What's a publisher to do?

When I shop for something on the internet, I know what I am looking for, and I have an idea of where I want to get it. If I need new running shoes, for example, I will visit a site such as Nike.com, where I am sure to find a selection of athletic shoes. And when I shop for a book, I will also visit a site where I am sure to find what I am looking for—most likely, Amazon.com. My point is that when I shop online, I want it to be efficient. If I feel like trying on fifty pairs of shoes, or browsing through stacks of books, I will go to the mall.

And this is precisely why publisher’s websites should not be targeted directly to the consumer. It is inefficient for both the reader and the publisher. I have no idea who published ninety-eight percent of the books on my bookshelf. So, why would I search for a title on a publishers’ site when I have no idea if they even published it in the first place. And how would a publisher use a website to increase their sales when it is not even targeted to their primary customer—the bookseller.

I believe publishers are aware of this problem. They already know that their primary customers are booksellers. However, under the traditional model of publishing, it wouldn’t make too much sense to design their site to target booksellers either. A publishers’ sales force visits book buyers across the country, and gives a presentation specifically tailored to each buyer. And they want that sense of control. Sure, the books are the same. But the price isn’t. The pitch isn’t.

So, what's a publisher to do?

In this day and age, it is essential for a company to have a website. It gives them credibility. It helps them reach their customers. The publishing industry has tried to conform to this new standard. But the industry is old, and the houses are huge, and I imagine the decision-makers within these houses have been in their positions since before the internet was a concern. So getting a big, old dinosaur like this to create a new, efficient, and stream-lined marketing tool such as a website is a lot to ask. They are just trying to keep up.

There are some smaller, innovative publishers that are trying to boost their direct sales and create sites that are more interactive. For example, Underland Press in Portland created the “wovel,” a web-novel. Readers can go on the website, read an installment, and vote on what should happen in the next chapter. This brings people to the site, and helps to drive up sales of the publisher’s other books. Other publishers have posted entire books online with an option to buy the book on each “page.” These publishers are adamant that people frequently buy a book even when they have this free access, just for the convenience of owning a copy.

While these are extreme examples, I think a similar approach would work for large publishers as well. Becoming an online “store,” with the primary goal being to sell books directly to readers is not realistic for a publisher like Random House. Their list is too broad and readers can buy their books cheaper elsewhere. But creating a site that provides readers interactive and frequently updated information—such as sample chapters of a new release, an option to vote on the cover design for an upcoming title, or live chat sessions with an author, for example—would result in a site that consumers seek out and visit again and again. And it would ultimately drive up sales through the publishers sales primary channel—the bookseller.