E-readers were supposed to kill printed books. Instead, they’re booming (cbc.ca)

When e-readers like the Amazon Kindle burst onto the scene, showing up next to menorahs and under Christmas trees in the early 2000s, they were predicted to bring about the death of the print book — and maybe the independent bookstore too.

But publishing sales data and on the ground observations from booksellers indicate that neither prediction has come true — in fact, sales of print books appear to be enjoying a bit of a lift driven by strong performance in genre fiction and interest from younger readers.

Print book sales are up 10‒14 per cent over three years in most major English-speaking markets, says Duncan Stewart, a consumer forecasting analyst for Deloitte who lives in Toronto and specializes in media and technology. He says those are quite nice numbers “for an industry that many people thought was dying.”
much more at: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/print-books-thrive-despite-e-readers-1.7056731

Related Posts

Gannett Announces First Quarter 2023 Results

First Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights: • Total revenues of $668.9 million decreased 10.6% compared to the first quarter of 2022 ◦ Same store revenues(1) decreased 9.3% compared to the first quarter of 2022 • Total digital revenues were $247.5 million or 37.0% of total revenues, down 0.9% over the same period in the prior year on a same store(1) basis primarily as a result of declines in digital media year-over-year • Net income attributable to Gannett of $10.3 million, representing an income margin of 1.5%, improved by $13.3 million versus the net loss attributable to Gannett of $3.0 million in the first quarter of 2022

Forecast worsening for paper supply (European Perspective)

Earlier this month PrintWeek reported on the ‘perfect storm’ of global events that have tightened the supply of graphical papers and resulted in paper mills resorting to allocation for the first time since 2001. Factors in the mix are wide-ranging with the surging global demand for pulp being at the forefront, fuelled by its ever-expanding uses in new and existing markets, such as hygiene and tissue products, as well as the backlash against plastic with manufacturers seeking paper-based alternatives. “Pulp is no longer a one-trick pony,” says Mario di Lieto, managing director of Stora Enso division LumiPaper. “There’s a much broader use for cellulose today than just paper. It’s being used for plastic substitute, for clothing, for biomass for energy, all sorts of applications.” As a result of this soaring demand, pulp prices have been pushed up further and further from $700-$750 (£520-£557) a tonne a year ago, to nearly $1,200 causing a knock-on effect across the print and packaging industry, among others. Click Read More below for additional information.

July Sales Jumped in Trade, Fell in Education (publishersweekly.com)

The July edition of the Association of American Publishers’ StatShot program showed a clear divide between the current fortunes of trade and educational publishers. Sales of adult books rose 20.9% in the month over July 2019, and sales in the children/young adult category increased 14.5%. Sales of religious books were up 4% over July 2019. In contrast, sales in the K-12 instructional materials category fell 24.9% compared to last July, while sales in the higher educational course materials segment fell 21.9%. Overall, industry sales from the 1,361 publishers who report sales to the AAP fell 9.4% in the month, and were down 5.8% in the first seven months of 2020 compared to a year ago.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search