Advertising is the process of making a product or service known to the public, usually through paid announcements in the media. Adverts in books, especially on the inside covers and on the endpapers, are a way of publicising other books and products that the publisher or bookseller thinks might be of interest to the reader. They may be for books by the same author, or on a similar subject, or they may be for products that the publisher or bookseller thinks the reader might find useful. Adverts are also a way of generating income for the publisher or bookseller, and so they are usually found in books that are produced on a commercial basis.
The purpose of adverts in books is to sell other products, either by the same publisher or bookseller, or by companies that have paid to have their products advertised. Adverts may also be used to promote events or special offers.
Adverts are usually found in books that are produced on a commercial basis, such as novels, textbooks and non-fiction books. They are less common in academic books and journals, usually produced by universities and other research institutions.
There are two main types of book adverts: those inserted by the publisher or bookseller and those paid for by companies that want to advertise their products. Publisher’s adverts are usually found on the inside covers and on the endpapers of a book. They may be for books by the same author or on a similar subject. Or for products that the publisher or bookseller thinks the reader might find helpful. Company adverts are usually found on the back cover of a book. They are usually for products the company thinks the reader might be interested in, such as books, DVDs or computer games.