Some Thoughts On Book Publishing Statistics
Book publishing statistics is a topic that is rarely to be of interest to anyone. Unless you happen to be part of the book publishing industry or if you are an author who wants to have a book published, that is; in which case the study of book publishing statistics is absolutely needed. And this goes both for authors who plan to self-publish their works and those who would use an established book publishing company.
Without the study of book publishing statistics, authors and book publishing firms alike would be at a loss to come up with market information that would be crucial for their livelihood. For authors, understanding book publishing statistics may help them to choose the best possible partnerships with publishers. After all, publishers will often specialize in some sort of market. Authors of books on the occult for instance, could hardly expect to get published by a company that primarily publishes for a fundamentalist Christian market. Knowing which publisher does what, and which does it best will help authors get their specific kind of work and ideas out in the market, and hopefully that work and ideas into profits.
Current book publishing statistics trends need to be studied of course, by commercial book publishers and authors. Book publishers need to know of course, where they stand in the market. They need to know what place or niche they currently occupy so they know if they should compete with other book publishing firms for control of a certain market segment, or look elsewhere for revenue, or do something else altogether. In this regard, the need for statistics in order to make sense of the world and specifically, relevant market conditions makes book publishing just like any other business. Book publishing statistics and its proper exploitation and utilization will help keep book publishers alive.
The same thing goes for authors who wish to self publish their work, if not more so. Small time authors do not usually have the resources of established book publishing firms, so every tiny bit of knowledge gleaned from the studying of book publishing statistics might prove useful to a small time publisher; especially when it comes to the subject of book distribution. One of the more difficult things for many self-publishers (especially those without any prior reputation) is convincing book stores to carry your work. If they are able to do it, it is all well and good. But on occasion, "guerilla marketing" tactics need to be carried out; this may include distribution in non-traditional venues such as coffee shops, concerts, forums, and other places as applicable to the target demographic of the self-publisher. A discussion on book publishing statistics will not be complete without at least an overview of how computer networks and other technology have changed it. It is now possible to come up with lost of resources on book publishing statistics with just the use of a search engine that any child could use. While there are no sites that provide comprehensive lists of book statistics, an amateur self publisher could quite easily use computer information technology to get the general pulse of a market. The emergence of e-books is not something to be ignored; it has changed the way books have been published forever. The added dynamic of instant distribution of books through electronic means, though not at all a new technology, is still something that remains to be fully understood. Book publishing statistics on sales, for one thing, have been skewed by illegal electronic copies of books copies of books being circulated online, in some cases, even before the book was officially published.
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