Direction of a publishing company

Managers at the helm of a publishing company normally want to take the firm in a particular direction. That’s because publishing isn’t just about the money; it’s also about the branding. Publishers won’t take on any old book that they think will make money, regardless of genre. They are constantly thinking about the ‘direction’ in which their company is going. That is to say they are conscious of the kind of book they publish, the kind of readership they attract, and the profile of their brand in the trade. OK, so branding is also about money, but in the wider sense than the profitability of individual titles. Strong branding helps to increase the value of the company, which keeps the shareholders happy.

The idea of a publisher worrying about their brand perception seems a little odd to the average book reader who would be hard pressed to name any publisher other than Penguin Books. But to overseas publishers who regularly buy translation rights, to freelance sales reps who have learned how to sell that company’s products into the shops, and to the bookshop workers who know which companies have made a reputation for a certain kind of book, the branding is essential. Gaining a reputation in a particular subject area enables a publisher to attract better-known authors. It makes it easier for them to sell their books into the shops and it makes direct marketing more cost-effective. This book, for instance, is part of a series of books on various aspects of writing. This is more cost-effective than having just a single title of interest to authors because it costs the same to promote ten books as it does to advertise one.

The direction in which a company is led means that certain kinds of books will be off-limits to its editors. The directors may decree that a genre of books is to be dropped. Perhaps fiction is to be their specialty and all non-fiction titles are to be phased out. Equally they may actively encourage their editors to sign up authors in a particular genre. On a whim or for carefully researched commercial reasons a publishing director may decide to add a science list, a range of gift books or a children’s list. Editors will know in what direction their company is headed and will consider this factor when commissioning new books.