John Kremer

If distribution means getting books into the hands of sellers, circulators or readers, then a true profile of the distribution business would cast a wide net, beginning at the binding line and continuing through to the ‘long tail’ of online portals, used bookstores and curbside pushcarts. However, if distribution, from the publisher’s view, means getting books to generate sales revenue, we can overlook all of the aftermarket, recirculation and reselling channels and focus solely on reaching stores, libraries, online and catalog warehouses and—increasingly, thanks to the Internet—direct marketing from the publisher to the consumer. In the article “Deconstructing Distribution,” in Book Business’

In today’s world where numerous venues exist to sell books—from bookstores to mass-market outlets to catalogs to the Internet to author-supported sales—making the best use of each channel can be challenging. To help make cross-platform marketing more effective, here are some proven insights I’ve learned during more than 25 years of publishing and marketing books. Ninety percent of all marketing efforts are wasted. This law of wasted effort is just a fact of life. It applies to all areas of marketing, from making sales pitches to direct mail to Internet sales. If a publicist actually gets one media hit from every 10 phone calls she makes,

The acquisition of Sterling Publishing by Barnes & Noble led two major retailers to terminate their relationship with the niche book publisher. Costco Inc. and Borders Group Inc. stopped carrying titles published by Sterling. They say Sterling's purchase by bookseller Barnes & Noble transformed the publisher from vendor to competitor. Barnes & Noble acquired New York-based Sterling for $110 million in December. "We had a good relationship with Sterling, one that worked well for both companies," says Jenie Carlen, public relations manager with Borders Group Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich. "However, there is a fundamental business conflict. Barnes & Noble is a competitor.

When contemplating an online presence, revenue is a top concern, however, saving time, money and other resources are significant benefits that should be considered as well. Full news press Nearly every business can benefit from posting press materials online. To provide those seeking information about a company, an entire press kit can reside on a Web site, including a company history, the biographies of senior staff, contact information, news releases, a map—free maps are available from MapBlast.com and MapQuest.com—and office or store hours. All of which can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A print version