Photo by Ed Robertson
Since moving back to Sydney a few weeks ago, I have been meeting with as many people from the book industry as possible, eager to get a picture of the industry from those on the inside. I've met with CEOs, publishers, editors, authors, booksellers, buyers, journalists, marketers, literary agents and industry leaders. The book industry attracts lovely people so I've had frank, fun, informative chats with everyone I’ve caught up with.
The overall impression I get is one of optimism. Which I wasn't expecting, if I'm honest. But the obstacles facing the industry - AI, shortening attention spans, competition from streaming services and social media, declining reading rates, rising cost of books - are being faced and negotiated fearlessly.
In fact, many believe that the industry has future-proofed itself by attracting younger, highly engaged and critical readers to books and reading with the help of clever marketing, book influencers and the great books the young discover and share amongst themselves.
The recent report commissioned by Australia Reads - ‘Understanding Australian readers: Behavioural insights into recreational reading’ seems to back up the optimism in the industry while offering many practical ways to re-engage lapsed readers and encourage more reading in those who currently view themselves as regular readers.
Of course, there are always things that could be done better. For example, I do not see much marketing of books outside the few trending genres. Many audiences are being left to fend for themselves. I am sure resources could be more evenly distributed. While older avid readers, who buy an enormous number of books, are being somewhat taken for granted, which seems a risky strategy.
And then there's that seductive alternative to selling books - selling stationery and gifts. I am seeing books being cleared from bookshops to make room for puzzles and trinkets. Of course, it's easier to sell non-book products - they don't change every month, they sell in more predictable patterns, and you don’t have to spend unpaid hours reading them to see if they are any good… But you're in the book trade. You sell books. That's the whole point. If you don't know how, there are plenty of talented people in the industry available to teach you the basics.
Weirdly there are non-book people in the book business. People who think all retail is the same, who want to believe that books are just like any other product and get annoyed when they discover they aren't. People who start to dream of simplifying matters by ridding the book industry of books entirely.
What they don't get is that for most of us it is the complexity of the book industry, its endless variability, its challenges, and the constant waves of the new, that keep us on our toes and interested.
We are in the book industry because we bloody love books and reading and it's this passion that keeps us optimistic and ready to overcome all obstacles to ensure the industry is vibrant and viable well into the future.
So even taking into account the challenges - the rise and fall of book retailers, the little fish publishers being swallowed by big fish, ‘overwhelm’, and the ever-changing behaviour of readers, overall the industry seems to be in a good place.
These are just my first impressions since arriving home. I'd love to hear whether you agree or whether you think I’ve been drinking the industry Kool-Aid. Drop a comment below.
About the author
John Purcell is a book industry professional with over twenty years experience and the author of five published works of fiction. The Secret Lives of Emma trilogy published by Penguin Random House and The Lessons and The Girl on the Page published by 4th Estate.
