Publisher Services

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MIDPOINT

Midpoint is designed for today’s marketplace.

The book publishing world is changing. Publishers and distributors alike are making painful adjustments in order to compete in dynamic marketplace. Midpoint heard this call from the beginning and responded by building a company that is fast moving and flexible. Midpoint moves with agility and speed unrivalled by any other sales driven company in the book distribution business. Our client publishers appreciate our adaptable approach.

Midpoint is Sales Driven.

All distributors provide three key services: Sales, distribution and marketing. Midpoint was built by sales executives who have brought a wealth of experience to the job of building success for its publishers. Midpoint understands that sales, distribution and marketing are interdependent, but special emphasis is given to sales because Midpoint believes that is the service most desperately needed by independent publishers.

Midpoint’s sales organization is structured for growth and service.

Recently Midpoint announced a new sales structure that will provide publishers with even better service. As Midpoint grows, it is our intention to keep our relationships with publishers personal and responsive. When a question is asked, an answer is given…promptly.

Midpoint likes to get involved in the life of a book from the very beginning.

Midpoint likes to become engaged in any and all pre-publication decisions. We want to participate in the conversation about jacket design, hardcover or paperback, price, and marketing concepts. The reason is simple. We want to contribute our resources to every book project so that we can maximize sales. Midpoint is always trying to stretch its boundaries on behalf of our publishers.

Midpoint has a unique sales shepherding process.

After a publisher signs with Midpoint, they are immediately contacted by our marketing director who lends a helping hand in walking the new publisher through the crucial setup phase. We want our publishers to produce the best sales material possible starting with the new title sales sheet. When that process has been successfully completed, our new publisher is contacted by a Midpoint sales representative to discuss sales objectives, marketing plans and other topics.

Midpoint’s sales representatives have well established relationships with the buyers at all the major book accounts.

Our sales organization has credibility with all our accounts. Our sales reps are considered to be among the most professional and responsive sales people in the entire industry. Midpoint is known for dependability, honesty and integrity. It is our mission to represent our publishers as they would want to be represented.

Midpoint is not catalog dependent.

Catalogs have been used for decades as the key selling tool for the sales force. But in the 1990’s catalogs began to become less relevant in selling books to bookstores. Midpoint understood this important shift in the marketplace and responded by developing a full color internet generated sell sheet. The net result for the publisher is a faster introduction of a new title into the marketplace. This is why Midpoint can claim that we sell every month of the year; we are not limited by the artificial deadlines necessitated by a catalog production schedule.

Midpoint’s sales team knows the ropes.

Midpoint’s sales team is as experienced as any sales organization in publishing. We know how our accounts operate. We know our buyers by their first names. We are making personal presentations all the time. We know how competitive the book world has become. We know the importance of timing. We’ve written the book on how to get the job done efficiently and successfully (See the Midpoint Handbook for a free download).

Midpoint values backlist.

Midpoint’s sales team is always working to renew the sales of backlist titles. We believe in approaching every title with the long term in view. We are particularly excited about signing publishers who have an established line of backlist titles as part of their mix of titles. When we add a new publisher with backlist, we re-present viable titles as new books. We also recommend repacking certain titles where appropriate.

Midpoint has a big presence at Book Expo America.

Book Expo is all about meeting new people, developing new opportunities and building strong and durable relationships. We are believers and we create a positive, friendly selling environment at the show that attracts large numbers of people. For many people, Midpoint has become a must visit destination at BEA.

Midpoint cares about physical distribution.

Our 11 year relationship with our distribution center in Kansas City has been a model of cooperation and mutual respect. We value their professionalism and we work hard to keep the lines of communication open so that we can solve problems quickly and efficiently.

Midpoint is looking to the future.

Whether we are improving our data dissemination process, or our reporting capacities, or our website, Midpoint is committed to improving sales and services for all our client publishers. We are attentive to streamlining a complex process in order to permit better service leading to greater book sales. Midpoint is proud of the fact that we are a work in progress. We know we can do a better job and we constantly seek ways to do just that.