HarperCollins Announces New Paperless Co-Op Option

HarperCollins recently became the first publisher to begin offering retail and wholesale customers the option of a "paperless co-op" process. "HarperCollins Publishers Co-op Direct" is significant in that it eliminates a major deterrent for retailers wishing to claim co-op dollars -- the often-burdensome amount of paperwork.

"With the level of technology that most bookstores are at, the old way of doing co-op is old," said Kathy Smith, vice president of sales, administration, and operations, for HarperCollins Publishers, who added that the traditional method for claiming co-op involved a great deal of work and was costly for retailers. The paperless option, she stressed, will be easier for retailers and "easier for us."

She also noted that in the past a number of retail accounts had suggested moving to a paperless co-op system, but that HarperCollins had waited for the end of the fiscal year, in July, to begin the program.

To begin participating in "Co-op Direct," booksellers need to complete and return a single form to HarperCollins. Then, at the end of each month, they can simply e-mail to the publisher's co-op advertising department a spreadsheet showing what titles have been advertised.

"Harper's decision to move to a truly paperless co-op system is great news," said David Walker, director of special projects for ABA. "ABA believes this will be a big timesaver for booksellers, and we hope it will serve as a model for other publishers. Harper should get a lot of credit for making this happen so quickly."

Walker met with Josh Marwell, president of sales for HarperCollins, earlier this summer to discuss, in part, ways in which publishers could lessen the administrative burden on booksellers, particularly in areas such as the co-op claims process. A week or so after the meeting, he told BTW, "Josh called us back ... and said that Harper had decided to move to a paperless claim system."

Through the "HarperCollins Publishers Co-op Direct" program, booksellers may now choose different ways to claim co-op. The options are:

• Mail a paper claim along with the required backup documentation to the co-op advertising department (how it's been done in the past);
  
  
• Sign an agreement with HarperCollins and submit just the paper claim;
  
  
• Sign the agreement and e-mail a scanned image of the claim to the co-op advertising department; or
  
  
• Sign the agreement and e-mail a spreadsheet showing which titles have been advertised to the co-op advertising department (the paperless option).

In order to participate in the paperless co-op, the retailer is still required to keep proof of performance (tearsheets, etc.) on file and available for audit by HarperCollins, its agents, affiliates, or auditors upon request for a period of three years after the advertising date.

For more information on HarperCollins' new co-op claims process, booksellers should contact their HarperCollins sales rep. --David Grogan