Michael Cairns' View
Participants in the 2005 Book Summit: Industry Leaders Discussing the Future of Publishing in a Flat World are being asked for their views of the future. Book Summit checked in with Michael Cairns, president of R.R. Bowker. Bowker is North America’s leading provider of bibliographic information, and is also the official ISBN agency for the United States and Puerto Rico. Its flagship product is Books In Print.
1. What would it take to get digitally printed books into the mainstream distribution channel?
There are already many digitally printed books in the supply chain and, in some cases, I would guess that purchasers (bookstores/consumers) may not know they are receiving product that was not produced "traditionally." In operations where the interrelationship between traditional fulfillment and "on-demand" printing and fulfillment is very close, the operations run very well and are increasing in volume and numbers of titles. There definitely needs to be a level of trust between publishers, on-demand printers and distributors that builds via experience. Publishers are finding success in marginal or low-volume titles and titles that have been out of print for years. To get this accepted into the mainstream distribution channels, the participants (publishers and printers) need to sell the concept to the large publishing players. This has been done in the UK and the business is growing significantly.
2. How do publishers find and target micro-niches of readers?
Distribution into nontraditional retail channels is still a growth area for publishers. Putting titles applicable to a store's profile is a natural extension of the stores product mix, and publishers have seen high growth here. Additionally, selling via direct mail, magazines, associations and webinar/seminar/QVC are also proving successful. Publishers need to have a very aggressive research program to identify trends and themes in the wider world in order to tailor product development to these subjects before they become mainstream and titles ubiquitous.
3. With more books from which to choose to sell, what factors will drive the decision to stock and sell a digitally printed book?
Whether the buyer thinks someone will buy it.
4. What steps could be taken to ensure that book buyers come to a bookstore to buy digitally printed books rather than buying them online?
People have to shop for many other items in addition to books, and placing books in nonbookstores (Costco) enables more people to have the opportunity to purchase books. In my experience, people continue to do both in-store and online purchase. The decision to do one or the other is complicated. Online purchases, for example, may be gifts that can be packaged and mailed with no complications for the purchaser. They can also be selection-driven, both within titles and due to the ability to combine types of products. Traditional stores will continue to be important if the stores have what the purchasers wants, provide assistance with purchases and provide a pleasant environment in which to do this.
1. What would it take to get digitally printed books into the mainstream distribution channel?
There are already many digitally printed books in the supply chain and, in some cases, I would guess that purchasers (bookstores/consumers) may not know they are receiving product that was not produced "traditionally." In operations where the interrelationship between traditional fulfillment and "on-demand" printing and fulfillment is very close, the operations run very well and are increasing in volume and numbers of titles. There definitely needs to be a level of trust between publishers, on-demand printers and distributors that builds via experience. Publishers are finding success in marginal or low-volume titles and titles that have been out of print for years. To get this accepted into the mainstream distribution channels, the participants (publishers and printers) need to sell the concept to the large publishing players. This has been done in the UK and the business is growing significantly.
2. How do publishers find and target micro-niches of readers?
Distribution into nontraditional retail channels is still a growth area for publishers. Putting titles applicable to a store's profile is a natural extension of the stores product mix, and publishers have seen high growth here. Additionally, selling via direct mail, magazines, associations and webinar/seminar/QVC are also proving successful. Publishers need to have a very aggressive research program to identify trends and themes in the wider world in order to tailor product development to these subjects before they become mainstream and titles ubiquitous.
3. With more books from which to choose to sell, what factors will drive the decision to stock and sell a digitally printed book?
Whether the buyer thinks someone will buy it.
4. What steps could be taken to ensure that book buyers come to a bookstore to buy digitally printed books rather than buying them online?
People have to shop for many other items in addition to books, and placing books in nonbookstores (Costco) enables more people to have the opportunity to purchase books. In my experience, people continue to do both in-store and online purchase. The decision to do one or the other is complicated. Online purchases, for example, may be gifts that can be packaged and mailed with no complications for the purchaser. They can also be selection-driven, both within titles and due to the ability to combine types of products. Traditional stores will continue to be important if the stores have what the purchasers wants, provide assistance with purchases and provide a pleasant environment in which to do this.
posted by Brian Jud at 6:27 PM
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