The Sharjah Book Authority, SBA, in collaboration with NYU School of Professional Studies, NYUSPS, Centre for Publishing, today organised a workshop entitled, ‘New Trends in Book Sales’.

The way readers interact with a publisher’s content online and the massive marketing opportunities that publishers can capitalise on in the virtual space, especially while marketing their books in the Arab region where majority populace use mobile devises to make online purchases, were the issues on the agenda.

In the lead up to the 36th Sharjah International Book Fair, SIBF 2017, which inaugurates this coming Wednesday at Expo Centre Sharjah, NYUSPS brought Lane Jantzen, VP of Penguin Random House, to address a gathering of publishers from the Arab region and the world.

Salim Omar Salim, Director of Sales and Marketing at SBA, said, "Staying true to tradition, the SBA is roping participating publishers into activities and discussions that will enhance your skills and expertise, will help you understand the target audience better, and be equipped with marketing mechanisms that will bolster your outreach and sales. The cycle of life, in many ways, begins and ends with books, and we are delighted to be able to offer a platform for learning and exchange to all of you who have dedicated their lives to creating and disseminating knowledge to our present and future generations."

Keywords, data codes, metadata, search engine optimisation, algorithms, influencers and other online sales and marketing jargon were the main touchpoints in Jantzen’s presentation as he tried to build a comprehensive yet relatable narrative on how online retail has changed and continues to develop and diversify publisher strategy in their quest to reach out to readers with their products.

The latter part of the seminar threw light on identifying the audience, understanding consumer behaviour, title marketing, digital pricing strategies, and the role of sales reps in promoting book sales.