Blogger: Rachel Kent
As a print book reader (who tried using a Kindle and didn’t like it) all of the talk about print books disappearing caused me pain! I love my books and my bookshelves and I’m not ready to see them disappear. I know there are many of you out there who feel the same way. There’s nothing to compare with holding a beautiful book in our hands.
I was encouraged to see, in the January 5 edition of Publishers Weekly, a report that print sales were up more than 2% in 2014 (based on numbers reported to BookScan)! This rings true with the royalty statements we have been seeing for many of our clients, too. Digital sales are growing, but print sales aren’t disappearing as so many people predicted ten years ago. (I do have to put a little disclaimer in here. Walmart has started reporting to BookScan this year and they aren’t sure what part of the 2.4% increase is due to that change.)
The most surprising increase in sales is board books–up a total of 17.4 percent from last year. I do believe there was a baby “boom” in 2012, so it could be that the publishing market is starting to benefit from the increase in births and the improvement of the economy. A better economy tends to lead to more births, as well. I think the majority of books I bought last year were board books. I bought a lot for myself, but I purchased SO MANY books for my daughter. So maybe this 17.4 percent increase isn’t so surprising after all. 🙂 I can’t take all of the credit, though. The difference in board book sales between 2013 and 2014 is an increase of 4,023,000 books!
The total number of reported print sales for 2014 was: 635,093,000 books! The difference between 2013 and 2014 is approximately 15.2 million copies. These numbers make me so happy and I hope they are an encouragement to you, too!
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I am delighted that I can get Spurgeon classics on my Nook for pennies. But there’s something about the heft, smell, texture and comfort of a real book!
My daughter will love hearing that news. Just the other day, the two of them were discussing how they want to have a book store when they are grown. They come up with something new every few months. But reading is their passion. I just shrugged my shoulders … “I don’t know what the future of hard back books looks like.” I didn’t want to sound negative, but I honestly didn’t know.
Books will always have a place in my home and heart, for certain. 🙂
I love that owning a bookstore is a dream of theirs right now! How sweet and wonderful!
I agree with Shirlee. I love that, if necessary, many ebooks are available at a low cost. But I also tried the e-reader thing for about a year, and I could never quite get into it. Electronic or paper, I’ll always be a reader, but I don’t enjoy books quite the same electronically.
I also contributed to the board book sales, Rachel. 🙂 I have no idea how many toddler books I bought in 2014!
We must be two of many, Jennifer! 🙂
My wife often takes lunch at a Barnes and Noble in Albuquerque, and she says the place is always packed. She has a tablet with Kindle functionality, and I think prefers it to real books, so her observation carries the weight of surprise.
Personally, I have mixed feelings about Kindles. Here’s why.
I was in a bookstore a while back, and struck up a conversation with the lady at the next table (no worries, my wife was there!). Barbara mentioned that I was an author.
“Do you have something in print?”
“Ummm, well, yes. It’s called ‘Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart’.”
She Kindled away for a few minutes, found it, and bought it.
Then she looked up, and said ruefully, “I wish I could have you sign it…”
(But the upshot was that she took my email address, and liked the book so much that she bought a print copy for her husband, who’s a veteran, and sent it to me to sign.)
Great story, Andrew! Must be an incredible lift to see someone purchase your book…right then and there.
It is a lift, but there’s also a knowing that came with it – and which was reinforced by a number of local book signings –
People who buy books want something beyond the printed word; they want a connection with the larger-than-life person who produced the volume they hold in their hands.
It’s still magic, and they want to touch the source of the magic – at least the temporal source, and that is why the inscribed flyleaf is so important.
Those strokes of a pen set the buyer’s internal message – “I was there. I stood in the presence of greatness, and that greatness reached out to me, as an individual.”
“I mattered.”
We really, really give away a part of ourselves when we write.
Wow! Great story! I love when “cheerleaders” help sell books. Wives, husbands and family tend to be the best cheerleaders because they are so proud. 🙂
Michelle Ule has a great cheerleader story. I believe she sold a book in the grocery store parking lot because of her daughter’s bragging. Always good to have a copy or two in the trunk, I guess!
My college daughter and I were walking into her local grocery store–I’d stopped by on the long drive from an LA book signing home to cook a few meals and take her shopping.
I was describing the book signing to her as we went into the store, noticed an employee watching us and lowered my voice–could I have been making too much noise?
The employee approached me in the produce section and started asking questions! My daughter’s mouth dropped open and the woman asked to buy a copy of the book.
I walked out to the car, took her money, autographed the book and returned to shopping.
“How did you do that?” my daughter demanded.
I shrugged. “When you’re a NYTimes best seller, anything can happen!”
In reality, we were just talking too loud . . . 🙂
Wonderful news for a Friday, Rachel! It always makes me sad when someone says they don’t have room for more books. They just need to buy more bookshelves! 🙂
Or build them. If my non-carpenter hubby can build a sturdy bookshelf, anyone can. 🙂
I agree!
Rachel, this makes my heart sing!!!
I saw that same prediction a few years ago about print books being on their way out, and I just shook my head. Like anything, media and experts believe they can shape our beliefs and way of thinking (and obviously they can), BUT sometimes predicted trends don’t happen because folks resist what’s pandered to them as an immediate given. We still like to choose. And there’s power in that. And numbers. And… dollars.
Yes, lots of dollars! Print books tend to hold value better than digital, so there’s nice profit from them.
Hurrah! I love print books. E-books are great for some things (like backpacking – last time I went, I was able to read a gigantic fantasy book WITHOUT lugging all 500-some pages to the top of the mountain), but I do love actually holding books in my hand – and being able to easily flip back and reference earlier parts of the story or prose.
See, I would have rather had a paperback with me while backpacking because I’d be worried of running out of batteries. 🙂 A 500 page book does add some weight to the pack though!
The reason I’ve never been into ebooks is they require a device on which to read them. A print book does not.
I’ve never believed print would vanish entirely, and I’m delighted to find I’m not the only one who prefers low-tech reading. 🙂
Looks like there are a lot of us!
I don’t buy print books for myself, but I never did. Before e-books, I fed my hunger for books at the library and waited for books for Christmas gifts. But since I’ve had children, I buy a book for each of them every month and then when I catch them doing something wonderful, I give them the book. They’ll ask “Do you have my book yet?” and I’ll let them know and I can see their little heads turning as they are trying to dream up some act of kindness or helpfulness or something that will get them that book. I also get them books for birthdays and Christmas. So yeah, I’m buying a bunch of kids books. Love them!
I love my Nook! Absolutely love it. But I love physical books too.
Wonderful news, Rachel! Thank you for sharing it. I, like you, have tried Kindle and did not like it. I like to feel a book, turn pages, highlight and write notes sometimes, and just looking at my bookshelves makes me happy. Also, as a writer, I really want to hold my own published book in my hands. I know there are many people who love the convenience of e-books. My sister is one of those people. She does a good deal of traveling so she loves that she can bring numerous books with her no matter where she goes. I’m happy for her and I hope that e-books continue for all those who love them. That said, I am DELIGHTED to hear that my old friends–physical books–are not going to become extinct in the near future. 🙂
I agree with you! I am glad for ebooks because it does give another avenue of sales! I don’t have to read them, but other people enjoy them.
I love the smell and feel of books, especially old books. And I love the quality of the paper in old books, and the illustrations, even the dust cover, if I can find one with an intact dust cover. Kindle and Nook don’t have that. And I agree with the comment about the buyer feeling they have a connection with the author. So many times I hear, “I’d like to write a book but I don’t have (fill in the blank).” I always say, “Sure you do. Just start and see where it goes. It doesn’t have to be 500 pages. Even 50 pages is a book.”
I love the smell of library books!
Thanks for the encouraging update, Rachel — from a fellow ‘real’ book lover!
I’ve always preferred print books, perhaps because of the years spent in a cubicle staring at a computer screen!
My husband and two grown children also prefer print. Nature vs Nurture … hmmmm.
But what gladdens my heart is seeing my grandchildren’s (ages 10, 10, 7, 6) bookshelves filled to overflowing (with old favorites) and stacks of library books waiting to be read!
I agree with Shirlee –there is just something about having the senses engaged with the ‘heft, smell, texture & comfort’ of a real book. My daughter gifted me with an early 1800’s edition of Mansfield Park in two volumes with beautiful color etchings. It’s a treasure to behold…
What a wonderful gift from your daughter!
This news makes me so happy! As a person with low vision, you’d think I would enjoy eReaders that allow me to increase the font size, but I actually find them hard on the eyes and much prefer REAL books.
I sense that, as wonderful and convenient as technology is, people might be getting a little sick of being constantly connected to a screen.
I think you are right! More people do seem to be getting tired of being connected all the time.
I’m still getting used to e-books, especially the part where you can’t tell how far in the book you are. As a someone who likes to take a peek at the end and/or see how many pages there are, this is frustrating. Other than that, instructional e-books are great because it’s easy to search for a particular topic. Still, print books are something that should never go out of style.
There are definite pros and cons to ebooks! I think textbook ebooks are wonderful. Backpacks filled with books are too heavy for children/teens/college students!
I’ve got books that belonged to my parents and others I’ve had since I was a kid. What are the chances that e-books we get now will still be readable in thirty or forty years with all the technological changes that happen?
Thought provoking comment! I don’t think our Kindle libraries are inheritable anyway. I am not sure about that.
What a deeply encouraging post! Print books will never and should never be replaced.
Thanks, Charles!
Anyone who thinks the print book is dead should see the floor of my office. 🙂
Hope you have a great weekend.
Yeah, and my living room.
Hey, books are life, right?
Here’s a link to study showing that teens (ages 13-17) prefer print books over digital books:
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-tech-savvy-teens-remain-fans-of-print-books.html
This early literacy librarian can’t let a discussion of board books go by without getting on her soapbox. 🙂 Board books are terrific, but be sure they are age appropriate. Parents/the public assume board books are for infants and toddlers. But when publishers realized the popularity of board books, they started publishing books in the board book format that are more appropriate for preschoolers. Just something to keep in mind when selecting books for young children. 🙂
Thanks, Judy!
Several years ago, I openly declared my intention to never own an e-reader. I was loyal to print books which had delighted and fascinated since childhood. Full bookcases testified to that. Then I received a Kindle from family members. It sat unused for a month or more until the gift givers asked how I liked my Kindle. Gulp! To make a long story short, I still love the look, smell, and feel of print books. However, the Kindle and also a Kindle Fire go with my husband and me whenever we have an appointment or when we vacation. It is so convenient to pick up a tablet or e-reader, scroll through our downloaded book menu, and choose whatever we’re in the mood to read. I will always get teary-eyed when I think of my favorite childhood books, but I do like my e-readers, too. Times (and people) do change.
I think there’s a place and use for both ereaders and print books! And homes can have both, thankfully.
I’m a nurse in a pretty big hospital and a lot of people here know me. They also know I’m writing a couple of books. Everytime one comes around I haven’t seen in awhile they ask if I’ve been published yet. When I tell them ‘no’ they say, “Please let me know when you do because I want to buy one and have you sign it.”
Can’t do that with a Kindle! 🙂
So excited to see how many print-book fans there are out there! I usually feel like such a dinosaur when I say that I don’t enjoy ereaders – but the fact is, I know myself and can tell that I am not as immersed in the read and am more easily distracted when I read on electronic media, as opposed to print. (I posted on FB just a few days ago about studies that show exactly that – print readers are more engaged, more immersed, and retain more of the finer details).
Recently, I was browsing a forum for fantasy/sci-fi readers, and noticed several people mention purchasing a print book purely for the pleasure of seeing it on their shelf, for the pleasure or running their fingers over a lovely cover. i know I do that, too – long live print!
As for environmental and cost issues – I believe there simply needs to be the will to develop alternatives (hemp, bamboo). Don’t get me wrong, I AM a fan of tech and understand howconvenient an ereader must be – but for me, print will always be king.
Rachel, I loved discovering someone else doesn’t like the Kindle. I know it’s cool and hip and everything, but it’s just not the same.
There’s nothing like holding a book with a pen in my hand and marking all the places that move my heart–and dissecting exactly how the author (usually the novelist) performed his/her magic.
I’ve really tried to embrace my Kindle–just can’t do it.
But maybe I don’t have to! 🙂
I love print books. I have bookshelves stuffed with books and cannot imagine a house without them. It is good news to hear that they are not on the way out. I published my first book in November. Paperback sales are matching ebook sales equally so I would say there is room for both
I like eBooks, but I love the smell of a bookstore and the feel of a print book!
Books may be in but Cookbooks are definitely on the way OUT. I can’t sell books that go for $40 on the internet for $.50. If someone wants a recipe they just google it. Used book stores don’t want them either.