Keywords: Book Printing China, Book Printing, Sales Managing                                                                             
Book printing companies typically derive most of their sales revenue from a small number of customers, and small revenue from a great number. This so-called Pareto effect suggests that 20 per cent of customers might account for 80 per cent of total sales. In consumer book publishing, the bookselling chains have tended to dominate, followed by wholesalers and library suppliers. But a big order from a supermarket can put a book amongst the bestsellers, and the importance of the chains has been challenged by the supermarkets and internet booksellers.

The internet also provides a route to sell the Long Tail; the books that are not regularly stocked in bookshops. Customers searching online for a relevant title can come across slow-selling backlist titles as well as the current bestsellers. Certainly publishers have to ensure that their books are listed with sufficient information online, and they are using services such as Google Print and Amazons Search Inside as ways of attracting purchasers. Since independent booksellers rely on the trade wholesalers with their own sales forces, many have lost face-to-face contact with publishers. However, they may deal with selected publishers from which they receive higher discounts than from wholesalers. With the UK market relatively mature, publishers look to overseas markets to boost sales of English editions. Sales staff will make visits to key markets and use local distributors and agents as the route to market. If the market is sufficiently strong, the company may set up its own office in the country. Publishers may also have joint ventures, companies set up in partnership with domestic publishers where they co-operate with domestic companies on particular projects - in export markets.