What We’re Learning About Direct-to-Consumer Sales

Being able to quickly and efficiently connect with and engage readers is a tremendous advantage for any publisher. Those connections are also increasingly affordable and easy to achieve, especially when driven by the publisher’s own website.

In the past, publisher websites functioned largely to house catalogues and share information on author submissions. Now, they can be designed to build direct sales, stimulate reader engagement, and encourage fans to spread the word about books, events, and authors. They can meet readers where they’re at – online – and reach them while they’re in the mood for a great new book.

Drawing on some real-world examples and recent lessons learned, this session will explore best practices that any press can put to work to help boost direct-to-consumer sales.

Craig Riggs has worked in and around publishing for 20 years. He is a principal in the industry consultancy Turner-Riggs, and a co-founder of ReaderBound, a specialized builder of customized websites for book publishers. His current portfolio emphasizes the development of new web platforms, publishing technology, and audience development. He leads the 49thShelf.com project for the Association of Canadian Publishers, and is actively engaged in commissioned research on book marketing, book discovery, and consumer behavior. He holds a Masters in Publishing and is an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University.