The document discusses the significance of digital transformation in the realm of backlist publishing, emphasizing that digital means more than just e-readers, but creates new opportunities for engagement and sales. It highlights the shift from viewing publishers as content businesses to recognizing their role in distribution, and suggests that digital tools can enhance marketing efforts and customer experiences. Examples such as subscription services and innovative marketing strategies are presented to illustrate how backlist titles can still thrive in a digital context.

1. Backlist in a Digital World
Klopotek
Publisher Information Day
12 June 2013

2. Working with
Advance Materials Ltd
Encyclopædia Britannica
Connell Guides
Contentment
Critical Publishing
GSE Research / Greenleaf
PasTest
Maverick
Wiley

3. alternative title: Technology-
The Resurrection Biology of Backlist
Thanks to
@micycle for
the suggestion

4. What is “Backlist”?

5. Few & New
Traditional Trade Publishing
Many & Old(er)

6. Few & New
Traditional Academic Publishing
Many & Old(er)
(Sometimes ancient)

7. Asking what “digital” means
for backlist is a bit like
asking:
“What sort of business did
we used be, and what sort of
business are we going be?”

8. For too long, “digital” has
actually meant just e-Readers
& Print-on-Demand

9. Digital means new
opportunities:
“What sort of business
would we like to be?”

10. Asking what
“digital”
means for
backlist is a
bit like asking
“When is a
door not a
door?”

11. It’s a
complete
change of
context

12. What is Digital?
Normal

13. “For decades publishers thought
they were running content
businesses. It turns out they
were really running distribution
businesses.”
Benedict Evans,
Enders Analysis

14. Digital is
Distribution
But that doesn’t mean we can
close all our warehouses...

15. ...it does mean our warehouses
- and their systems - had
better be up to snuff
Digital (online) activity can
drive print sales. But the
print-world customer
experience has to meet
digital-world customer
expectations

16. While publishers were
busy saying
“Metadata is Marketing”

17. Content Became Marketing

18. Low-cost digital tools (e.g. slideshare)
Enable clear “calls to action” (purchase)
to a self-selecting audience

19. Food for thought is a powerful
sales tool

20. ask @4fifty1
Digital facilitates
“inbound marketing”

21. History Press’s
Titanic:
Her Journey
was a fabulous
example of
content
marketing

22. Embracing the
whole product
range: the app,
new print &
e- frontlist and
great print &
e- backlist.

23. “All

24. for

25. a

26. marketing

27.
budget

28. of

29. £￡1,000...”
PLUS

30. PLANNING/TIME

31. Backlist re-purposed to make
a Newsstand “partwork”

32. A project by Contentment with
Amber Books

33. Using Padify (HTML5 SaaS)

34. For some, “digital” has meant
the elimination of print
Plus opportunities to make process, quality
and values more transparent