ITWales.com
Crown House Publishing
Isn't it ironic? Instead of replacing books, the Internet has made them even more popular. E-Commerce has breathed life into the book trade.
One publisher that has reaped the benefits of Internet technology is Crown House Publishing - a publisher of books that apply the
latest psychology and educational theory to life. Established in 1998 and based in a converted mill in West Wales, the company now publishes over 30 new titles a year, sells books worldwide, and
even has an office in the US.
Matt Pearce speaks to Caroline Lenton, Marketing Director at Crown House Publishing, about the advantages ICT brings to rural publishing.
What has ICT meant for you as a publishing company in Wales?
As a Company based in South West Wales it is fundamental for our existence and subsequent development as a company. The combined power of Email and Internet technology, added to advances
in electronic publishing, have meant that we can achieve as much as we would if we were based in a city.
We have all the in-house technology needed to produce and design books together with the skills needed to use the technology. And we have excellent communications links. Location really doesn't
matter like it used to.
What's good about being based outside of the old publishing territories?
You look out of the window and see green fields! Our books are about better living and approaching things differently, and that's what you get working in a rural area.
The company is growing very quickly, and we've been successful in marketing our books globally. We now have an office in the US. The excellent communication links ICT has brought us mean we
can exchange information very easily.
How has having an E-Commerce site always been a part of your strategy?
Yes, this was important to us from the beginning. We knew we would need to have a substantial presence on the web. The Internet doesn't discriminate in terms of location, and it allows us the same
presence as any other publisher.
There are huge benefits to having information of our titles available on-line. But the most important thing about an E-Commerce site is that it's backed up with an excellent customer and mail order
service. Crown House Publishing's parent company - the Anglo American Book Company - is based on the same site. This company distributes books from a host of publishers across the UK, Europe
and the US. So we have customer service expertise at our disposal.
We also have links to our international distributors on the site giving visitors worldwide access to all of our titles.
The site is also something of a resource?
We use our site to attract new authors. Potential authors can gain information on how to submit a manuscript and how this fits into the publishing process. Authors can submit their proposals on-line.
We also have a page of links that can be used by people interested in specific subject areas.
Has the whole on-line bookselling phenomenon been a big help to you?
Yes. There is only a certain amount of shelf space in a high street shop. However the shelf space on an on-line bookstore is unlimited. Internet Bookshops can also present a wealth of information on
each book to include cover shots, chapter excerpts and reviews. As a marketing tool it keeps getting better and better.
What one piece of advice would you give to start-ups in your field?
Know your market. If you can, specialise, because you can corner a particular market and gain an appreciative audience. Reliable IT support from someone you can trust is essential. You can't
overestimate the importance of IT support in making sure the day-to-day running of things is as smooth as possible.
What one piece of technology has benefited you the most?
Certainly, CD-writers have made archiving information a lot easier. When it comes to in-house design and formatting, the Adobe creative suite has proven to be an invaluable software tool.
Where will you take your site in the future?
Actually we're in the process of developing a completely new site that will be quite a leap forward from the current one. We've had lots of ideas for it, and we're making quite a few changes, but you'll
have to wait and see!
Links:
www.crownhouse.co.uk
www.anglo-american.co.uk
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