Our International Publishing Director, Jade Robertson was interviewed by Business Inside Reporter about the impact of the Global Pandemic on the annual sales and the overall business strategy. She talked in detail about how the publishing house has adapted to an environment of decreased social activity. She informed that by quickly changing the marketing strategies, Austin Macauley was able to enjoy an increase in sales by 36% in the UK and 56% in the USA. These strategies included prioritizing and investing in the availability of e-books and audiobooks. She said: “We had to focus further on our own website and selling strengths, rather than relying on other online stores we work with to have our books available to readers.”
She further told that this year was a difficult time given the cancellation of all book fairs and book stores; “We have proactively continued to keep in touch with many in the industry through virtual interactions rather than face to face interactions.” Also, by ensuring uninterrupted flow of services, the company was able to survive and thrive. With people locked inside homes, the company had a moral responsibility to provide means of entertainment and enhancing knowledge in the form of books.
Jade Robertson told the Business Inside Reporter that they were able to fulfil this duty with greater hard work by making ever-great number of e-books, audiobooks and backlist titles available. She further exclaimed that with all this extra effort, this year turned out to be great in terms of annual book sales. About future plans for the company’s progress, Jade Robertson added: “We plan to launch virtual book readings, online book clubs, host writing workshops for upcoming writers and authors by creating a free resource hub that everyone can have access to.”
You can read the full interview here.
