ABSTRACT

Sales are a powerful voice in decisions around what books to publish, and how they should be published. Sales staff realizes income by sustained and regular face-to-face selling to key intermediaries. The roles within sales, distribution and marketing continue to be transformed by changes in the retailing of printed books and ebooks through intermediaries, and by the rise of direct marketing and attempts by publishers to sell to end-users. Publishers typically derive most of their sales revenue from a small number of customers, and small revenue from a great number. Sales forecasting and translating it into the actual number to print of a book at the outset, especially one of expected high sales volume, is part of the risk decision for the publisher. The sales director, usually supported by a UK sales manager and an export sales manager, plans and organizes the sales effort, and negotiates the terms of trade with the main customers.