickets). The purchasing of reading material can also take a lot of time in comparison with other personal spends (observe the wide range of what is available and wonder where to start, look at the cover designs and see what draws your eye, read the cover blurb of titles that attract you, read the first few paragraphs of the book to see if you find the style appealing) and it may be that other, more simply branded, purchases offer a more straightforward route to satisfaction (e.g., buy a magazine that you know from habit will appeal to your taste). Publishers try to make the decision-making process simple by presenting markets with category clues – women’s commercial fiction will have a distinct cover look that separates it from crime fiction – but it is still often the case that choosing a book can take considerably longer than other types of leisure purchase.

Within the book business in particular there may also be time-specific influences on buying decisions. Seasonality is very important, particularly the run-up to Christmas, the return to school and the start of the academic year within universities and colleges. Other traditions are emerging too – from the promotion of book-giving to mark Mother’s Day to the Easter promotion of crime literature within Scandinavian countries. Literary prizes have a big impact as well, and stock of the winning title for certain major annual awards will need stickering with the associated announcement and quickly rolling out through shops eager to benefit from the accompanying media interest. Books also make effective materials for celebrating key events, and much associated commemorative publishing goes on.

All this makes it complicated – and expensive – to develop sales pitches specifically relevant to each market. Publishers are generally selling to niche markets, but generally at mass market prices, and this does not yield a lot of income for tailoring specific sales pitches to a series of small customer groups. They often have to hope that their copy and promotions will work across markets, through the variety of market segments they hope are listening. This chapter will therefore now consider four particular markets: home sales, export sales, rights sales and sales direct to consumers, and offer advice on how the selling may best be achieved in each case. It will conclude with a case study of how one publisher juggles these various requirements in practice.

Selling to the home market

Retail outlets specialising in books

Whereas sale of publisher stock to individual bookshops used to be coordinated by publishers’ reps visiting stores, today sales are more usually handled centrally with a key accounts manager visiting a chain’s head office, stock delivered to a central organisational warehouse and then rolled out to the individual stores – with local managers retaining a much reduced (or even no) flexibility to order additional stock for the particular needs and tastes of the local markets. Decisions about what to stock will be based on fit for the retailer brand, their audiences and stores, and those doing the buying cannot be assumed to be reading enthusiasts. They will want to know the level of ‘publisher support’ (read marketing spend and discount available) before committing to significant stockholding.

Larger independent bookshops may receive calls in person, or order by telephone or online. Authors may also seek to encourage their local bookshop to take stock of their work, particularly if this ties in with local events that are being organised.

A difficulty for publishers today is that the number of titles taken by traditional book trade is, in general, significantly reduced. Publishers used to set their print runs according to the number that had been subscribed (or committed to) by booksellers, but lower quantities being ordered can mean this is often a dispiritingly low basis on which to proceed, and may underestimate how many may be needed if other title alerting mechanisms take off, e.g., coverage via social media. While reprints can be arranged swiftly, or very swiftly in the case of ‘print on demand’, the risk of how many to produce rests with the publisher.

Many traditional book retailers have also diversified their stocking policy, and now take a wider range of products which require less physical management (unpacking, storing, getting rid of the packaging) and deliver higher profits (greetings cards being a notable example). Some have reduced the space for books by installing coffee shops, in the hope of becoming a ‘destination store’ (or ‘third space’2) for relaxation and meeting people rather than just retailing.

The extent to which publishers can provide their own display or ‘point of sale’ materials (promotional posters and bookmarks and single copy display holders for the point of purchase, dump-bins for multiple copies) has diminished, sometimes due to retailers’ determination to offer customers a clutter-free environment, sometimes to management’s decision to charge for marketing materials that are displayed.

Online retailers

Publishers submit information on their titles for listing as part of what is available from online retailers – based on an understanding that online stockholding is limitless because items listed need not be physically held, simply available for despatch by the original producer whenever a customer orders. Publishers also target buyers within the head office of the online retailer about the holding of physical stock for titles likely to be particularly popular. Publisher materials can be included within a range of online sites, not just book specialists. Particular care needs to be taken in product descriptions supplied to online retailers, as the lack of a physical copy of the work (even with ‘search inside’ available) if it is wrongly categorised it may result in not showing up in online searches undertaken by the consumer.

Libraries

Libraries may buy direct from publishers, and also view (either online or in person) the collections put together by specialist retailers dealing with this market (see Chapter 15).

Other third-party organisations that sell books

There are a range of other wholesalers and consortia dealing with particular types of institutions (e.g., specialist libraries, the Armed Forces or prisons) and whose needs are serviced as ‘approved suppliers’ through regular presentation and stock management and delivery, often with particular additional requirements (protective covering of titles and insertion of the mechanics for servicing loans). Publishers work to get their materials listed within the viewing collections presented to buyers or seek to target those who present potential stock items to them.

Temporary festivals

There is now a range of short-term (sometimes dubbed ‘pop up’) festivals (e.g., literary, science, thinking, or book-specific, e.g., crime fiction or romance). Some festival shops are contracted out (with or without an associated fee) to local booksellers – or a chain who will come and set up a store – and publishers who wish to see their materials stocked have to communicate directly with them. Other festivals organise their own shops. Negotiations and stocking decisions will probably be influenced by how flexible the organisation is – can you deliver quickly if demand outstrips what was anticipated? Will you take back stock that does not sell?

Heritage organisations

Historic houses, castles and other heritage sites open to the public usually have a shop on site, in addition to a café. Stocking decisions will vary – some shops are managed centrally, others are private concerns.

Leisure outlets

Other leisure outlets such as sports centres, theatres and arts centres may similarly have a retail outlet. Stocking can be at the individual manager’s discretion, or may be a policy decision by the local authority or other overseer.

Supermarkets and department stores

Most supermarkets now have an aisle or two for books and stationery – and this is often seen as a more leisurely browsing zone, particularly welcoming for those accompanying active shoppers who can be persuaded to lurk here and buy. Stocking is usually arranged through their central buying facility, direct to head office with decisions made centrally and stock rolled out to individual stores.

Some large department stores have a books department, which stock a limited range of goods on the grounds that they can predict the type of titles their customers may wish to buy. Some of them are amalgamating the online and offline services, with the customers able to have items delivered to a store rather than their home address.

Selling to the export market

Export sales departments look after the sale of content to customers and partners outside of the home market. What is sold may vary – from printed books to the licensing of content within specific markets – but while there may be variations from the basic product for particular markets (e.g., an export trade paperback rather than home market hardback), in general the content will not have been otherwise customised through translation or the significant amendment of content. It follows that export sales operate within markets where the standard home edition is acceptable: territories where the same language is spoken, is widely understood or is acceptable within certain segments (e.g., business or academia). In that they extend the possibilities for sale of the standard content, export sales have the potential to significantly expand an initial sales estimate and make publishing projects viable. Another factor in their favour is that the return rates within export sales can be lower than those for the home market. Retailers stocking books are entitled (according to the terms on which sales are made) to return unsold stock within certain time periods, but in practice the return rates from export sales tend to be significantly lower, perhaps due to the unwieldy associated processes – or increased and longer-term levels of commitment to stock ordered from territories for which local retailers are convinced there is demand.

While the potential for export sales may be significant, some caution is also needed. The population figures for certain markets may seem to offer a tempting prospect but it is important to understand that not all in a market may be interested. For example, for publishers selling in English to a country with a large population, there will be people who speak the language but not all of them may be able or willing to read for pleasure in English, or want to access professional information in that language.

While publishing companies often operate federally, with different imprints developing material of different genres for various markets, export sales are often organised centrally within the organisation, with all titles being presented to external markets from a consistent source – the export sales department. Smaller publishers may contract out their presentation within export markets to agencies who act on their behalf, often larger publishers or consortia of publishers working together. In between exist all sorts of different arrangements, with agencies generally remunerated within the specific markets they service through a commission on the sales they make, and variously supported with the provision of marketing materials. Arrangements with agencies often depend on the ease and experience of contacting and selling within individual export territories as well as short- and long-term market conditions – anything from political instability to local cultural issues (e.g., willingness to buy direct from particular territories; established and valued relationships with existing agencies).

Publishers sign contracts gaining a range of rights for the titles they develop and territories into which they can sell them. Some are ‘open markets’, where the same content can be sold by a competing publisher (for the English language this is usually a publisher on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean and generally includes Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Middle East and Africa), and some are ‘closed markets’, so whoever owns the rights for that territory will be the only permitted retailer in the area (for UK publishers this usually includes Ireland, South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand and any other UK commonwealth territories; for US publishers the closed markets usually include Canada, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam). But today previous arrangements and understandings are circumnavigated by online selling, which often ignores international boundaries. For example, it is currently more expensive to order a book from www.amazon.com in the US than to order the UK edition from www.amazon.co.uk. However, with amazon.com offering free shipping to some countries, it may be cheaper to buy books from them than from local shops – although the other consideration may be the waiting time before the item is supplied.

This is not necessarily disadvantageous – servicing individual bookshop accounts in distant territories may be expensive, and it may be more effective to rely on an online partner in a different territory to supply directly to individuals, and hope word-of-mouth within the market promotes wider interest until a local retailer sees sufficient demand in order to stock for sale.

Some territories are visited by export sales staff from the home base, at regular intervals, often around book fairs, or they attend the sales conferences organised to brief local importation and distribution partners on new titles. Customers may be kept informed in between visits by the despatch of marketing information. But it’s expensive to keep someone on the road, particularly for long-distance destinations; in the longer term more sustainable methods of representation may be sought. This may include the establishment of a sales office within a particular territory – and it’s becoming common for UK publishers to establish offices in Dubai or Hong Kong, from where it may also be possible to source local production opportunities. Other solutions have been to manage key cities across geographical boundaries from a central point (e.g., London, Paris and Brussels may be serviced from the UK via the excellent rail connections).

The benefits of contracting out export sales are lower overheads – someone else manages the day-to-day presentation to the local market – but there may be an associated loss of control. The marketing messages being passed on may drift from the original and agreed central thrust, and while this is often pragmatically done in order to benefit from local knowledge and market conditions, the information on which messages have worked and why may not make its way back to the publisher, who does not therefore learn in the process. The home organisation is also gaining little knowledge of the market being sold to, information with which to refine future marketing processes. There can be conflicts of interest in being sold by one of your competitors, who may present their materials for the same market before yours, or use early information on titles being commissioned to refine their marketing pitch or development plans for future titles of their own.

The book trade has traditionally been very catalogue-driven, and while some publishers still produce printed materials to present their wares to export markets, many have found that the high costs of delivery, and the uncertainty of keeping delivery data updated, means that they are moving to online supply. Printed materials are also out of date as soon as they are created. Marketing materials to support sale to customers may be designed in the home market and then despatched for local customisation in the export territory, or created from scratch in the local market. Such information on forthcoming titles is provided long ahead, and may include mock-ups of anticipated materials, such as press campaigns and poster sites at railway stations. This is usually to give a sense of the publisher’s expectations for particular titles – and hence anticipated spend on consumer marketing – in the hope that the export market will seek to match.

Export stock that needs to be returned may be variously managed, often depending on how trusted the customer is and how difficult to reach. The publisher may be satisfied by confirmation that titles for return have been destroyed, or they may require proof that titles are no longer saleable (by returning the cover or the title page). For expensive products, the publisher may require their return for restocking and resale, and hence return in a saleable condition. Carriage is generally paid for by the customer, as is the return of stock no longer required, but these may be points of negotiation in particularly competitive situations.

Case study

Interview with Simon McArt, export sales manager, Little, Brown Book Group, a Hachette UK company

I really enjoy my job which is to manage the sale and marketing of Little, Brown titles to customers in territories outside the UK. These customers include individual bookshops, national chains, online retailers, local wholesalers and exclusive national importers and distributors. We may manage the relationships directly, work through offices we establish in specific territories or contract part of, or the entire function, in particular territories to sales agencies (sometimes other publishers) who work on our behalf. Our department – which reports to the head of sales and marketing – has colleagues who cover the whole world; how often they travel depends on the ease (and cost) of reaching the territories for which they are responsible. My specific responsibilities are Ireland, Africa, the Middle East, North, Central and South America and East, South and Southeast Asia. I love the variety – travelling to interesting places, and meeting a wide range of our partners, with many of whom I have built relationships over a long period of time. In several cases I have got to know both them and their customers so well that they will listen to my recommendations for which of our forthcoming titles and backlist will work for them.

We operate a long way ahead of UK publication dates, often up to seven to eight months, and I am thus securing orders for stock that is not yet published – and in some cases not even in production. We also keep them up to date on the availability of our backlist, which is particularly important for titles in English. As an example, two of our bestselling titles in China are both more than 20 years old, and both have been made into successful films – The Thorn Birds and 84 Charing Cross Road. I undertake long-distance sales trips to Africa and India a couple of times a year, usually around key events such as book fairs or forthcoming sales conferences. The challenge on such occasions is maintaining energy levels. I generally have between 100 and 300 titles to present and little time in which to explain their individual benefits. I have to spot the most relevant sales messages for each individual I talk to, all the while remaining alert for signals that they would like me to stop talking and are ready to place an order. Different customers take different amounts of time.

Trying to secure sales is always highly competitive but the competition is various and can be helpfully segmented. In closed markets (where we alone have the rights to sell the UK edition of a particular title) we are facing competition from other publishers and their wares, in some markets we may be competing with firms to which we have sold rights for a local language edition of the same title, and in open markets we may be competing with a US publisher to whom we have sold rights for them to produce an edition for their market too. Sometimes the US publisher may be our own sister company, which has access to many of the same titles we do.

While this may sound a difficult starting point, we have a strong offering. In markets where we face other publishers’ stock we have on our side the editorial merit and sheer saleability of our titles, which have good covers and have been formatted with export requirements in mind (and so often sport supporting cover quotes from an international range of individuals and institutions). In markets where we are competing with very similar products from other publishers, or even our own sister organisation, we can compete on ease of supply and the effectiveness and continuity of our working relationships. UK publishing houses tend to produce small print runs (3,000 at a time is common), which means that we can supply (and resupply) stock very quickly. For some titles we also print stock worldwide, so delivery may be achieved from a printer close to them. While price is often a key bargaining point, there are other factors that affect customers’ decisions to give us business, notably the consistency of service we offer: ‘We have stock in our warehouse right now, which could be delivered to you by the end of the week. If you buy elsewhere you will have to wait until larger organisations have placed their orders.’ Other factors may be our reliability (titles are published, and hence available, when we said they would be) and our sector knowledge (we can recommend stock for business start-ups, specific business development opportunities or to meet particular market needs). You may also be able to draw on your longer-term commitment to them as customers: ‘I was the first person to tell you about this title’; ‘I am here right now, asking for your order, having taken the trouble to visit you.’

We need to remain alert to different market preferences and understand that buying reasons may vary across cultures, often rooted in the cultural value placed on books and indicated by the prices at which they retail (how expensive is a book in relation to the local purchase of a cup of coffee?). For example, in the US it’s common for those buying books for their homes to prefer hardback titles and larger format editions, often with luxury production details such as coloured or ragged end pages and more heavily designed covers, e.g., incorporating ‘cut-outs’. Understanding these preferences will influence the order in which you present new stock and the highlights to which you draw attention. You also need to remember which titles have worked well in the past in specific markets, and it may be sensible to build on this rather than pushing new materials. Effective selling demands a good memory for detail and an ability to apply it selectively.

What we take with us on long sales trips has changed. We used to depart with huge bags of covers and other sample printed materials. While some publishers still use printed marketing information, and we may still produce highlight sheets for key events such as book fairs and conferences, we now base our presentations entirely on online materials, which means that up to date details can be presented to buyers from a portable screen. Those we cannot visit, we send online sales information, which is updated frequently and despatched with ease. We find regular despatch of relevant information keeps all relationships warm.

Export selling is a very price-driven market, but rather than just thinking about how much can be charged, it is important to keep up to date on a range of economic factors that influence both your ability to sell effectively and a market’s willingness to buy. You need to understand how international exchange rates work – and fluctuate – and the particular conditions and current state of the market economies you are visiting. You need to know how you will be paid, the relevant local currency and dealing periods. Certain payment and banking routines will exist within particular territories (e.g., stock in Lebanon is usually paid for in US dollars so the customer will be carrying a risk of the currency fluctuations between the US dollar and the pound sterling). There are certain trade routes that are well established, and where competition to secure business will ensure low rates for transportation, others where there is no established trading route and direct supply from the nearest supply point may be much more expensive than supply direct from the home base. You need to know roughly how long transportation of stock will take – is it possible by road (two to three days) as in Europe or must it be delivered by boat to markets such as South Africa or Australia (at least a month, maybe much longer)? While it is the buyer who pays for transport of stock in export markets, remaining alert to what they will have to pay and how long they will have to wait are key parts of securing business.

There are other difficulties to watch out for that may make securing sales unprofitable in the long run; in particular, payment periods may make selling complicated, or benefit one party more than another. For example, an organisation that places an order does not have to pay immediately (120 days’ credit is common) but might have an automatic entitlement to a refund should they return the stock ordered. So if they order, then take up their immediate right of return, the sum will be refunded before it has been paid for – and the cash flow of the publisher is affected. Similarly difficulties in the political stability of an area may impact on its principal source of income (tourism or manufacturing) and hence willingness to stock non-essential items such as books. While purchasing patterns are low/non-existent and visits unlikely to be cost-effective, it will probably still be worth maintaining the relationship through servicing online with information and stock. Other short-term difficulties over particular items of stock may arise, perhaps due to local cultural sensitivities towards particular titles, but if activity within a market is based on a licence to operate, and this is revoked, it may be very difficult to reacquire. Care over offering the most appropriate titles in the first place may be sensible.

Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that the role of selling in my job is not restricted to the information I offer to customers – I am also often on the receiving end of product pitches. Editors who are preparing to present materials to colleagues for potential investment need ‘buy in’ from their sales colleagues; they must convince them of the merit of what they are planning in order to secure support at the crucial forthcoming meetings. Export sales can play a key part in ‘bulking out’ the overall anticipated sales figures for a particular title and hence making it a viable proposition so our support is significant. It’s worth noting that different sales information will be needed by different groups, and in each case it will be appreciated if the details are delivered through engagement of the listener’s attention rather than simply telling. For example, a publisher pitching to an editorial or company meeting may stress the key significance of the author, their anticipated sales and potential long-term value to the organisation; a sales presentation to the reps who will henceforth offer the title to retail outlets may concentrate far more on associated story-telling on which retailers can base hand-selling in future. Copy that gives a flavour of what is on offer, by offering books with ‘parents’ (e.g., ‘John Grisham meets Bernard Cornwell’) or that refers to films covering similar areas, may also work – even if those listening have not seen the film they may still understand that this is an area of mass market interest. Long pitches can make people switch off. The circulation of proof copies of forthcoming manuscripts can get word-of-mouth going and can build on initial enthusiasm to create viral campaign – but this has to be judged against the risks of information leaking to competitors too soon.

Rights sales

Colleagues involved in ‘rights’ are taking content and managing its development, with other collaborators, for additional markets. This may be managed by a publisher who is working on behalf of an author they represent, or their agent (literary or otherwise), and may be variously achieved – through selling all rights to one publishing partner for further exploitation or through establishing relationships with a wide variety of third parties with whom arrangements are either already in place or whom they may seek to get to know. The outcomes can be varied: editions in other languages; versions for specific interest groups (pocket editions, luxury editions, editions branded for particular selling outlets such as supermarkets or memberships); particular formats (a serial in a newspaper, an audio book edition or a braille edition); content for inclusion in a mobile app or to populate an online database – or even just reusing small parts of the content in other works, which is generally referred to as permissions.

A key requirement of the rights role is to find the right customers to sell to, and suggestions may come through your past customers, wider research (web-based or in person at book fairs, from perusing catalogues, following up leads provided by authors or by potential collaborators finding you). Information on the content available can be offered through a variety of means, from catalogues and specific rights guides to email campaigns and website information. But throughout the process of making information available, it is important to have effective skills in sales presentation (making a relevant pitch to the right organisation) and sales management (ensuring that the rights being sought are indeed available; considering whether the licence being sold will adversely affect organisational sales and managing the process through to completion – and afterwards).

Whatever the organisational structure, or anticipated outcomes, the role of the rights manager is likely to include:

• understanding the nature of the material available: the specific content on offer, its appeal, provenance, value, potential and wider applicability;

• establishing contacts with organisations or individuals likely to appreciate the content and making judgements about who can effectively and appropriately exploit it for their particular market.

• building trust so that offers will be taken seriously

• maintaining such links in between business arrangements so that they can be rekindled when relevant new material becomes available

• presenting the material in its most attractive light, varying the presentation according to the market/potential collaborator being approached

• making decisions about who would make the best collaborator and negotiator likely to achieve a mutually satisfactory conclusion; considering this within the longer-term best interests of all parties

• managing and communicating the detail of the arrangements

• monitoring outcomes to ensure all parties are satisfied.

Rights staff negotiate the terms under which material is licensed, for example whether the arrangement is exclusive/non-exclusive; the format; the territories in which it is to be available; the languages; the ‘term’ of the agreement (for how long) and the associated ‘financial consideration’ (for how much money), and then draft and exchange contracts that confirm what has been agreed. How the money gets accepted can be similarly complicated. Payment may be through royalties but it needs to be decided whether these are to be based on list price or net receipts and the length of the accounting period (annual or semi-annual?). If there is to be an advance, will it be 100 per cent on signature or perhaps 50 per cent on signing and 50 per cent on signature? Alternatively a one-off fee may be agreed, with a fixed print run or sales limits, and again the payment periods and term of licence need to be agreed. There may be provision for some material to be available gratis, perhaps for charitable or author reuse, but again this must be specified. A key part of the rights role is also ensuring that monetary arrangements are stuck to, and in addition to invoicing there will be cycles of chasing payment, chasing and checking the licensor’s finished item, ensuring royalties are accounted regularly, renewing an agreement on expiry/re-licence elsewhere and reporting back on what has been achieved.

One of the particular satisfactions of a rights role is the promotion of a stronger commercial relationship between content providers and their publisher. Securing an author’s wider availability in other markets and formats strengthens the relationship between them and their publisher or agent and builds for the future. Success in this can also bring promotion for the rights manager, more involvement in decisions over what gets commissioned or sought as well as what subsequently gets sold. The role can also feel very creative.

Case study

Interview with a rights manager of a major publishing house

Rights is a particularly pleasant form of selling. We are offering content to collaborators – in my case mostly other publishing houses in Europe – but rather than a straight sale, we are marketing the opportunity to make this project their own; to share in how an author is presented within their local market and partner in their reputational development; to co-create. We are also looking to the longer term, offering a collaborating publisher ownership and the chance to work with us in future, and this may involve sharing marketing materials, media campaigns and other involvements that promote the best interests of all parties. In the process some very long-term collaborations can be established.

It can also get quite competitive. We work in a team, each of us managing the same content but for different territories or formats, and if one colleague is having a lot of interest in the work, and you are having less immediate response, it can be helpful to compare marketing approaches – and the different stresses being made in the marketing pitch. The editors brief us on what they have bought and we have regular meetings at which we discuss how we will present material. Through sharing our proposals they become stronger – although they always still need tailoring for the particular markets we approach.

Rights staff have to look outside the organisation and must have a wide economic awareness, an understanding of the economic circumstances of the markets or areas they are approaching. They may have to present material that is not to their own particular reading taste, and must be guided by its commercial value to other markets.

It’s also important for them to appreciate – and probably further explain – that the process of selling co-ownership may compromise how material is presented in the author’s home market. Chosen collaborators will present material onward as they see fit, and this may differ from how individual authors feel their material would be most effectively displayed. It may be in an author’s best interests to understand that once they have made their work available, how it is interpreted will not be their exclusive preserve. Even if they don’t like the cover or illustrations selected by collaborators, they may still be encouraged to take refuge in the wider availability of their work.

Whatever their precise role, rights staff need effective presentation skills, detailed market knowledge, and then sufficient tact and diplomacy to explain the outcomes to those impacted.

Selling directly to the customer

Sales of publisher materials used to be routinely channelled through intermediaries – bookshops, wholesalers, specialist agencies dealing with particular markets. Today, however, there is a search for direct relationships – and the market information and long-term selling potential that comes from building communities loyal to the publisher. For more information, and guidance on how this can be best effected in various markets, see Chapter 15, but here is a case study on selling to a customer with a specific interest.

Case study

Marketing and selling antiquarian and facsimile books: an interview with Dieter Roeschel (author of various titles on facsimiles) and Anton Pfeiler, owner of Fachbuchhandlung für Faksimiles (bookseller of antiquarian and facsimile titles), Germany

Antiquarian and rare books are old editions, those that are no longer in print and hence routinely on sale. The range of what is available to acquire is thus limited by what is on the market – or may become accessible in future. ‘Antiquarian’ usually refers to titles printed before 1900, ‘rare’ generally means scarce; for example, titles that had very low print runs (poetry being a common example).

Facsimile books are reproductions of titles, usually those that are extremely precious, and ownership hence allows collectors access to volumes in the same way that the originals were owned; in private. They are produced when owners of precious manuscripts offer specialist publishers access to photograph what they hold and a limited edition is produced for sale. The subsequent financial value of what is produced is at least partly dependent on whether or not the owner plans (or subsequently decides) to offer a new access in future; weighing up financial gain against the inevitable associated damage that production processes bring to the fragile manuscript. So for collectors, whereas the number of copies of antiquarian books is necessarily finite, the position with facsimile editions may be less certain.

All the same marketing and selling skills are required as with new titles, but in the case of antiquarian and facsimile editions it is particularly important to know your market and what they collect, to build a relationship of trust based on the dealer’s scholarship and market awareness, hence guaranteeing the authenticity or rarity of what is being purchased. Longer term, few things are a completely sure investment – and books are as subject to the vagaries of market forces and wider economy as other collectibles – but associated interests can form the basis of very long-term relationships between dealers and their customers.

Booksellers dealing in antiquarian and facsimile books place a lot of emphasis on knowing the customers, maintaining relationships with them and conveying the quality of what is on offer – usually through high-quality printed catalogues and leaflets, although younger generations may view material online, particularly if a quick decision is needed. As book collectors age, it is also pragmatic for dealers to promote interest among younger generations, particularly those likely to inherit – and hence perhaps develop – a family collection. Advice on how to understand their collections (expert commentary in books or articles in magazines or journals), how to store and look after titles, may be particularly valued. It is also possible to sell a range of supporting products to the same market – fabric ‘book worms’ that hold pages open, materials for storing out of direct sunlight and gloves for their management. Such items are not always necessary but their associated processes can be part of the joy of owning.

Longer term, prices for books generally depend on the demand for a given title, the number of copies available (low print runs are particularly attractive), the role they played in the author’s developing reputation and their condition. Higher prices may be paid by those collecting particular early editions or titles of a specific provenance (who owned them previously or perhaps their status as part of a particular institutional library).

A related development within traditional publishing has been republishing (whether in print or digitally) titles that now form part of the ‘rare books collections’ that all libraries either host or share with a range of related institutions. Making available scholarly work of particular significance in this way can have a particular appeal to information professionals, offering them the chance to make a range of works accessible again but without damaging the originals. Such materials are best presented on the grounds of enhancing a collection, raising its profile and prestige, and making a complete range of information available again.

In conclusion to this chapter, publishers have to sell to various groups and individuals, with different messages and terms that vary according to different circumstances. In the process they have to manage a complicated series of relationships. We therefore end with an example of how this works in practice.

Concluding case study: how a small independent publisher manages selling across various audiences

Background information on the organisation

Grub Street is an award-winning small, niche independent publisher, publishing within two distinct areas: cookery and military aviation history. Anne Dolamore (cookery) runs the business with her partner John Davies (aviation).

Within cookery, their aim is to publish the very best in contemporary and classic food writing and they were delighted to be voted International Publisher of the Year at the World Cookbook Awards in 2000.

A number of our cookbooks have won prizes over the years. Most recently, these have included the highly acclaimed Ice Creams, Sorbets and Gelati by Caroline and Robin Weir, voted Cookbook of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers in 2011. The Complete Robuchon, by the influential chef Joel Robuchon, was awarded Best Translation at the Gourmand Awards in 2010.

Anne first got interested in food writing through the columns of Jane Grigson and firmly believes that the text is the part of cookery books that really matters. This bucks the trend in an age where celebrity cookbooks are all the rage, and are often created to match individual celebrity brands rather than through any understanding of food. Grub Street rather include photos where they feel they are required, not regarding the cookbook as a single entity, where one size fits all: ‘There are books that don’t need photographs and some that do, there are cookbook-buyers some of whom always want pictures and some who never do. It is a question of tailoring the concept and format of the book to the perceived customers’ requirements.’ Across the company they publish 30–35 titles, so about 15 for each side of the list. Their backlist (across both) is now almost 200 titles.

What distinguishes Grub Street books is not just their alluring recipes, but their authoritative tone. Many authors, argues Dolamore, only have one great cookery book in them. Other publishers will urge authors on to superfluous follow-up books, making them flit from rustic Italian to barbecues with dizzying speed. Dolamore does the opposite, encouraging writers to cover one subject definitively and passionately, and then stop. This is good for the author and their reputation, because Grub Street books stay in print much longer than other cookery books. Occasionally established food writers will come to her and say, ‘What do you think I should write about?’ to which she replies, rather formidably, ‘If you ask me that, you’re never going to get on my list.’ Once you have a Grub Street book on your shelf, you are unlikely ever to part with it.

Bee Wilson 3

She also feels that one of the secrets of their success is being able to judge moods, where interests are going and being there when it has got to that point when a book will sell. They managed this with The Essential Olive Oil Companion, which they packaged for Macmillan in 1988. When the original publishers put the title out of print they got the rights themselves and republished in 1999. The initially modest sales started to rise and the book was available from Grub Street when everybody finally woke up and wanted to read about olive oil. The upshot of this success has been that if anybody needs an authority on olive oil, they wheel Anne out.⁴

Managing the selling process: communicating with the market through the food press

Grub Street’s books have always been supported and well reviewed by food journalists, of which there are many, but the specific foodie press is currently experiencing a lot of competition. One of the best-known UK magazines in this area – Food Illustrated – was acquired by upmarket supermarket Waitrose and is now contract-published monthly for them. There are now also many supplements to national newspapers, such as Observer Food Monthly, the Life and Style: Cook section of the Saturday Guardian and similar sections in other newspapers. So while the specific foodie press is under pressure, interest in reading about cookery is now much more mainstream – and of course this provides opportunities for coverage of Grub Street titles. They do almost all the press liaison in-house, mainly because they personally know the journalists involved.

How you convert review coverage into sales is however more problematic. Readers would complain that they could not find the books they read about in their local bookshop and they had to be specially ordered.

Sales to book retailers

Selling to stockists is still important, and Anne arranges to see buyers from all the major firms, both off- and online, at regular intervals. The market is however dominated by the glossy television tie-ins and Grub Street reps can find it difficult to convince retail buyers to stock their titles, especially as their titles often have no pictures.

Selling directly to customers

Given that their brand attracts such strong recognition and loyalty, it’s now possible to sell directly to consumers – using a combination of PR and online selling through Amazon, Hive and BOL. Delivery is managed through their distributor and more profitable as direct sales are usually at full price.

PR continues to be important, and Anne’s personal authenticity works well on- and offline. She is personally committed to food and wine and spent 4 years on the Committee of the Guild of Food Writers and 2 as chair. She was a trustee of Sustain, an organisation that campaigns for food and farming, and now mentors students of MA Food and Culture at Oxford Brookes University. To her, food is more than just publishing, it is a way of life and she believes that people should be eating better and be able to cook. She publishes from the heart and says ‘If I wasn’t prepared to go out and buy the book myself, why am I doing this?’

Selling through bloggers

Particularly important now are relationships with bloggers who write about food, and can be relied upon to give honest and passionate advice about relevant books. Writing and maintaining a blog is a lot of work (see Chapter 9) so they don’t run one themselves, rather they liaise with those whose passion for food is as strong as their own. Anne seeks to understand the bloggers’ preferences and provide them with review copies and background information so they can write their own story – pushing and overdirecting them is not a good way to manage these relationships, and feedback from bloggers has been that they relish (and find somewhat unusual) being treated in this respectful way.

Rights sales

Selling translation rights used to be a source of income but it’s getting harder all the time, with more associated activity on the aviation side of the list than cookery these days. Anne remarks:

That’s because non-English language markets are now producing some very beautiful cookery books of their own and the English language domination of that market no longer exists. To the extent that these days I’m often buying English language rights to foreign cookbooks. This year for example I have two books coming translated from Danish and one from French. We also look into ebooks and have about 80 titles available in this format.

Cookery does not sell particularly well as an ebook – the stains on the page are part of the lived experience of working through the recipes – but aviation does.

Selling themselves to and through authors

Both partners take great care of their authors and the relationship clearly works both ways. As Anne comments: ‘They revere the Grub Street list so much for its reputation they have no desire to go elsewhere. In fact on both sides of the list we often acquire authors because of their experiences at other publishers!’ They try to encourage their authors to help with the marketing of their titles, and to use social media – but don’t force them to. Some of the aviation authors are particularly effective here.

Resulting sales figures

The numbers sold can vary enormously, from a few thousand to tens of thousands; some of their bestsellers can reach 60,000–75,000 over a number of years. Anne says:

Because we are a backlist publisher, keeping books in print is what we believe is most important to us and our authors. One of our bestselling titles was first published in 1988, has never been out of print until now and that’s because we are about to issue a revised and updated edition. We will continue to reprint books as long as there are sales, and short-run digital printing means we can cost effectively reprint little and often. We have not so far used POD because we feel the quality of the books produced is still below the production standards we want for books carrying the Grub Street logo.

Looking ahead, their formula works and Anne will stick to restricting her output: ‘I want to be able to pick a book and say I am proud of this. I don’t want to do 24 books, where 12 are excellent and 12 are just filling in slots.’ She is firmly against ‘reinventing the wheel’. ‘If the best book has been done on a subject, why do another one? That is why I like reissuing books. Leave it be and try to find something new.’

www.grubstreet.co.uk @grub_street

Notes

1 In the UK, this was the Net Book Agreement, no longer defended after 1995. Resale price maintenance still exists in other markets, e.g., most of continental Europe.

2 After home and work, this is a location to head for on a routine basis, often to meet people, e.g., a gym, favourite café or pub.

3 Sunday Telegraph, 23 January 2005.

4 www.goodwebguide.co.uk.