Francesca Beauman of Persephone Books told her enthralled audience that ‘publishing is political’. In the case of her homegrown publishing house, she is referring to the life’s work of her mother and herself in reprinting the beautifully and skillfully written works by women in the early twentieth century that have fallen out of print. During the Q&A held by the Edinburgh Bookshop with Persephone Books in late September, Francesca detailed the rigorous way their team selects which books will be reprinted, the iconic format in which they are reprinted, and the unique marketing strategies Persephone Books employ.
Persephone Books have a very specific set of rules when selecting which nigh-forgotten titles they will bring back to the public’s eye. They publish mostly women (around 85%, according to Francesca) and mostly works published between 1930 and 1949. Francesca stressed that they select only books that have an incredibly strong plot with deeply explored themes combined with memorable writing. Quite simply, the Persephone Books team has to fall in love with the novel. Another factor that unites all of the books in their list are themes. Almost all Persephone Books explore ideas of home – be that a home built in a house, one discovered in the wider world, or one found in oneself or another person.
Once the books are selected, they are reprinted in dove grey covers that are instantly recognisable to every Persephone Books fan – and absolutely intriguing to those who are just about to discover them. Paired with the minimalist, French-inspired covers are the gorgeous endpapers. These are as carefully selected as the title to which they belong, featuring a textile made from the year the novel was originally published – and often designed by women as well. As you can see, the variety of patterns and colours brings a personality to the novels that can be understood with just one glimpse.
After making everyone in the audience desperate to build up their own Persephone Books library, Francesca discussed their way of marketing which is as unusual as their covers. Rather than go for the easy route of selling their books on Amazon – which increases visibility but dramatically reduces profits – they sell directly to their customers via their website and in their very own bookshop. She talked about their active and well-received newsletter and the way she uses social media to promote new titles. I observed how they are subtly enacting push and pull marketing tactics here. Having a no-nonsense direct-to-consumer sales model like their website and bookshop means that they are able to make the highest profit, but it also means that customers can buy their products in the quickest and least complicated way possible, which can be called a ‘push’ factor. Having a close-knit community of readers who are reached via their newsletter or on Instagram (which boasts almost 60k followers) can be identified as a ‘pull factor’, as potential readers are encouraged to desire and demand their books.
It is clear that Persephone Books knows their readers and understands them very well. Indeed, their precise and intentional list-building has led to the formation of a community of readers who are just as passionate about bringing great literature to the spotlight again. Utilising effective marketing strategies, they are able to sell books which once could have been considered unsellable – and sell them in a truly beautiful format.
References:
Carmicheal, K. (2023) Push vs. Pull Marketing: Top Differences and How to Use Them. Available at: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/push-vs-pull-marketing [accessed 14 October 2023].
Cowdrey, K. (2017) ‘SoA Concerns Over Amazon Marketplace Trading’, The Bookseller, 10 May. Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/third-party-sellers-eligible-win-buy-buttons-amazoncom-549551 [accessed 14 October 2023].
Edinburgh Bookshop. 2023. Celebrating Persephone: A Q&A with Persephone Books. 29 September.
Images:
Figure 1: Persephone Books. 2023. Last Week a Customer Bought Five Books That — All in a Coincidence We Don’t Remember Happening Before — Featured Yellow Endpapers … [Instagram]. 3 July. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuPIVOXMlOw/ [accessed 14 October 2023].
Figure 2: Persephone Books. 2023. Madame Solario by Gladys Huntington. [Instagram]. 21 August. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwMpp0yIqaC/ [accessed 14 October 2023].
Figure 3: Persephone Books. 2023. Latest Book’s Table. [Instagram]. 14 October. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyXxvy2Ihcs/ [accessed 14 October].
MSc Publishing – Industry Accredited Postgraduate Degree 