Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Net Royalty • Colophon • Copy Edit

Backlist

Term from Book Publishing industry explained for recruiters

A backlist refers to older books that continue to be sold by a publisher, as opposed to newly published titles (called frontlist). Think of it like a store's classic items that keep selling year after year, versus their new seasonal items. In publishing, backlist titles are incredibly valuable because they provide steady, reliable income without the marketing costs of new books. For example, classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "The Great Gatsby" are backlist titles that continue to sell consistently year after year.

Examples in Resumes

Managed backlist sales generating over $2M in annual revenue

Developed marketing strategies for backlist titles to increase sales by 30%

Coordinated digital conversion of 200+ backlist titles for e-book distribution

Typical job title: "Backlist Managers"

Also try searching for:

Backlist Marketing Manager Backlist Sales Coordinator Rights Manager Catalog Manager Publishing Manager Backlist Development Specialist

Where to Find Backlist Managers

Professional Organizations

• Association of American Publishers
• Independent Book Publishers Association
• Publishers Weekly

Job Boards

Industry Networks

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you develop a strategy to increase backlist sales?

Expected Answer: A strong answer should discuss analyzing sales data, identifying market trends, digital opportunities, creating targeted marketing campaigns, and leveraging different formats (e-books, audiobooks) to maximize revenue from existing titles.

Q: How do you determine which backlist titles to keep in print versus letting go out of print?

Expected Answer: Should discuss sales threshold analysis, market demand assessment, production costs, digital alternatives, and rights considerations when making decisions about backlist maintenance.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What factors do you consider when pricing backlist titles?

Expected Answer: Should mention competitive analysis, production costs, market demand, format considerations (hardcover vs paperback vs digital), and seasonal opportunities for promotions.

Q: How do you keep backlist titles relevant in today's market?

Expected Answer: Should discuss updating cover designs, creating digital editions, finding new audiences through social media, and connecting older titles to current events or trends.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What's the difference between backlist and frontlist?

Expected Answer: Should explain that backlist refers to older books that continue to sell steadily, while frontlist refers to newly published titles in the current season.

Q: How do you track backlist sales?

Expected Answer: Should mention basic sales reporting tools, inventory management systems, and the importance of monitoring both physical and digital sales channels.