NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ--(Marketwire - May 19, 2009) - Bowker, the global leader in
bibliographic information management solutions, today released statistics
on U.S. book publishing for 2008, compiled from its Books In Print®
database. Based on preliminary figures from U.S. publishers, Bowker is
projecting that U.S. title output in 2008 decreased by 3.2%, with 275,232
new titles and editions, down from the 284,370 that were published in 2007.
Despite this decline in traditional book publishing, there was another
extraordinary year of growth in the reported number of "On Demand" and
short-run books produced in 2008. Bowker projects that 285,394 On Demand
books were produced last year, a staggering 132% increase over last year's
final total of 123,276 titles. This is the second consecutive year of
triple-digit growth in the On Demand segment, which in 2008 was 462% above
levels seen as recently as 2006.
"Our statistics for 2008 benchmark an historic development in the U.S. book
publishing industry as we crossed a point last year in which On Demand and
short-run books exceeded the number of traditional books entering the
marketplace," said Kelly Gallagher, vice president of publisher services
for New Providence, N.J.-based Bowker. "It remains to be seen how this
trend will unfold in the coming years before we know if we just experienced
a watershed year in the book publishing industry, fueled by the changing
dynamics of the marketplace and the proliferation of sophisticated
publishing technologies, or an anomaly that caused the major industry trade
publishers to retrench."
(Editor's Note: Members of the news media who are interested in obtaining
statistics from Bowker for specific industry categories are invited to
email Daryn Teague, Bowker's public relations consultant, at
dteague@teaguecommunications.com.)
"The statistics from last year are not just an indicator that the industry
had a decline in new titles coming to the market, but they're also a
reflection of how publishers are getting smarter and more strategic about
the specific kinds of books they're choosing to publish," explained
Gallagher. "If you look beyond the numbers, you begin to see that 2008 was
a pivotal year that benchmarks the changing face of publishing."
Among the major publishing categories, the big winners last year were
Education and Business, two categories that might suggest publishers were
seeking to give consumers more resources for success amidst a very tough
job environment. There were 9,510 new education titles introduced in the
U.S. in 2008, up 33% from the prior year, and 8,838 new business titles, an
increase of 14% over 2007 levels.
By contrast, the big category losers in 2008 were Travel and Fiction, two
categories in which publishers clearly saw less demand during a deep
recession in the U.S. There were 4,817 new travel books introduced last
year, down 15% from the year before, and 47,541 new fiction titles, a drop
of 11% from 2007. Moreover, the Religion category dropped again last year,
with 14% fewer titles introduced in the U.S., and that once reliable engine
of growth for publishers is now well off its peak year of 2004.
According to Gallagher, the Bowker data reveals that the top five
categories for U.S. book production in 2008 were:
1. Fiction (47,541 new titles)
2. Juveniles (29,438)
3. Sociology/Economics (24,423)
4. Religion (16,847)
5. Science (13,555)
Methodology
The book production figures in this news release are based on year-to-date
data from U.S. publishers and include traditional print as well as on
demand titles. Audiobooks and E-books are excluded. If changes in
industry estimates occur, they will be reflected in a later published
report. Books In Print data represents input from more than 75,000
publishers in the U.S. The data is sent to Bowker in electronic files, and
via BowkerLink™, Bowker's password protected Web-based tool, which
enables publishers to update and add their own data.
Books In Print is the only bibliographic database with more than 8 million
U.S. book, audiobook and video titles. It is widely regarded throughout
the publishing industry as the most authoritative and comprehensive source
of bibliographic data available worldwide, and has been a trusted source of
data in North America for more than 50 years.
About Bowker
Bowker is the world's leading source for bibliographic information. The
company provides searching, analytical, promotional, and ordering services
to publishers, booksellers, libraries, and patrons through national and
international brands, including: Books In Print®, Global Books In
Print®, Syndetic Solutions™, Pubnet®, PubEasy®, PubTrack™,
AquaBrowser®, and more. In the U.S., Australia and Puerto Rico, Bowker is
also the exclusive ISBN and SAN Agency and a DOI registration agency for
the publishing industry. Bowker is headquartered in New Providence, New
Jersey, with operations in East Grinstead, England, and Port Melbourne,
Australia. For more company details, please visit
www.Bowker.com.
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Daryn Teague
Teague Communications
(661) 297-5292