Written by an impressive roster of renowned marketing authorities, many with experience of the book trade and all gifted writers in their own right, steps back from the practicalities of book marketing and takes a look at the industry from a broader consumer research perspective. Consisting of sixteen chapters, divided into four loose sections, this key text covers: * a historical overview * the often acrimonious marketing/literature interface * the consumers of books (from book groups to bookcrossing) * a consideration of the tensions that both literary types and marketers feel. With something for everyone, not only complements the ‘how-to’ genre but provides the depth that previous studies of book consumption conspicuously lack.