Comments on: Sobering Statistics About The Book Industry http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/ Steve shares his unconventional approach on Business Innovation, Creativity, Goals and Critical Thinking Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:43:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Okay, so it’s Monday … « Ramblings From the Left http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-37100 Okay, so it’s Monday … « Ramblings From the Left Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:58:42 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-37100 [...] Sobering Statistics About The Book Industry, published July 3, 2006 by Stephen Shapiro and reprinted from the internet.  [...] [...] Sobering Statistics About The Book Industry, published July 3, 2006 by Stephen Shapiro and reprinted from the internet.  [...]

]]> By: How to Sell Books: Embattled Self-Publisher Tells Her Story and Gives Advice on Selling Books http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-36777 How to Sell Books: Embattled Self-Publisher Tells Her Story and Gives Advice on Selling Books Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:18:08 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-36777 [...] fact, over 93% of authors barely manage to sell 1,000 copies of their books after release (Source: Steve Shapiro). That’s a far cry from the tens or even hundreds of thousands of books that many new [...] [...] fact, over 93% of authors barely manage to sell 1,000 copies of their books after release (Source: Steve Shapiro). That’s a far cry from the tens or even hundreds of thousands of books that many new [...]

]]> By: Lynne Polelle http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-36139 Lynne Polelle Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:08:56 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-36139 This site has some of the most interesting and useful information on publishing I've seen. I am trying to gather more information about fiction publishing (novels) in America, and specifically, marketing to Book Clubs which are proliferating around the country. Can anybody help me with this? This site has some of the most interesting and useful information on publishing I’ve seen. I am trying to gather more information about fiction publishing (novels) in America, and specifically, marketing to Book Clubs which are proliferating around the country.

Can anybody help me with this?

]]> By: Stephen Shapiro http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-34852 Stephen Shapiro Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:42:35 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-34852 Rachel, Congrats on 26 books! That's amazing. As I understand it, there is now more pressure on successful fiction (especially crime) authors to pump out new books. Some are being asked to write at least one every year. And I totally agree about Amazon. My latest book is not even sold on Amazon. I only sell it in bulk to my clients. And I use it as a powerful marketing tool - which was its original purpose. I was never suggesting that Amazon is the way to success. I definitely don't believe that to be true. This is why I am suggesting a traditional publisher for your first book, if you can make it happen. All the best! Rachel, Congrats on 26 books! That’s amazing. As I understand it, there is now more pressure on successful fiction (especially crime) authors to pump out new books. Some are being asked to write at least one every year.

And I totally agree about Amazon. My latest book is not even sold on Amazon. I only sell it in bulk to my clients. And I use it as a powerful marketing tool – which was its original purpose. I was never suggesting that Amazon is the way to success. I definitely don’t believe that to be true.

This is why I am suggesting a traditional publisher for your first book, if you can make it happen.

All the best!

]]> By: Rachel Caine http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-34850 Rachel Caine Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:45:55 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-34850 Thanks for posting these statistics. I've been in the (fiction) business for many years, and I'm on my 26th book, but I've been struggling under these statistics for most of my career. (And I definitely did not start out rich and/or famous.) However, I can say that I really am one of those happy few who's selling through to the larger marketplace, and have been since about 2004. That being said, you can't necessarily rely on "as goes Amazon, so goes the world ..." In fiction publishing, at least, there is still a dramatic divide between the number of books sold from brick-and-mortar stores vs. Amazon. Last figures I saw put it at about a 70/30 split, with Amazon being the 30 ... and this discrepancy gets larger as your sales increase, because when people can go to the bookstores to reliably find you, or grab it off the shelves at Wal-mart and airports, Amazon sales actually reduce somewhat. I wish you the best with your projects! -- Rachel Thanks for posting these statistics. I’ve been in the (fiction) business for many years, and I’m on my 26th book, but I’ve been struggling under these statistics for most of my career. (And I definitely did not start out rich and/or famous.)

However, I can say that I really am one of those happy few who’s selling through to the larger marketplace, and have been since about 2004.

That being said, you can’t necessarily rely on “as goes Amazon, so goes the world …” In fiction publishing, at least, there is still a dramatic divide between the number of books sold from brick-and-mortar stores vs. Amazon. Last figures I saw put it at about a 70/30 split, with Amazon being the 30 … and this discrepancy gets larger as your sales increase, because when people can go to the bookstores to reliably find you, or grab it off the shelves at Wal-mart and airports, Amazon sales actually reduce somewhat.

I wish you the best with your projects!

– Rachel

]]> By: How to Publish a Book in 2 Weeks for $200 | Stephen Shapiro on Innovation, Creativity, Goals & Performance http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-34832 How to Publish a Book in 2 Weeks for $200 | Stephen Shapiro on Innovation, Creativity, Goals & Performance Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:00:47 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-34832 [...] to be rich and famous:  If this is your objective, then you may want to look elsewhere.  Only 1,000 out of 172,000 books published each year sell over 50,000 copies.  Very few authors become rich and famous because of their books.  In fact, most of the big [...] [...] to be rich and famous:  If this is your objective, then you may want to look elsewhere.  Only 1,000 out of 172,000 books published each year sell over 50,000 copies.  Very few authors become rich and famous because of their books.  In fact, most of the big [...]

]]> By: Suzi Pomerantz http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-30617 Suzi Pomerantz Sat, 15 Sep 2007 03:49:36 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-30617 Dear Stephen, Great site. I was quite pleased to see your statistics, because I just recently learned my book sold more than 1000 copies in its first 9 months out on the market. I was online looking for a baseline point of comparison (thinking that this number was really nothing to write home about) and I was thrilled to find your numbers! I wanted to let you (and Douglas Hubbard) know about a resource that I've found very helpful for tracking my title in terms of its sales on Amazon as well as B&N. http://www.booksandwriters.com/ charts your sales for you and can give you daily updates via e-mail. Best of luck with your books! If you want to check mine out you can go to www.sealthedealbook.com anytime. Thank you, Suzi Dear Stephen,

Great site. I was quite pleased to see your statistics, because I just recently learned my book sold more than 1000 copies in its first 9 months out on the market. I was online looking for a baseline point of comparison (thinking that this number was really nothing to write home about) and I was thrilled to find your numbers!

I wanted to let you (and Douglas Hubbard) know about a resource that I’ve found very helpful for tracking my title in terms of its sales on Amazon as well as B&N. http://www.booksandwriters.com/ charts your sales for you and can give you daily updates via e-mail.

Best of luck with your books! If you want to check mine out you can go to http://www.sealthedealbook.com anytime.

Thank you,
Suzi

]]> By: Douglas Hubbard http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-28000 Douglas Hubbard Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:52:27 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-28000 Stephen, Thanks for the quick response. The relationship between the numbers you provide and Amazon rankings can be estimated with what is called "rank order" statistics. I don't get into that much math in the book, since it is written for managers. But I do take a lot of the more elaborate methods in statistics and boil them down to some simple charts and tables. Thanks for your support and keep up the good work with the site! Douglas Hubbard Stephen,
Thanks for the quick response. The relationship between the numbers you provide and Amazon rankings can be estimated with what is called “rank order” statistics. I don’t get into that much math in the book, since it is written for managers. But I do take a lot of the more elaborate methods in statistics and boil them down to some simple charts and tables.
Thanks for your support and keep up the good work with the site!
Douglas Hubbard

]]> By: Stephen Shapiro http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-27959 Stephen Shapiro Thu, 19 Jul 2007 02:38:41 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-27959 Douglas, Yes, now that you mention it, there seems to be a bit of an inconsistency. I believe the reason has to do with retail vs non-retail sales, but that is only a guess. Regardless, I'm not sure that these figures relate to Amazon.com rankings. Amazon.com rankings seem to be as follows: 10,000+ Estimate between 1 - 10 copies being sold per week. 1,000+ Estimate between 10 - 100 copies being sold per week. 100+ Estimate between 100 - 200 copies being sold per week. 10+ Estimate between 200 - 1000 copies being sold per week. Under 10 Estimate over 1,000 copies per week I have seen these figures on several websites, including http://tinyurl.com/38clb3 Thanks for stopping by and all the best with your book! Hope if is one of the 1,000 that sells LOTS. Douglas,

Yes, now that you mention it, there seems to be a bit of an inconsistency. I believe the reason has to do with retail vs non-retail sales, but that is only a guess.

Regardless, I’m not sure that these figures relate to Amazon.com rankings. Amazon.com rankings seem to be as follows:

10,000+ Estimate between 1 – 10 copies being sold per week.

1,000+ Estimate between 10 – 100 copies being sold per week.

100+ Estimate between 100 – 200 copies being sold per week.

10+ Estimate between 200 – 1000 copies being sold per week.

Under 10 Estimate over 1,000 copies per week

I have seen these figures on several websites, including http://tinyurl.com/38clb3

Thanks for stopping by and all the best with your book! Hope if is one of the 1,000 that sells LOTS.

]]> By: Douglas Hubbard http://www.steveshapiro.com/2006/07/03/statistic-about-the-book-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-27952 Douglas Hubbard Wed, 18 Jul 2007 23:52:41 +0000 http://www.goalfree.com/?p=248#comment-27952 I found page because I was googling for some basic publishing statistics. I just wrote the book "How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business". Being the measurement-type that I am, I was looking for ways to estimate my sales based on the ranking published on Amazon with each book. Part of that estimation depends on the distribution of sales across the various rankings. I only need a few data points to estimate this "sales distribution curve" for books, but two of your stats seemed possibly inconsistent or perhaps just overlapping. You said that 160k books will sell less than 1000. That means 12k books will sell more than 1000. But you said that less than 25k books sell more than 5000. This can also be true, but it doesn't tell us any more. We already know from the previous statement that only 12,000 sell more than a 1000 so much less than that seel more than 5000. Was there an error or are these just redundant statements? Thanks, Douglas Hubbard I found page because I was googling for some basic publishing statistics. I just wrote the book “How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business”. Being the measurement-type that I am, I was looking for ways to estimate my sales based on the ranking published on Amazon with each book. Part of that estimation depends on the distribution of sales across the various rankings.

I only need a few data points to estimate this “sales distribution curve” for books, but two of your stats seemed possibly inconsistent or perhaps just overlapping. You said that 160k books will sell less than 1000. That means 12k books will sell more than 1000. But you said that less than 25k books sell more than 5000. This can also be true, but it doesn’t tell us any more. We already know from the previous statement that only 12,000 sell more than a 1000 so much less than that seel more than 5000. Was there an error or are these just redundant statements?
Thanks,
Douglas Hubbard

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