The humble paperback is still in demand
Though digitalisation seemed to decimate the physical book market, statistics show that it’s bouncing back.
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The pandemic was a turning point, and a time when many more people decided to buy books to read—perhaps whilst they were on furlough. This resulted in a huge boost for booksellers everywhere, at least to those who could fulfil online orders.
In response to the book-buying public falling back in love with physical copies—rather than, or as well as, ebooks and audio formats—new independent bookshops are opening up everywhere (currently 1,072 outlets), which is significant when you consider they were perpetually declining for two decades pre-2016 (when there were only 867 outlets).
Bookshops on our high streets seem to have received the memo on what it takes to attract people through their doors. Unlike some other business types, their wares provide the perfect fodder for in-person experiences and events, which the internet can’t compete with. From author talks to children’s craft sessions, from murder mystery evenings to seminars on self-development, bookshops can be creative, informative and entertaining.
Book sales overall are steadily rising. In 2009, book sales in the UK topped 344 million. Following this, however, there came a huge shift in how we consumed information or looked for escapism. By 2014, digitalisation of the book industry saw book sales drop to 180 million. Subsequent years proved similar, though in 2021, UK book sales reached 212 million, and the graph suggests that the gradual growth of the last few years should continue.
As an independent publisher, outside of my role for ITK Magazine, I work with a few authors in my locality. Book sales are the hardest element of the entire authoring process. With more than 280 million different titles in circulation, it’s difficult to make yours stand out. Applying a common-sense marketing approach and proven techniques can work, but only on a small scale. It needs a lot of work, some investment and a dose of luck to push your book further.
90% of self-published titles sell fewer than 100 copies, and though traditionally published books fare better, selling on average 3,000 copies, only 250-300 of these are sold during the first year of the book’s incarnation. There are a few reasons for this: not least that publishing houses (the larger ones) can afford to invest in the marketing of their authors’ titles. They also have existing distribution routes to get the book into shops and under readers’ noses. Traditionally published authors are also encouraged to create further books and content to maintain the momentum and interest of their readerships. In comparison, self-publishing authors can feel disheartened by the limited reach and impact of their debut title and they ultimately stop creating further content for commercial release.
The self-development field has seen a huge rise in both titles released and purchased. Audio books have always done well in this genre, as readers can listen to them whilst they’re in the gym, on their commute or when taking the dog for a walk, for example; however, now that so many people work from home, the appeal of reading a physical book and focusing solely on its content, away from all other duties and tasks, is growing. The pandemic saw some people retrain in new sectors, and others launch their own businesses. The cost to join specific training courses or business programmes can be expensive; in this cost-of-living crisis, DIY training via books has soared in popularity as we focus more on our health, wellbeing and internal progression than ever before.
As with all other industry sectors that digitalisation disrupted, the book industry was forced to adapt in order to survive. I think the statistics prove that the worst days are behind us.