Covid-19 forced Indian publishers to direct their marketing activities to social media and online promotions.
Sales, printing and production has completely stopped but editorial activities have continued at a steady pace, and publishers are opting for digital delivery.
“Lockdown has affected new title releases, promotions and launches. Hoping the lockdown will be lifted in a staggered manner which will allow bookstores to open for business soon. Kerala government decided to allow bookshops to open twice a week with certain restrictions in place. We hope such positive news inspires other territories to be open to such arrangements,” said Nandan Jha, SVP Sales & Product, Penguin Random House India.
“Through creative collaborations with authors and communities, Penguin is giving people access to content such as read alouds on social media channels, DIY activities, lifestyle hacks from experts, and much more,” said Niti Kumar, SVP marketing, digital and communications, Penguin Random House India.
“Under these circumstances, we are also focussing on ebook and audiobook formats. From acquisition of a title, to its publicity, we are working out the best ways to get this content to the people,” Kumar said.
Oxford University Press (OUP) is also providing free access to its learning resources, for both schools and higher education streams through its Online Teacher Training modules and webinars, said an OUP spokesperson
Trisha De Niyogi, COO of Nego Book, said: “It will take around 5-6 months for the situation to normalize, but I envisage a significant shift towards ebooks and audiobooks in the future”
Marketing and Publicity Manager Shobhita Narayan, Simon and Schuster India, said :”We are doing a small series of author videos with features such as creative writing tips, taking care of your health during the lockdown.”
Source: ET Brand Equity
