HarperCollins Relaunches Website, Emphasizes Direct Sales

HarperCollins has launched a redesigned website that emphasizes direct sales to consumers, including U.S. print, e-book and audiobooks to U.S. consumers and U.S. e-books around the world wherever HarperCollins holds rights. Similar sites will be launched soon by other HarperCollins divisions, beginning with the U.K. in August, and Canada and Australia.

The company said, "The capability to sell directly will enable the company to better understand consumer preferences and, most importantly, further extend the global reach of its authors." HarperCollins emphasized, too, that its authors will be able to use the technology to sell directly from their own websites.

Promotional areas on the site highlight authors and include links to watch author videos, read sample chapters, listen to audio and sign up for author or genre newsletters and the HarperCollins daily deals e-mail, Bookperk. Some titles are discounted. (A random check found that the few discounted titles were 15% off on print books with free shipping and 20% off e-books.)

While the site does have links to other retailers, they're rather difficult to find. After clicking on a "view more retailers" link on a book information page, IndieBound, a handful of indies, as well as Amazon, B&N, Kobo, BAM, Hastings, Waterstones, Target, Google Play, Walmart, Hive, Hastings, W.H. Smith and Hudson are listed. In drop down boxes below are more retailers in three categories: online, specialty and international. Oddly, several of the indie booksellers weren't notified that they'd be listed.

Chief marketing officer Angela Tribelli said, "Our mission as a 21st century publisher is to connect authors and readers. The elegant, consumer-centric design of the site provides an innovative platform for our authors that will boost the discoverability of their books, drive sales, and--ultimately--launch writing careers."

HarperCollins chief digital officer Chantal Restivo-Alessi added, "We are excited to be able to offer an e-commerce solution to our authors, ensuring their books are always available to their fans. As a publisher, we want to offer as many paths to the consumer as possible."

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