On March 18th, in response to the Publishing Perspectives story "Digital Case Study: Publishers' Online Marketing in Spain," Editor-in-Chief Ed Nawotka posed a discussion question asking if readers cared about publisher branding.
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This sparked a flurry of debate among readers on the Publishing Perspectives site and off-line between Publishing Perspectives Business Development Director Erin L. Cox and publishing veteran, Sarah Russo, who happened to be writing a piece on the very subject for the insightful blog, The New Sleekness. In the interest of debate and for the readers of both Publishing Perspectives and The New Sleekness, both Cox and Russo have expanded on their thoughts for and against publisher branding. Below, is Erin Cox's reasoning for publisher branding. You can read Sarah Russo's reasoning against trade publisher branding on "The New Sleekness here.
By Erin L. Cox
Erin Cox
I wouldn't say that I'm label-conscious, but like many consumers, I like to know what I'm buying and, sometimes, a brand helps me make a decision based on an assumed quality. That goes for a shirt from the GAP, a new Samsung television, and, oftentimes, a [INSERT PUBLISHER HERE] book.
When I was first applying for jobs in publishing, the cover letter I wrote to Vintage said the very same thing: "When I buy a Vintage paperback, I know that I am getting a book of literary excellence and it's something I want to read" (I didn't get the job, but I would go on to work at another house known for its brand -- Scribner).
Source: PublishingPerspectives.com
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