At Book Fairs this year, one theme kept resurfacing in conversations: discovery is changing, but discovery alone is not enough.
What is changing is the journey between discovery and purchase.
For many years, discoverability has been the primary challenge. Publishers focused on ensuring books could be found through search engines, retailer platforms and online marketing channels. Today, however, readers are discovering books in more places than ever before.
Search remains important, but it now sits alongside social media, AI-powered recommendations, publisher websites and online communities. Readers move between these platforms, often encountering a book several times before making a purchase.
This creates a new challenge. Being discovered does not automatically lead to conversion.
The publishers seeing the strongest results are increasingly focused on what happens after discovery. How easy is it for the reader to learn more? How quickly can they move from interest to action? How effectively does the online experience support the path to purchase?
D2C eCommerce continues to play an important role, but its purpose is different from publisher to publisher. For some, it provides greater control over margins and customer data. For others, it serves as an engagement channel that strengthens reader relationships and ultimately drives sales. The most effective strategies recognise that D2C is part of a wider ecosystem, not a replacement for it.
At the same time, publishers are becoming more selective about where they invest resources. Not every channel is worth it. Success increasingly depends on testing, learning and focusing on platforms that genuinely resonate with readers rather than following industry trends.
Underlying all of this is metadata.
Metadata remains one of the most powerful assets for publishers. It supports visibility, search performance and AI-driven discovery but its role is expanding. Increasingly, metadata must support conversion as well as discovery, helping readers to understand why a particular book is relevant to them.
Ultimately, reader behaviour is driving these changes. Consumers now expect to discover content anywhere and move seamlessly towards purchase. For publishers, the challenge is no longer simply being found. It is creating a journey that takes readers from discovery to action.
