The Bookseller.com

17th May 2008

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Four reps go at Bloomsbury

07.05.08 Benedicte Page

Bloomsbury and A&C Black are to merge their field sales forces with the loss of four reps. The new six-strong team will carry both publishers' titles. Bloomsbury executive director Richard Charkin said the action was being taken as a result of "increased central buying and the consolidation of book chains," and follows the example set by a number of larger publishers.

Penguin made seven of its 17 field sales representatives redundant in 2006, while Random House Group reduced its 33-strong rep force to 26 in 2005. More recently, independent rep forces Compass Independent Book Sales and Derek Searle Associates merged in February, while rep force Troika went out of business at the end of 2007.

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