Presentation Title: "The 21st Century Catalog: A look at HarperCollins' initiative to shift from print to digital catalogs". Presented May 7, 2009 at BISG's 6th annual Making Information Pay conference (http://www.bisg.org/conferences/mip6.html).

1. Please visit www.HarperCollinsCatalogs.com

2. The case against printed catalogs
Printed catalog is closed 6 to 9 months before books are on sale

Titles wrong

Jackets wrong

Pub dates wrong

Prices wrong

Add-ons not included

Important information changes are currently sent via email

Limited shareability

Costly to produce

Costly to ship

Non-sortable

Non-green

Becomes a “beauty contest” between publishers and among

publishers own imprints
Cumbersome internal processes to create printed catalogs including

artificial deadlines and extra steps
Please visit www.HarperCollinsCatalogs.com

3. The e-catalog solution: “A Better
Mousetrap”
Not just a .pdf, but a web-based live

platform
Updates on titles, jackets & prices daily

Forum for add-ons and important changes

Notes function

Advanced searchability

“My List” function

Downloadable to Excel

Will lead to time savings in selling/buying

process Please visit www.HarperCollinsCatalogs.com

4. How we did it
Developed from May 2008 – March 2009

 Outreach to users: reps and customers
 In-house team -- promotion, IT, sales,
publicity, marketing and editorial: A whole
new workflow created
 Transition to e-catalog
Please visit www.HarperCollinsCatalogs.com

5. What’s next?
Continuing improvements

◦ Ordering
◦ POS by account
◦ Backlist focus
◦ E-galleys
◦ Custom catalogs
Edelweiss – we will be supporting

Please visit www.HarperCollinsCatalogs.com

6. Please visit www.HarperCollinsCatalogs.com