Promotion of locally published English paperbacks

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to obtain a greater insight into the locally published

English paperbacks market in Singapore and to analyse the effectiveness of the

promotional strategies that were carried out in the local paperback industry. Statistical

analyses were conducted on the survey results to test their significance and infer from the

findings.

The motivation behind this study is to do an in-depth study to determine the reasons that

readers were drawn to the books, their reading and purchasing habits, and the

effectiveness of the promotional strategies undertaken by publishers and retail bookstores.

During the course of the research, primary data were gathered from depth interviews with

the experts in the industry and a consumer survey. The secondary data were collected

from newspapers, magazines and books. In the analysis of the results, several key findings

were identified.

The promotional strategies undertaken by both publishers and retail bookstores through

the various media were effective. Readers also preferred to purchase local paperbacks

from bookstores and depended heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations. It was also

inferred that the contents of the book contributed the most to overall satisfaction of

readers, while language contributed the least and need to be improved further. Lastly, the

report ends with several recommendations that could be implemented to further improve

the effectiveness of promotion and increase sales.