From cover design to shelf placement and influencer partnerships \u2026 how publishers will persuade you to buy their books this autumn<\/p>\n
Think about the last book you bought. How did you choose it? Was it from a recommendation, a review, a TikTok video? Did the cover grab you, were you swayed by the quotes on the front, or did you just happen to spot it on an appealing table as you walked into the shop? Did you think about all the nudges that led you to that decision \u2013 by the publisher, the bookseller or that person you follow on Insta?<\/p>\n
The reality is that our reading choices are directed and massaged at every turn. \u201cIt\u2019s all about the art of persuasion,\u201d says Philip Gwyn Jones, who was a publisher for more than 30 years and is now a literary agent. And who are the persuaders? They\u2019re the booksellers, the supermarket stock buyers, the publishing houses and their ranks of marketers and publicists. And, more recently, persuasion often comes from BookTokers and online influencers, social media videos, podcasts and Instagram posts. How is all this changing publishing?<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/2780b4e332f0d9b2da265e750b67d3def2c4803a\/83_1625_3035_2427\/master\/3035.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=6b40a170fea775121a2282baa78710d1\" "\\"How")
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