Adult trade book sales were up 8.4% in January, the most recent month hard figures are available for, but sales in the young adult category took a dive by 23.5%. Overall e-book sales were up 10.1% over the past year, but that falls far short of the 49.4% increase the year before.
To add derision to affliction, Bowker Research just reported that self-published books now represent 12% of all e-book sales and as much as 20% of specific genres like romance and fantasy. Publishers take heart, that news is based on a survey done in the UK, though e-book sales on both sides of the Atlantic often follow the same pattern. Can you say “Harry Potter?”
The news about flattening e-book sales is sparking a lot of debate over whether e-books have seen their best days and are already on the way out. Another recent study of college students and professors showed that they are not ready for e-textbooks and still prefer print despite cost and convenience factors. Textbooks are referred to as “heavy tomes” for a reason.
Self-publishing is quickly losing the stigma that was once attached to it, but critics still abound, mostly traditional publishers. Andrew Franklin, founder of Profile Books, recently went on a rant at a London writing conference and said self-published books are “unutterable rubbish.” The general argument against self-publishing is that readers are barraged with too many choices and there is no vetting by experienced editors.
That is the polite way to suggest that self-publishers are losers who cannot find a regular publisher.
Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/its-about-time/2013/jun/12/self-publishing-gains-bigger-share-book-market/
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