Working Blind: The Sales Technique That Keeps Secrets
Thursday, December 7th, 2006
Would you buy a book you knew nothing about–if a trusted source told you it was good? Many bookstores are facing this question, and in the beginning, many answered “yes.” “Blind selling” is a practice commonly used in the publishing industry to sell books into bookstores without revealing the author’s name, title of the book, or subject matter. Oprah Winfrey popularized the trend by having bookstores order boxes of each unknown Oprah’s Book Club book before she announces the selection on her show. She doesn’t have to leak the month’s choice in advance, and booksellers still have plenty of copies in stock. But many booksellers are rethinking the practice, thanks to the blind sell of O.J. Simpson’s book If I Did It. continue reading
