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Let's take a minute to talk about format.
From yesterday's pub lunch email: "2020 was the first time that backlist hardcovers (at 113.5 million units) have outsold frontlist hardcovers (at 111.5 million units)."
"Adult fiction frontlist fell by close to 4 million units."
From yesterday's pub lunch email: "2020 was the first time that backlist hardcovers (at 113.5 million units) have outsold frontlist hardcovers (at 111.5 million units)."
"Adult fiction frontlist fell by close to 4 million units."
I know so many authors dream about being published in HC but the truth is the barrier to HC publishing is so high.
-higher price point for new fans
-if you've built fans you have to hope they'll come with you to the new price point
-higher price point for new fans
-if you've built fans you have to hope they'll come with you to the new price point
-bigger price point gap between e & p
-the publicity machine of yore is not supportive enough for all these HC books that rely on old school publicity to move copies
-the secondary publicity that used to come with the eventual paperback is not there either!
-the publicity machine of yore is not supportive enough for all these HC books that rely on old school publicity to move copies
-the secondary publicity that used to come with the eventual paperback is not there either!
-publishers need the book to move the needle in order to even publish the book in paperback to get that second life.
So what's so bad about trade paper??
- accessible price point, closer e to p price comparison, less cumbersome physically, many book clubs only do paperback picks
So what's so bad about trade paper??
- accessible price point, closer e to p price comparison, less cumbersome physically, many book clubs only do paperback picks
I love trade paper! Many retailers do too!
The career long urge to be published in HC is real for many authors, but it's all about *timing* and the right book at the right time to GET that publicity.
The career long urge to be published in HC is real for many authors, but it's all about *timing* and the right book at the right time to GET that publicity.
Despite 2020 being a brutal year overall--there have been many recaps on bookstore closures and virtual events--publishing did have a banner year: "increase of 57 million units, and the biggest gain since 2005."
BACKLIST held us up, educational held us up.
BACKLIST held us up, educational held us up.
Children's held us up too! (As they do many years!)
*We love you children's market!*
*We love you children's market!*
"The growth of online sales and backlist sales goes hand in hand, and growing the catalog of active titles is the focus of acquisitions among companies of scale."
<- YES. When things like BLM protests and pandemics happen we go to the backlist because it's ALREADY THERE.
<- YES. When things like BLM protests and pandemics happen we go to the backlist because it's ALREADY THERE.
Publishing is always behind. There is NO way for us to predict the future. We try our best with selective taste making and then there's "crashing a book" which takes ~6 months.
Back to format: so online retailers saw good sales in 2020! Walmart, Target <- and what format do they love? TRADE PAPER.
Who else was open during lockdowns: Walmart and Target.
Who else was open during lockdowns: Walmart and Target.
Look: there are certain books that will always be published in hardcover (serious non fiction being one) and know how to find their audiences.
But for the health and wellbeing of commercial fiction and the pockets of consumers = let's send some love to TP!
But for the health and wellbeing of commercial fiction and the pockets of consumers = let's send some love to TP!
