English textbook selection in Taiwan: voices of two book sales representatives

This qualitative case study explores the experiences of two book sales representatives when introducing textbooks to university English teachers in Taiwan. The participants were two experienced book sales representatives working for two large book companies. Analysis of semistructured interviews showed that the two sales representatives had considerable influence on teachers’ decision-making concerning textbook evaluation and selection. These two representatives not only used information from previous users and publishers to introduce textbooks to teachers and students, but they also used their professional positions and social networks to connect teachers across institutions. They collected feedback from previous users (teachers and students) to aid their introduction of textbooks to prospective users. By analyzing the needs of students and teachers across institutions, the two representatives helped teachers choose the right textbooks for students. This study sheds new light on research investigating the views and experiences of key stakeholders in English textbook evaluation, promotion, and consumption.