Date: Sun, 07 Oct 2007 18:22:54 -0400
From: Samuel Lubell <samlubell at verizon.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Book research
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

According to the AAP - "Net sales for the United States publishing=20
industry are estimated to have increased by 9.9 percent from 2004 to=20
2005 to a grand total of $25.1 billion"=20
--http://www.publishers.org/industry/index.cfm. In 2006, Book Industry=20
trends reported, "/TRENDS 2007/ estimates that total publishers=92 net=20
revenues in 2006 reached $35.69 billion, up 3.2 percent over 2005=92s=20
total, and that unit sales in 2006 exceeded 3.1 billion "=20
[http://www.bisg.org/news/press.php?pressid=3D42]

So if 3.1 billion books were sold last year. And the latest census count =
is
US. 303,069,652

Then the average American bought 10.23 books (probably higher since that =

count includes babies and such)

In 2005, the average American spent $126 on reading materials (down from =

the previous two years), roughly 0.3 percent of expenditures.
http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxann05.pdf

Michael Walsh wrote:
>> omni at omniphile.com 10/07/07 4:46 PM >>>
>>    =20
>>> At 10/7/2007 02:38 PM, you wrote:
>>>      =20
>
>  =20
>>> I see plenty of large bookstores, with plenty of books and plenty of
>>> customers, despite the high price of new books these days.
>>>      =20
>> I've seen a number of bookstores in my area, a fairly affluent one,=20
>> close over the last 12 years.  Some of them have been part of large=20
>> chains, not just underfinanced eclectic ones.
>>    =20
>
> Speaking as someone whose income depends upon the book industry ...
>
> Bookstores close for lots of reasons.
>
> One of the more common is rent.  A wonderful DC art bookstore - Franz
> Bader - has closed because of their rent going up.  There is a point
> where there are no more costs to be cut and it's just time to close.
>
> Crown Books closed essentially due to a family feud.
>
> Olssons survives, but has had to close the Georgetown store a few
> years.  Rent.  A Washington Post piece in 2001 notes that Olssons
> credits their survival to ... Beanie Babies.  Google Olssons Beanie for=

> the story.
>
>  =20
>>> Last weekend I went to the National Book Festival on Saturday (at
>>> which I saw several WSFAns), and the used book sale at Arlington
>>> Library on Sunday.  Both events were very large and very crowded.
>>>      =20
>> And if I went to a buggy-whip manufacturer's convention I'd expect to
>>    =20
>
>  =20
>> see a lot of buggy-whip enthusiasts too.  Doesn't mean the industry is=

>>    =20
>
>  =20
>> healthy.
>>
>> What is the trend in books published per year?  In number of=20
>> publishers?  Number of people working in the industry?  Total=20
>> revenue=20
>> for the industry?  Average number of books owned per=20
>> household?  Number of people who read for fun?
>>    =20
>
> Very braodly speaking becasue I don't really have the time to research
> the numbers ...  lots of books are being published.  Y'all might even
> like a few of them.
>
> The rise of desktop publishing software, cheap printing, and easier
> distribution allows pretty much anyone to publish their stunning expose=

> of whatever that the New York houses are afraid to publish.
>
> What has happened is that the number of independent bookstores have
> shrunk.  Big Box Stores, the internet, and rent have killed them off.
>
> Look ... in the past a small press (oh, like me) would be screwed if
> Borders and/or B&N passed on a new publication, like the Howard Waldop
> collection.  But anyone with a computer and a few neurons to rub
> together can easily obtain a copy.
>
> And yes, prices go up.  Everyone wants a piece of the action, from
> printers, to distributors, to booksellers, to even those pesky authors.=
=20
>
> mjw
>
>  =20