Home › Library Services › Collection Development/Acquisitions › New Title Service (Approval Plan & ENotes) › Approval Plans › Book Buying Process
Blackwell approval coverage is managed by a professional staff of bibliographers. We guarantee comprehensive treatment of the output of more than 1,500 publishers and imprints in the US and more than 600 in the UK.
Our book buying process has made the Blackwell Approval Plan the industry standard since 1975. Although we pioneered the use of technology in library bookselling, we know there is really no substitute for a professional staff working directly with libraries, publishers, and individual books. It is our knowledgeable, dedicated staff that provides complete, consistent, and timely approval coverage.
The Director of Publisher Relations, the Publisher Relations Coordinator and the individual buyers are in daily contact with publishers. We visit leading publishers at least once a year either in their offices or at conventions such as the Book Expo America, the American Library Association meetings, and European book fairs. Personal contact is the ideal way to solve problems and to get the voice of our customers heard.
In addition, buyers meet with publisher representatives in our offices in Oregon, New Jersey and Oxford during each publishing season. These meetings ensure complete, timely, and accurate advance new title information. A Blackwell buyer and the publisher’s representative review the catalogs for accuracy, changes, and any other details which may affect buying decisions. As a rule, we buy all titles from our core publishers except the following: mass market paperback titles, workbooks, programmed texts, juveniles, and items costing more than $500.00.
Once selection is complete, buyers write profiles of the titles, assigning subjects and non-subject descriptors. As part of this process, buyers can order extra copies of important titles. These are used to fill new title announcement service (NTAS) orders, firm orders, and orders that result from our Focus catalogs which contain recommended titles in specific subject areas.
Pre-publication book profiles are matched to the library profiles and the result is a purchase order to the publisher. Many of these purchase orders are now sent via Pubnet, further ensuring priority treatment from publishers. We aggressively claim titles not received by their announced date. Responses to our claims allow us to update expected publication dates in our records and in Collection Manager™, and to send libraries accurate reports on overdue titles.
When new titles are received, they go through a book-in-hand review in order to evaluate the original profile. Our bibliographers check every aspect of the book profile and make any changes necessary in the record. When the process is complete, the Blackwell book profile will be an accurate description of the title. The revised book profile is again matched to the library profiles. The resulting books are rapidly sent to approval customers.
Check out our monthly features of new and forthcoming titles in popular subject areas. This month’s topic is Environmental Studies & Sustainability.
Check out our great promotions.
Keep up-to-date on electronic resources, new titles, developing services and great savings by signing up for our news subscriptions.
©2005–2008 Blackwell. Blackwell US, UK and AUT operate under an ISO 9001:2000-certified Quality Management System.
About Us | Privacy Policy | Deutsch | Español | Français | Italiano | 中文