Indie publishing houses strategise to explore book market
Published on: Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Kuala Lumpur: The names Fixi, DuBook and Terfaktab may be foreign to some but these independent publishing companies already have a strong presence among the younger generation in Malaysia. Their fresh approach and assortment of reading material that appeals to youths have set them apart from the more established publishing companies. These independent or 'indie' publishing houses started with a small capital and used their friends as a marketing platform, quite different from bigger industry players who are blessed with bigger funds and networking.
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The founders of the three indie publishing houses gathered in a forum on indie book publishing at the Kuala Lumpur Trade and Copyright Centre on April 22. On a recent trip to the London Book Festival, Fixi founder Amir Muhammad discovered that London publishers were troubled by declining book sales. There a book that sold 6,000 copies was eligible for a reprint but in Malaysia there was no guarantee that a book selling even 10,000 copies would be reprinted by publishers. Amir said Malaysians did not realise how lively book fairs in the country were compared with others in the region.
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Book fairs in Jakarta, Indonesia, a city that is bigger in size and with a bigger book industry than Kuala Lumpur, were mundane and poorly received. In Malaysia, even small publishers managed to grab shelf space in major bookstores like MPH, thanks to the structure of the book market compared with Europe.
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According to Amir, the publishing house made 30 per cent of its sales through roadshows. Most of the roadshows were done at university campuses and were an important strategy to influence students to continue buying books from the physical shops after they graduate. Though sales figures at times were disappointing, participating in roadshows was vital as a way to keep their business alive. In facing this challenge, Amir focuses on promoting the Fixi brand while using book sales as a benchmark of their success at different venues.Mutalib Uthman, chief executive officer of DuBook Press Sendirian Berhad in Bangi, Selangor, concurred on this matter. He said being in indie publishing required them to work independently, especially on book sales. "We cannot depend on bookstores because taking 55 percent profit is quite high. In other words, they are making life difficult for us," he said, adding that authors have been encouraged to sell their own products. Among DuBook's latest achievements was selling 40,000 copies comprising 40 different titles in 10 days at the recent Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2015. Their success was unexpected especially since they lacked the hundreds of thousands of loyal followers that elite publishing groups had. Because indie publishing groups work in a niche market, they have fostered a positive culture amongst themselves by selling each other's books. Terfaktab Media managing director Syazrul Aqram said despite differences in opinion on certain matters, they all understood that as small players in the industry they have to help one another. "If you come to Fixi you will find books from DuBook and Terfaktab. Books from other indie publishers can also be found at Terfaktab. This is how we work and in the end our customers have more to choose from," he said. Social media serves as an important platform for indie book publishers.Not only is their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter used to promote new books, but it is only used to establish the DuBook brand. "We interact with our customers and build an image of DuBook through social media. We chat, debate and sometimes even argue and the interaction has allowed us to get to know our readers better," Mutalib explained. Meanwhile, Amir believes that the best marketing technique is through word of mouth. "Books are personal. People don't buy them because of an advertisement or billboard, but they will rarely refuse a recommendation from a friend," he said.Fixi has some 145,000 followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. According to Syazrul, Terfaktab Media, as a company that began its publishing activities on a blog has much room for interaction with readers. With over 100,000 followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and about 30 million people visiting their blog each month Tefaktab has been able to reduce costs on promotion. The international landscape of books has allowed publishing houses to meet the demands of the content market worldwide. Amir said Fixi has also sold publishing rights of two of its books to an Indonesian company, something they hope to continue in the future through active participation in international book fairs around the world. An anthology of stories from Southeast Asia is also set to be launched by the publishing house in June. It will be made available in print and e-book form for international markets. Meanwhile, the sky's the limit for DuBook Press in terms of growth and expansion. For Mutalib, DuBook may venture out as a recording company or acquire an airline company but strengthening their brand is of utmost priority. Like Fixi, DuBook has completed the contents of a book on human rights which it will attempt to sell at the Frankfurt International Book Fair in Germany this October. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
