The US Academic Book Market: Selling to the Trade

1. The US Academic Book Market: Selling to the Trade Publishing Workshop, Beijing, September 4, 2007 H. Dirk Koehler, Publisher, The World Bank, Washington, DC This presentation is based on a presentation by Jose de Buerba, Distribution Manager, The Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, Washington, DC

2. Overview • Market Characteristics • New Title Data Dissemination • Wholesale • Retail • Sales Representatives • Distributors • Events and Exhibitions • Useful Links

3. Market Characteristics • Two very clearly defined seasons: • Fall: July to December • Spring: January to June • The importance of the catalogue • Strongly recommend publishing two per year • Should mostly include new and forthcoming titles (as far as six months in advance) • OK to include popular backlist, clearly indicating that fact, e.g. by “previously announced” • Different catalogues for different audiences: library market, trade accounts, individual and other direct customers

4. Market Characteristics (ctd.) Not only/mostly for the trade, but important: • Web presence is absolutely crucial (“If it can’t be found on the web, it doesn’t exist”); most people now consider full text online as supporting – not cannibalizing -- print sales • Direct marketing through mail and phone has become less important in the last few years • Email, RSS, and other e-promotion very important

5. New Title Data Dissemination • Very important for trade accounts and very time consuming for publishers (but can be outsourced, e.g. see below) • Important to have good supporting systems for data retrieval (data should be ONIX compliant) • Trade accounts usually request data 6 months in advance • Each company has different specifications and asks for data in different formats • Bowker also feeds data to trade accounts (but publisher has to feed Bowker)

6. Screenshot BowkerLink

7. Screenshot Editeur: ONIX

8. The Wholesale Market: Baker & Taylor • Largest US academic wholesaler, includes YBP and Majors • Main customers: academic libraries, international sales, trade • Visit buyer at least twice a year (New Jersey) • Important to prepare sales analysis • Metadata VERY important (two files), include three BISAC subject codes for each book plus other bibliographic information • Submit data at least 3 months in advance of publication date, and make sure all titles are in system when mailing catalogue • Orders received via EDI (publishers warehouse EDI compliant) • Co-Operative marketing opportunities available (recommended) • Active continuations department for standing orders • TitleSource3 & Pub Alley (more expensive) allows publishers to track demands, upload data, compare sales of related titles…

9. The Wholesale Market: Ingram • Main customers: bookstores and other trade accounts, also strong in the library market (less so than B&T) • Also requires metadata, different format than B&T • Visit buyer at least once a year (Tennessee) • Strong in trade market: returns usually high (for WB they supply Borders) • Co-Op marketing mandatory (minimum $1,200) • Lightning Source part of the group and located down the road. Automatic supply of POD titles • Online web for publishers also available (I-page)

10. The Wholesale Market: Blackwell’s Book Services • Specialized in library sales • Funded in 1879 • HQ in UK, USA and Australia • Very strong export market and library tenders • No electronic title feed required, send information via e-mail, catalogues and sales kits • Publisher Online Service (POS) available

11. Other Wholesalers / Jobbers • Follet Library Services (also retail) • The Book House • Emery Pratt • Brodart (public libraries) • Eastern Books • Rittenhouse (health titles) • Matthew’s Book Company (health titles)

12. The Retail Market: Barnes & Noble • 820 stores in the US nationwide • Need to submit metadata to their distribution center • Four different store categories: • National Chain, Academic Stores, Academic Text Services, online store (www.barnesandnoble.com) • National Chain • Visit buyers twice a year (usually at the beginning of each season) • Small presses / niche publishers get to see only one buyer for all subjects • Need to persevere and have at least a few good trade titles to get to subject buyers • For each title need to submit a “new buy sheet” (in paper) • Present titles 3 to 6 months in advance

13. The Retail Market: Barnes & Noble (ctd.) • Academic stores (around 30) • Separate buyers, same process • Academic / text services • No brick and mortar stores, only fulfill textbook orders by universities • Online store: • Need to provide metadata, upload digital covers for each title • Sales usually much lower than Amazon.com

14. Screenshot Barnes&Noble Publisher & Author Guidelines

15. The Retail Market: Others • Borders Inc. (HQ in Ann Arbor, Michigan) • Buys for US, Latin American, and Asian stores • Follets • Mainly academic stores (e.g. Stanford University) • Also provide text book services to universities • Other independently run university book stores (e.g. NYU) • Powell’s • Independent Bookstores: • E.g., Politics and Prose, Olsson’s, Cody’s, Modern Times • For online stores, particularly amazon, see separate session

16. Sales Representatives (“Reps”) • Sales reps are a good option to cover the retail (also call on wholesalers) • Call on all stores, including national chains • Biannual sales conference to present new titles, sales kit VERY important (blurb, key selling points, cross-marketing opportunities, audience, recommended stores, etc…). • Commission anywhere from 5 to 10% depending on customer (no commission on text book orders)

17. Distributors • The distributor should sell direct and to the trade, and do marketing. For publishers based outside the US he should also do fulfillment and keep adequate stock. • Downsides: • An additional intermediary reduces margins for publishers • Marketing efforts have to be spread across other publishers distributed • Risk that he does not cover the retail market well • Upsides: • Lower operational costs for publishers • Cross marketing opportunities with other lists • Active North American distributors include NBN, RENOUF, BERNAN, Stylus, Boskage, etc….

18. Important Events and Meetings • Book Expo America • Strong trade focus, less relevant for academic market • Meetings of • ALA (American Library Association) • SLA (Special Libraries Association) • ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) • Co-Operative stands are a good option to attend the above meetings plus other more specialized ones

19. Useful Links • Baker and Taylor Publisher’s Services • http://www.btol.com/inf_details.cfm?id=193 • Ingram Publisher’s Services • http://www.ingrampublisherservices.com • Blackwell’s Publishers Information • http://www.blackwell.com/publisher_information • Barnes and Noble Information for Publishers • http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/for_publishers/for_publishers.html • Borders Information for Publishers & Artist • http://www.bordersgroupinc.com/artists/publishers.htm