“Wear the old coat and buy the new book.” – Austin Phelps
Over a year ago, I signed my book contract with ArcheBooks thinking I’d be a published author by now. During this long wait, the gas prices have gone crazy and the housing market tanked. I can’t help but wonder what this economic mess is doing to book sales.
I tried to find out. However, when reading facts with lots of numbers, percents and words like ‘compound growth,’ I tend to glaze over. So my interpretation of a recent report by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) http://www.publishers.org/main/IndustryStats/indStats_02.htm may be skewed in an effort to make myself feel better.
According to the report, in 2007, U.S. publishers’ sales increased by 3.2 percent from 2006. I quote, “…the strongest growth in this category came from adult hardback books whose sales rose 7.8 percent last year…”
Did you hear my loud sigh of relief?
I hope this means that people are turning back to books as a way of escaping, even if only for a few hours, into alternate scenarios full of unforgettable characters. After all, the insanities of today’s world, the wars, the politics, and the reality shows will still be here when we read that last page and close the cover.
During 2008 do you plan to buy more books, the same number or fewer than you did in 2007? Will the books you buy be hardbacks or paperbacks? I’d like to hear your answers.
Thanks for stopping by. See you next week.
Jane Kennedy Sutton
Author of The Ride (to be released by ArcheBooks Publishing)
janekennedysutton@gmail.com
http://janekennedysutton.googlepages.com/
http://www.authorsden.com/janesutton
Tags: The Ride, Archebooks, AAP, Austin Phelps, economy
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