CATALOGUES DESIGNED WITH OTHER MUSEUMS THAT HAVE FOUND THEIR AUDIENCE
While the health crisis may have disrupted the exhi- bitions, the impact on catalogue sales was less than expected. Sales even beat projections for those cata- logues that could be sold on site during the summer and early Autumn along with bookstore sales. This was the case for the catalogues co-published by the Rmn Grand Palais with the Musée d Orsay, the catalogues Léopold Chauveau, James Tissot, Léon Spilliaert and Aubrey Beardsley totalling 2,860, 5,300, 4,040 and 2,940 copies sold in 2020 respectively. The catalogues for exhibition postponed until 2021 but that had already been produced benefited from early sales in the second half of 2020, thus extending their shelf life (Paris pour Ecole published with the Musée D Art et d Histoire du Judaïsme, Marc Riboud co-published with the Musée Guimet).
NEW PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTION PROCESSES
2020 was a critical year in which the processes and tools deployed within the publications department were put under the spotlight. Innovative content was developed to irrigate social networks and dialogue with readers: book browsing, provision of content for "The Grand Palais in your own home" programme, contests, quiz- zes, newsletters etc. Moreover, the press fallout for the publications was very large and highly visible in 2020, with almost 250 press mentions estimated to be worth some 3 million euros. A permanent collaboration with Flammarion has made it possible to fine-tune distribution of the works in general bookstores through more precise targeting. 2020 was a decisive year for the publication sector. All players in the sector, from authors to readers and of course pub- lishers had a vital role to play in supporting this fragile economy.
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