"It looked good on paper," Matthew Miller, founder of the three-year-old Toby Press, explained about his decision to bypass retail channels in favor of selling his titles through direct mail and over the Web (News, July 26, 1999). However, after his direct-marketing approach brought in only about half the number of members Miller thinks he needs to become profitable, he has begun offering Toby's books through bookstores and e-retailers. "We had between 15,000 to 20,000 members, but I need double that amount to keep going," Miller told PW. "We had a loyal following, but it wasn't big enough," he added.
Toby's titles are now available through Ingram and Baker & Taylor, and Miller has begun calling on the national accounts himself. He is also a BookSense participant and has taken a booth at next year's BookExpo America. And because of the high cost of advertising, Toby will do only limited direct marketing.
The switch in marketing tactics has meant a change in Toby's publishing schedule. Miller has scrapped his previous approach of releasing five to six books every four months and now plans on publishing about 15 titles annually on a more traditional two-season basis. But Miller is not altering his publishing philosophy, which calls for a mix of literary and commercial fiction. The publisher's Failing Paris by Samantha Dunn was nominated for a PEN USA West Fiction award last year, and Anna Enquist's The Secret is short-listed for Dublin's IMPAC prize. The company's bestseller to date has been Blackberries, Blackberries by Crystal Wilkinson, which has sold about 6,000 copies. Saul Bellow's Editors has also done well. For spring 2002, Miller has high hopes for Naomi Ragen's Chain Around the Grass and has set a 10,000-copy first printing for the title.
