Graham House Dornie IV40 8AP

Books sales up in times of recession

It has long been known that more books are sold in times of financial difficulties than when times are good. One reason is that people spend more time at home, another is the link between studying and bad times. I know that literature is not always seen as education, and though some, like Fifty Shades of Grey, which has added greatly to the increase in book sales in 2012, is not really considered standard educational literature, then books as such, not to mention reading, exemplify learning. According to this morning's briefing in the Bookseller total book sales in digital and physical formats grew 4% in 2012 to a total of £3.3bn. That overall growth contrasts with a 2% dip recorded the...

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Goodreads have become part of Amazon

I took the liberty of copying Philip Jones' blog in the Bookseller directly onto the website. I think it is not only well written but also important. First of all it brings up the information that Amazon has bought Goodreads, which essentially means that it will not longer be an objective and independent social network for bookworms. Or will it? I don't think so, but again, I may be wrong. I believe it depends on the members and how they want to play it. I hope it means more openness to all. Good reads for all (by Philip Jones, deputy editor of the Bookseller) The acquisition of Goodreads by Amazon serves as a reminder of how bifurcated the book business now...

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Where do publishes get their statistics?

It is very difficult to get information about publishing straight off, because so much of it is kept secret or the various big publishers use in-house statisticians who inevitably compare different sources. Comparing apples and pears often gives a mix of incomparable information, but don't give up. It is possible, but first you need to know the different main sources. For the UK and for the English speaking world of publishing, The Bookseller is one of the best sources. It sends daily digests about what is happening and have a hot line with Nielsen Book Scan, which is a pay-for information-book-sales-tracking-company. Nielsen often does not monitor what goes on in small companies, and only scan the retail market. Subscribing to information...

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