posted on May 13, 2004 09:13:52 AM new
Thu May 13, 8:20 AM ET
By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer
NEW YORK - Not even Harry Potter could prevent a big drop in book sales in 2003. With a struggling economy and competition for time from other media, 23 million fewer books were sold last year than in 2002, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Book Industry Study Group, a non-for-profit research organization.
Sales fell to 2.222 billion books, down from 2.245 billion in 2002. The decline was in both hardcovers and paperbacks, in children's books and general trade releases. Even sales of religious titles, often cited as a growing part of the publishing industry, were flat.
"We believe this is due to a variety of factors, the biggest being the used book market," said Albert N. Greco, an industry consultant and a professor of business at the graduate school of Fordham University.
"People are looking for bargains, especially in college textbooks, where we believe millions of used books are being bought. Also, books are competing with magazines, cable, radio, music and movies."
Thanks to higher prices, net revenues did rise to $27.8 billion in 2003, a 2.5 percent increase. They are projected to reach $33.5 billion in 2008.
But the 2003 figures show a continued trend of increasing production and declining demand. More than 100,000 books were published last year, yet fewer people were buying them. Sales dropped despite such high-profile releases as "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the memoirs of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dan Brown's religious thriller, "The Da Vinci Code."
"One book cannot make you," Greco said. "You have to look at how many books are not selling well. There's a parallel to Hollywood, where a lot of movies flop."
The Book Industry Study Group's report, titled "Book Industry Trends 2004," includes several downbeat assessments from publishing officials. Bob Miller, president of Hyperion, declares that "the pie we're all looking to share is not growing," and "flat is the new up."
Barbara Marcus, publisher of Scholastic Children's Book Group, which releases the Potter books in the United States, said she was disappointed by the impact of J.K. Rowling's fantasy series on the overall market.
"People thought Harry might have changed kids' reading habits," she said. "It's happened to a small degree, but not to the level we've hoped."
posted on May 13, 2004 10:31:51 AM new
I think one of the reason's Harry Potter's numbers fell is because they make movies to fast. When the first one came out it was a great read because of the hype. I understand it was good, but I didn't read it. I haven't read any of Harry Potter's books but I think there should be a time delay before movies are made.
Another reason is everyone is writing a book now, yes even you and I can write a book. Who cares about biographies. Those can be gotten on the internet. There are really no writers like Agatha Christy any more. To many romance novels. Every athelete has books. Just to many.
Quite a few people are into finance books especially by Buffett. Also Self Help Books. This is a fast paced world and not enough time in the day for books. Reality shows have taken the place of readers.
BTW I have a neighbor and her husband that read almost 5-7 books a week. They turn off their television for a couple of hours, sit relax and read books. I wish I could do that.
posted on May 13, 2004 12:37:26 PM newSales fell to 2.222 billion books, down from 2.245 billion in 2002?!?
I would hardly call that a "Big drop."
The only reason the Potter books might drop in sales is that the market is saturated--most libraries have 10-15 copies of each volume, schools own them, and many families have their own sets.
The actual reason, and I speak from experience, that book sales have dropped is due to the price of the books. Paperbacks start at $6.95, and most average $7.95 (I see them creeping up to $8,99 average now, though). Hardcover books average $22-25.00 apice, with non-fiction hardcovers going for more. (Children's non-fiction is commonly over $30, now! My budget at the library just doesn't go as far as it used too...)
____________________
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -- John F. Kennedy
posted on May 13, 2004 09:52:49 PM new
Libra, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the novel was published in 1999, the movie version is coming out in June...that makes 5 years in between, or darn near. How long do you think they should have waited? Prisoner is the third novel, and the third movie, the 5th came out last summer, in June. Personally, I wish they'd bring them out a bit faster. The novels are great fun and the movies so far have been just as entertaining. I won't hardly drive to see a movie in a theatre, but I will for this one..
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When a dog howls at the moon, we call it religion. When he barks at strangers, we call it patriotism. - Edward Abbey
[ edited by profe51 on May 13, 2004 09:56 PM ]
posted on May 13, 2004 10:58:24 PM new
They're coming out with an Imax version of the newest Potter film
____________________
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -- John F. Kennedy
posted on May 13, 2004 11:34:19 PM new
I don't think Harry Potter numbers dropped - I think the Order of the Phoenix was the one of the biggest sellers in history, and I'm almost positive it was the largest initial printing EVER ... which promptly sold out.
I read that story to say that books sales are down DESPITE the records shattered by Harry Potter, meaning sales of all other books are down ... even more so than the numbers might suggest because of the success of HP. The disappointment is that buyers weren't going from HP to other children's books.
Personally, I think the book industry (like the recording industry) is cannibalizing itself by pricing its products so unrealistically when it knows that alternative markets (i.e. eBay) are growing so quickly.
I was especially taken by this sentence:
"People are looking for bargains, especially in college textbooks, where we believe millions of used books are being bought....
Gee? Really? Couldn't've happened to nicer folks.
------------------- We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.
------------The Talmud
posted on May 14, 2004 01:02:51 AM newThe disappointment is that buyers weren't going from HP to other children's books.
Au contraire. As a librarian, I can tell you that they are. The greatest boon of the Harry Potter books is that they have made readers out of kids who were reluctant to read, or had difficulty reading, in the past. These kids devour the Potter books and then literally beg for more books to read. They start off going for books written in a similar vein, but start branching out from there.
Then the movies come out, and kids who somehow missed reading the Potter books before, run into the library looking for them after seeing the films and the cycle begins again Kids who had already read the books swarm to read them again and demand still more things to read. It's great.
I've got to say that I'm a big Harry Potter fan. I own my own copies, which I've read several times, I've got copies of the marvelous audiobook versions, and I watch & own the films. These are wonderful fantasy reads.
I pity the kids who come into the library whose parents refuse to allow them to read the books (they've heard they are "satanic".
____________________
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -- John F. Kennedy
posted on May 14, 2004 01:23:46 AM new
Bunni - just curious... when I was a kid my favorite book was Watership Down. I've given it to a few kids that I knew some have loved it, some have never given it a try (I guess it can be daunting because of it's size). Are kids still reading it? I remember the first time I read it I was so disappointed that it it ended that I turned back to the first page and started reading it again. I must of read that book a dozen times.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on May 14, 2004 05:12:58 AM new
bunnicula, you're right on the money. The real magic of Harry Potter is it's ability to turn reluctant readers around. I don't know how many times I've seen it happen.
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When a dog howls at the moon, we call it religion. When he barks at strangers, we call it patriotism. - Edward Abbey
posted on May 14, 2004 08:10:58 AM new
Fenix: yes, Watership Down is still read.
____________________
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -- John F. Kennedy
.