Perseus CMO Rick Joyce on Battling the Homogenization of Books
How important is data collection and management for Perseus?
One of the ways in which you're starting to see publishers collect data is through direct sales. It's a way to learn who's buying what, build their history, ask them questions, etc. You're starting to see a fair amount of that. For example, our travel guides have a print and digital direct solution. Travel is one of those things where you can really build a profile of what people like and make specific offers to them. But not all offers are so clear. We're a broad nonfiction publisher as well, and our authors cover a range of topics. An author may write about World War I, then Vietnam, then perhaps Bill Clinton. If someone reads one of his books, it's not always clear what to recommend next. So this type of recommendation selling may be more complex for certain titles.
- Companies:
- The Perseus Books Group
- People:
- Rick Joyce
Ellen Harvey is a freelance writer and editor who covers the latest technologies and strategies reshaping the publishing landscape. She previously served as the Senior Editor at Publishing Executive and Book Business.