In a note to its distribution clients, IPG president Mark Suchomel reported that through the first nine months of 2010, net sales were up 13% while returns constituted only 16% of sales. Suchomel said the sales increase is due to more sales per publisher, not to adding more clients. “Forty-three of our top 50 publishers are up over last year at this time,” Suchomel wrote. “Only one of the top 50 is new to us this year.” Suchomel attributed the increase to good books plus investment made by IPG to increase sales beyond the book trade and to tools “to present a more personalized selection of titles” which helps keep returns down.
While several of IPG’s competitors have introduced various e-book conversion and distribution services, Suchomel said IPG has been selling e-books for nine years, noting that e-books “have been well integrated into our sales process.” IPG’s e-book business, Suchomel added, “continues to grow exponentially.”
With the addition of more IT and sales staff, IPG now has more than 170 fulltime employees
