The PMA Trade Distribution Program

Preceding the Publishers Marketing Association board meeting the Trade Distribution selection process was conducted. I learned so much by hearing what was working and what wasn't that I thought it might be helpful to share that information with the PMA and Bookmarket lists.

First, a little background. The Trade Distribution Program is a PMA project that helps publishers with a small number of titles get distributor representation so as to get a foot into the bookstore side of book selling. It is currently in its ninth (or eighth?) year.

There were representatives from Borders, Barnes & Noble, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, IPG (the distributor who handles the program) and an independent rep as well as several members from the PMA board and staff.

About 120 books were submitted and about 40 selected, a percentage that both Borders and Barnes & Noble report matches their selection process. This has also been consistent throughout the years, although all participants agreed that the overall quality of the books has improved dramatically.

Here are some invaluable glimpses into why books did or didn't make it into the program:

• COVERS -- Good cover design is critical. The design must be high quality, but also must clearly convey the purpose of the book and appeal to the audience. Some books had covers that were professional but not appropriate for the audience. Spines are important as most books are shelved spine out.
• PRICE -- This seemed like a tripping point for a surprising number of books. Prices were just too high for the market.
• MARKET SATURATION -- Some good books don't make it because there are already too many good books out there on the subject and there wasn't a compelling case for why a candidate should be carried instead.
• INTERNAL DESIGN -- Although covers have improved immensely, some publishers are not spending enough time on internal design, minimizing margins and line spacing, using inappropriate typefaces, etc. Bad clip art or amateurish illustrations brought down the potential of many titles.
• EDITORIAL QUALITY -- Some content was not well-organized or edited.
• TITLE -- Surprisingly often, books' titles were too cryptic or didn't clearly convey the value or purpose. People need to be able to look at the cover and know what the book is about and who it is for.
• FORMAT & BINDING -- Some books were published in hardcover apparently unnecessarily (libraries no longer require hardcover bindings), which drove up their prices. Others were odd sizes and occasionally odd bindings that didn't seem to serve the book's purpose or audience.
• APPROPRIATENESS FOR BOOKSTORES/NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION -- Some books are great for "back of the room" seminar sales but not necessarily going to do well in bookstores. Other titles are good regional books, but probably won't benefit from national distribution.
• MARKETING AND PROMOTION -- A strong book can be seriously weakened if the publisher has not developed a marketing plan and/or is not promoting the book. Marketing is not an option (bookstore availability means nothing unless people know about and want the book!).

Mary Westheimer

James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com

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