ABSTRACT
This area of activity has changed significantly since the publication of the last edition of this book in 2001. Despite the changes, sales to book clubs are still of considerable importance to British, American, European and Latin American publishers and have become a significant factor in publishing in the markets of central and Eastern Europe. However, in the United Kingdom the impact of competing channels of supply is now far more apparent: the ability of the retail trade (booksellers and also supermarkets) to offer discounts following the demise of the Net Book Agreement in 1997, sales to direct marketing companies who sell to companies and individuals without a membership requirement, and in particular the rise in popularity of online booksellers.
