Internet Extends Endless Opportunity

"It's never complete." There are always more interesting places to take it," comments Kelly Maragni, director of marketing for Health Communications. Maragni is speaking of the corporate Web site (http://www.hci-online.com), which she's been working on continuously for the past two years, with the help of technical and developmental expertise provided by Worldwide Publishing.

For example, though blurbs and excerpts and covers are up on the Web, she wonders whether she should videotape an upcoming book signing event and run video clips on the Web.

Her clients--bookstores, distributors, wholesalers and chain stores--are also excited about the Internet and want sample covers, book excerpts or promotional blurbs, page count data, or other information for their own Web sites.

Benefits of the Internet

The benefits the Internet can provide are so enormous that they are revolutionizing book marketing. "You know how the book business works: When you come out with a book, you might have two months to make that book a success. If it doesn't start flying off the shelves it's going to be replaced," Maragni explains.

But Web marketing changes this cycle. "As soon as we have a book cover available, and a working title, we can get an ISBN number and a price." That can all be put on the Web site, possibly as far ahead as a year before the publication date. "The Web is faster than print," concludes Maragni.

The Web also gives new life to older titles. "Now the back list becomes almost a front list," says Maragni, adding that the company is just beginning to see the impact of this on overall corporate sales.

For example, Internet surfers looking for a specific topic, such as alcohol abuse, for example, are now likely to find a Health Communications title, including some either not available in retail stores or no longer given prime shelf space.