Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Bowker reports the following book market trends from the second quarter of this year:
- Declines have occurred in the price paid per book, the number of books purchased per buyer, and in the overall dollars spent per buyer.
- Digital books took a larger slice of overall book sales than a year ago at this same time.
- Hardcovers’ share of the market fell to 33.3%, down from 35% in the comparable period in 2009.
- Amazon.com’s share of book sales, based on dollars spent, increased to 18% from 16% at the same time last year.
- eCommerce (not Amazon) also increased (from 8% to 10%).
So we see that the lower prices for e-books is having its affect in bringing in less money to publishers (and therefore to authors). Readers are shifting away from hardcovers, which form the base of publishers’ profits. These numbers were expected because the trend has been clear.
What surprised analysts is that the lower prices of e-books didn’t result in more copies sold. Books per buyer dipped from 2.7 in the second quarter of 2009 to 2.4 in the second quarter of 2010. The sluggish economy was seen as the most likely major factor in that drop.
In terms of categories of types of books, unfortunately, nonfiction sales are going down. One cheery bit of news from the report is that fiction buying is on the upswing, almost matching the sales the genre experienced in the second quarter of ’09, after faltering later in ’09. Religion book sales are holding steady.
I also read that a new Harris Poll reports that mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels are more popular than romance novels. And more women than men read mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels. Who knew????
It’s also clear that buyers are turning to the Internet to supply them with their books rather than to a bricks-and-mortar bookstore.
This isn’t the best news any of us could hope to hear, but considering how badly publishing stumbled in 2008-2009, it could have been worse. But concerns for the future remain. Publishers have to figure out how to generate more sales from the Internet and less from bookstores (sadly). And how not to depend on hardcover sales to provide the foundation for their profitability.
What can an individual writer do in the face of these trends? First of all, support bookstores. Seriously, bookstores keep publishers afloat. If we want to infuse a healthier glow into publishing’s cheeks, buying books is the best way to do so.
Second, know that if you write nonfiction, you have to 1) find your audience online; 2) write material that can’t be found for free online. That often translates to narrative nonfiction books or memoirs that provide a unique reading experience, or deeply researched topics that take a book to explore the results. If you write fiction, the trend is heartening. And “religious” books are holding their own. In today’s market, “steady” is the new “up.”
What are your responses to this report? Does it match with what you’ve observed? With your own buying habits? When was the last time you bought a book? What did you buy and why?
Fiction rising above nonfiction makes sense. It’s a bad economy. People enjoy a little escapism from their reality.
Nikole, I think you’re right. Also, studies show that fiction is the primary genre bought for e-readers.
As bleak as the data seems, I think it’s exciting to stand on the leading edge of new trends and watch to see what happens.
I wish I could remember the specifics of a story I heard in a marketing course, but it’s the concept that was important. There was a railroad tycoon who made his fortune shipping beef from the western plains to the big cities back east. With the invention of the automobile and the break-up of the railroads with anti-trust laws, many millionaires lost their shirts, but not this guy. He recognized that he was not in “the railroad business.” He was in the “getting meat to market” business. He made the shift to refrigerated trucks and continued to succeed.
Maybe it’s important how we define the business we’re in. There will always be new ways to meet enduring needs. Maybe we need a larger frame for the new picture?
“I also read that a new Harris Poll reports that mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels are more popular than romance novels. And more women than men read mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels. Who knew????”
Those who keep track of what readers are really reading, not what they think or hope they’re reading. The formulaic, category romance novel in Christian fiction might be holding steady, but a lot of readers have abandoned romance novels precisely because of their predictability and their less than real characters and circumstances.
Standing on the old declarations that once dominated publishing won’t cut it anymore. To name a few: “Fantasy (specfic) doesn’t sell in CBA.” “Literary novels don’t sell in CBA.” “Women don’t like male protagonists.”
Somehow CBA publishers are going to have to figure out how to provide for their niche markets or they’ll lose even more readers.
Lynn, what a superb point: What business are we in? “Delivering content” is one answer I’d give. How about others?
Janet, I’d say storytelling. 🙂
Interesting statistics and points on the nonfiction market. I suppose that further shows the need for writers to both embrace social media as well as have a strong platform for publishers to want to take part.
Though I like technology, like others have commented here previously, I still prefer a hard copy book. I see benefits to e-books, of course, but I’m still hopeful that physical books won’t completely disappear (or at least will take a long, long while to do so). I am interested in seeing how interactive e-books will become. I can see several possibilities of more interaction between characters or content and reader (without becoming too much like a game rather than a book) in children’s books, as well as reflection or study in nonfiction books.
I agree with Lynn’s point. My stance is that I’ll just focus on writing the best I can write (and keep learning to make it better), trust God with my content and my writing’s future, and see what path that takes in publishing.
Delivering a reading experience, regardless of the format. Exploring truth via story.
Randy Ingermanson’s definition would be “providing a powerful emotional experience” for the reader. Since I first heard him say that, I have striven to do just that, in both fiction and non-fiction.
Engaging the hearts and minds of readers to make a difference in their lives is my primary goal. Whether that’s writing, speaking, or whatever is secondary.
Love all the definitions! For those of us in CBA, the underlying ministry of presenting truth and inspiring life changes are powerful motivators. Writing is an important part of how I “give an account of the hope that is in me,” but that can take many forms. That helps me to be patient. Since ultimately it is God’s story, I try to tell it with skill and leave the results to Him.