Book Sales Down EVERYTHING Else Up

Posted by Derek Armstrong Nov 4, 2006

I hope you'll love my approach. If not, I hope you'll hate it. I like to provoke, antagonize, challenge, simply because literature and the publishing industry is in the middle of a shakeup—at least seven on the Richter scale.

Books are my passion. I hope they are yours. I bring my strong opinions, but also analytical skills proven by twenty-two years in book marketing, lately as a book publisher at Kunati Books. As an author, I've published with Simon & Schuster, been translated into many languages, written columns, created magazines, invented the first book trailer—anything related to books charges my batteries.

So let's start with the latest trend. Actually, it's not so much a trend as a continuation. A telling one. Book sales are down according to Publishers Weekly. On the other hand, Films and Books Magazine reports book exports are UP and independent publishers sales are UP and Amazon sales are UP dramatically. In fact, everything's up, except American book sales.

What to make of a downward trend in American book sales versus upward trends in online book sales, book exports abroad and domestic book sales growing ONLY from independent publishers? Have traditional booksellers and traditional larger publishers got it wrong? Are we out of touch with readers?

Small independent presses—I promise not to overdue the plugging—but presses such as Kunati, are growing, growing and growing. According to Films and Books Magazine, a stunning 425 of New York Times bestsellers were published by the independent book publishers!

I hope to explore these trends and more over the coming months. I hope you'll argue with me, disagree, agree, chat, virtually shout at me. Or agree, virtually pat me on the back, and give me new ideas. In other words I hope to engage you with my strong opinions. My first few "features" should illustrate how daring I plan to be:

• The Same Only Different, The ultimate concept engine of publishing is just more of the same
• Television—a plot to make people forget how to read; reality television, a plot to make people forget how to live (last plug, this is the theme of my latest novel, The Game)
• Why genre is dead, and should be buried
• Can online events, virtual signings (remember that oh-so-cool Margaret Atwood "Teleautograph" machine for bookstores?), live chats and online book readings replace the live author?

Well, we have lots to discuss. And I hope to push my luck each week. I also hope you'll egg me on, encourage me, and debate. My ultimate vision for Suite 101's new Literary Culture room is the virtual equivalent of the "talk show." So, let's get chatting.