International   

Custom outlets, the new focus

Ed Pilkington

Unconventional book marketing modes

New York: Once upon a time, not all that many years ago, it was all quite straightforward. A writer would write a draft, an editor would edit it, the publisher would publish it and a bookshop would sell it.

It is not so easy any more. Today, a speciality sales manager may well be involved at an early stage working out with the editor and the publisher how the concept of a book and its cover may appear side by side with a chunk of meat, or coffee bags, or an electric chain saw. Colour-coding has become a buzzword, where content used to reign supreme.

In the past few months what began as a sideline in book publishing has become a major source of income for the big American publishing houses, from HarperCollins to Random House, Simon & Schuster and beyond.

What is known as speciality marketing has from modest roots expanded into what is now the fastest growing sector for many publishers, outstripping growth in traditional bookshop outlets and websites such as Amazon.

The New York Times has tracked publishers peddling their wares in cheese shops, cattle markets, hardware stores, butchers and office supply chains. With U.S. book sales down almost 3 per cent year-on-year, and with profit margins becoming increasingly competitive in the main retail areas, the frontiers are being expanded rapidly.

HarperCollins is preparing a range of books that are colour-coded to sit alongside other products. "Books compliment other products — they can become the ultimate accessory," said Andrea Rosen, who handles the publisher's special markets division.

HarperCollins has done brisk trade in Dare to Repair: A Do-it-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home to hardware stores throughout the U.S. It has sold Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of the World's Smartest Horse at racetracks; and The Emperor of Wine by Elin McCoy has been doing good business in wine outlets . The publishing house also reprinted one of its books about Fondue so the colour palette of the cover was in greens and browns to match the decor of the shop it was appearing in.

A similar story is related by Penguin in America, the only U.S. publisher currently selling books in cattle auctions. It also uses farming supply stores as distribution outlets in rural States , with Penguin books nestled among the cattle feed and tractor tyres.

Finding new places

Within speciality book marketing, custom publishing has become the new holy grail, says the head of Penguin U.S.'s non-trade sales operation. That means creating books designed to suit a new outlet. "We've moved beyond trying to find new places where we can sell a book," she said. "We are now spending a lot of time thinking about different ways in which we can produce a book custom-made for the way in which it will be sold and promoted."

Surprising techniques like that are leading to surprising results. One of the recent success stories in the U.S. was Wall and Piece by the British artist Banksy, who has made his name on "guerrilla" art. The book has sold 20,000 copies in the U.S. already, mostly in cloth shops.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Hu Jintao promises to double aid to Africa
Investment fund
Policy independent, says Kasuri
Russia for limited curbs against Iran
Fears of n-race in West Asia
LEDs set to become viable in lighting
Jackie Chan and some English dialogue blues
Custom outlets, the new focus
Sailors die in mine blast
India has a better track record: Sen
Prachanda likely to visit Delhi

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu