Porcupine Press: Marketing and Distribution: the most important elements

GREETINGS FROM PORCUPINE PRESS!

After less than two years of operation, Porcupine Press is ahead of the independent publishing pack in South Africa – if not in the international context as well. This dynamic publishing house has achieved such pre-eminence by concentrating its efforts into those areas of independent publishing that have been traditionally weak.

In the whole range of services – from advice to authors and editing, through the entire production process, to marketing and distribution – it is the last two on the list that have tended to be neglected by independent publishers.

But these have become Porcupine’s strengths.

In support of such a statement, Porcupine has already taken on the distribution function for several important South African publishing concerns, Mousehand and Botsotso being the most prominent so far.

Launched at the end of 2009, Porcupine immediately assembled a powerful team of expertise in the fields of writing, book design and production. ‘We were certain we could match and surpass our competition in these areas of publishing,’ says general manager Clare-Rose Julius. ‘So we focused all our extra attention on the really difficult parts – marketing and distribution.’

Porcupine distribution networks include: physical books through a reputable distributor into South African bookshops and libraries; print-on-demand services in Britain and the USA for the supply of physical books in those countries; an online Porcupine bookshop for cut-price online sales; linkages into the five largest online book distributors in the world; e-book facilities (soon to include a direct Kindle link); as well as representation at selected book festivals and fairs.

Marketing services range from media liaison packages to promotional material and events. Launches are a speciality, and customised services can be sourced from our various partners.

‘Obviously,’ says Clare-Rose, ‘the more books we have on our lists, the more we’ll sell. That’s why we’re eager to talk to other small publishing houses and individual self-published authors. Come and join us on Porcupine’s distribution and marketing express.’