How Do We Market Books Now?

The panel focused on how to capture consumer interest in a marketplace that has shifted to digital sales, the benefits of virtual events, the importance of fleshing out direct-to-consumer marketing, and how libraries are adapting to an emphasis on digital resources.

The word of the day was "nimble," and Fassler opened the discussion with an emphasis on adaptation in the marketplace. "We've learned a lot this year during a time of distraction and disruption," she said. "I think one of the biggest challenges has been how to conduct effective outreach when we're hampered by the way we used to do things, like galley mailings. I used to do a lot of creative partnership work at conferences, pitching our books and explaining how our products are aligned. It's been necessary to be creative even earlier."