Cover Story: Hitting a Moving Target
According to Shatzkin, San Francisco publisher Hay House has amassed an e-mail list of 1 million customers for its mind-body-spirit titles, a hugely valuable database it can leverage for its own use or offer to others. "Whether they end up simply driving all the other publishers [in their niche] out of the game … or they acquire the lists of other publishers, or they give some sort of access to that audience on a paid basis, the point is they've got the audience they built on [the] back of content, but now the audience is loyal to them," he notes. In other words, book publishers can move into exploring data-driven revenue models—such as lead generation—previously reserved for other publishing markets. Some niche publishers (such as Rodale) are already exploring this territory, seeing books as one of a suite of products available for targeted integrated marketing programs. While vertical product development is not the only way to do this, Shatzkin believes it will be easier for publishers that specialize in specific audiences.
- People:
- Mike Shatzkin
- Todd Eckler