Ask the Sales Rep

Melinda, welcome to The Littlest Bushranger blog tour.

What career path did you follow to become a sales rep?

I worked in a bookshop while finishing the last year of high school and ended up getting full time work at the end of the year. From there I obtained my first sales rep role at Scholastic.

What other publishers have you worked for?

I have worked for Scholastic, Pan Macmillan, Hachette, Penguin and now Five Mile Press. I was a rep at Scholastic and Pan Macmillan, a Key Account Manager at Hachette and a Business Development Manager at Penguin. I left the trade completely for a while and after my son was born I returned as a sales rep at Five Mile Press.

Do you think a picture book can be sold solely on its cover? If not, what percentage is the cover, title, author?

I don’t believe that a single element will sell a book. Books are such a unique ‘product’ and many factors will play in to its success. A great cover can be a big factor in this but a book is a very personal buying decision for both the retailer and the consumer. It’s an emotional decision which means it is very difficult to place numbers on which bits are more important. Unlike most of the things we buy people develop very strong attachments to their books and the stories they hold and a cover is only a part of this. They definitely help to get them off the shelf and looked at though!

Does the publishing team consult you about possible covers when a book is in the production stage?

As I am based in NSW and our publishing team is in VIC it’s not always possible to do this. There are discussions with the sales team but I believe the end decision is left with the publishing team.

Do you believe that certain coloured covers sell better? Is gold embossing over-rated?

Again this is a very personal thing for most people and sales people are no different. Something fun, bright and colourful can sell as well as something dark, broody and mysterious. Depends on the mood of the purchaser as to what they will buy on the day. I personally don’t feel the need for gold embossing but there are many people who love it!!

Can you tell if a book is going to be a good seller?

Sometimes. As the market evolves and we are competing with other things as well as books it is getting harder. The internet has changed how people view the value of what they purchase as well as their buying habits. As a market, Australia is increasingly multicultural and trends and influences from all sorts of cultures affect what people like and thus purchase. The one thing that doesn’t seem to have changed is that people very much like to support Australian and that can really help with the sale of a book.

How do you try to convince a bookseller that they should stock a title?

Essentially each store is different and has different needs and consumers of its own. Of course I will talk about any press a title is going to get, whether they have any previous titles and if not what it may compare to so they can have a yard stick to try new authors and illustrators. I read everything I sell and will give a brief rundown of a story and any pertinent points. It’s really important to know when to shut up too!

How much does your relationship with the bookseller influence what they will buy from you?

At store level it is a big part of the influence you have. Most booksellers sell by feel. They have figures and numbers and things but they tend to buy based on experience, their own tastes and their very large knowledge of their customer base. Quite a few booksellers have been trading for many years and so they have a vast knowledge of what does and doesn’t sell in their market. Relationships build over time and are very important as buyers are busy and they need to know that they can trust you. It’s also the reason why I never have and never will lie to them.

What’s selling well at the moment?

Children’s books in general are one of the few genres that is still selling well and in some cases seeing growth. Stores are reporting that Young Adult is selling well but is way over published and Board Books are also bulging off bookshelves. Picture Books continue to sell and I believe will always have a market.

Do you have any predictions about future trends?

I wish I had a crystal ball!! Who would have thought Erotica would be the next big thing…….

Do you think that we will keep the number of bookshops we have now or will it decline further?

It’s very difficult to predict at the moment. Retail is changing and evolving at such a rapid rate at the moment and until things start to settle it’s hard to say whether they will increase or decrease. I do believe that the quality of bookstores will increase as only good bookshops will survive such a turbulent marketplace. There are new bookshops opening at the moment but there are also quite a number that are closing too.

What can an author do to assist the sales rep?

Self promotion – get yourself online, talk about your book to any who will listen, get on the radio, tv and whatever else you can manage. If people know about your book they will ask for it and look for it. Build a relationship with your local booksellers (please don’t demand they stock your book though J sure fire way for them not to) and library. Be aware of the market you are in and within reason create your beautiful books with that in mind. After all, we all have the same objectives – to sell books and get them in to the hands of the kids they are written for!

Thank you so much Melinda for being part of The Littlest Bushranger blog tour!

Comment on this post and you could win a copy of The Littlest Bushranger!

WIN A PICTURE BOOK ASSESSMENT

Comment on this blog and any other blog through the tour and you could win a picture book assessment by me.  Just put a PB after your comment. Remember, the more times you comment during the tour, the more chances you have to win.

JUMP THE SLUSH PILE!

Win a free pass to a commissioning NF editor’s desk.

Just comment on this blog post or any other blog during the The Littlest Bushranger blog tour and add the initials NF. The more you comment, the more chances you have to win the draw.

Win a free pass to a Children’s editor’s desk.

Just comment on this blog post or any other blog during the The Littlest Bushranger blog tour and add the initials CB. The more you comment, the more chances you have to win the draw.

Monster Competition.

There are a couple of monsters in The Littlest Bushranger. One’s a bunyip, and the other an outlaw/monster who steals Lil’s telescope.

What sort of monster do you like? Send along a painting/drawing/model of a monster and you could win a piece of Heath McKenzie’s amazing artwork for The Littlest Bushranger.Upload your own best monster to https://www.facebook.com/alison.reynolds.524 or email it as a low res jpeg file to alrey@msn.com.au and we’ll upload it. If you don’t have a scanner, take a photo on a smart phone and email that!

Two categories. Under 12 and 12 plus including grown-ups. Entries close 25th June!