Firsty and Faber join forces to offer direct-to-consumer services
The Firsty Group has signed a deal with Faber & Faber, one of the world’s leading book publishers, to power the direct-to-consumer (D2C) eCommerce website packages that the Faber Factory* will be offering to its clients.
The Factory was launched in 2010 to give independent publishers access to cost-effective digital publishing technologies without having to invest in additional resources and add to their overheads. Those who sign up also benefit from the Factory’s excellent relationships with a wide range of retailers and aggregators around the world. In 2011, however, Faber recognised the need to offer a D2C eCommerce solution as part of its service, and began looking for a suitable partner in this venture.
In 2011, Firsty added publisher-specific D2C eCommerce packages to its suite of services. A major objective was to include packages that were affordable for even the smallest publisher. The packages range from Standard, which involves simply bolting an eBookstore onto a publisher’s existing site, to Premium and Enterprise packages, where Firsty builds websites based on open-source platforms, making them flexible and future proof.
The talks between Faber and Firsty resulted in the deal signed on 23rd July, with an enhanced form of Firsty’s Standard package forming the core of the service the Factory will be offering to its clients. Alongside the usual features (e.g., branded ‘Buy Now’ and ‘Checkout’ facilities, distribution direct from site, and sales management and reporting), the enhancements include unlimited number of eBook titles, supply chain metadata management by the Factory, and DRM/digital watermarking options.
Darin Brockman was delighted at the outcome.
“Publishers need to engage with readers in a way they’ve not had to before, and D2C opens the way for them to do just that. It’s a powerful tool for building brand awareness and forging strong relationships with the book-buying public.” He added that he was particularly pleased to be in partnership with such a highly esteemed publishing house. “This partnership will hugely benefit independent publishers at a time when it’s essential that they keep up with new technologies in the rapidly changing publishing environment.”
Commenting on the new Faber Factory offering, Faber’s director of independent services Will Atkinson said:
“Faber is delighted to be partnering with the Firsty Group to offer a D2C solution for our client publishers which is fully integrated into the Factory service.
“Faber enjoys partnership, particularly with forward thinking companies, and this additional digital service will enable publishers to open up a new sales channel for eBooks and directly engage with their readers.”
*Faber Factory Powered by Constellation is a joint venture between Faber in the UK and Perseus Books Group in the USA. It offers a range of digital services to more than 80 client publishers, offering digitisation, distribution and account management.
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