Penguin is carving a niche for its trade paperbacks by treating the titles as entirely new books. From the Associated Press:
… Penguin has mastered the paperback blockbuster, taking a book already out in hardcover and giving it the kind of promotion once reserved for a new release: prominent store placement, author tours, online marketing, appeals to book clubs and community reading organizations.
Norman Lidofsky, head of Penguin’s paperback sales, says success is largely driven by a recognition of grassroots growth:
” … the books grow organically and then we focus on it and never stop. We’ve coined a phrase, ‘These books should be brought up during every sales call, every account, every time’.”
(Via Shelf Awareness.)