Fewer Than 4 in 10 Buy The Books That They Read Or Listen To

 

Book readers have always consisted of a few types, including those who buy new books, those who buy used ones, those who go to the library or are loaned one through a friend. Some readers may have participated in one or more such behaviors.  But the results of a new survey from the Authors Guild reveals a troubling trend.

Of those who read a book or listened to an audiobook in the last month, only 36% bought a new copy or obtained one through a subscription service.

I don’t know what the historical comparison would be, however. I mean, it was never 100% because people have always regifted books, shared with friends, and gone to the library. There is a growing online library now, as well.

So, though book sales have not taken any dramatic drops, growth is small and slow. Prices have not really risen as fast as the rest of inflation. Low-cost e-books and heavily discounted books coupled with cover prices that have not shot up mean that publisher profits and author royalties are nothing to write home about.

We do have to wonder if the free-book mania that has gripped book publishing for several decades, needs to be reined in. Individual authors are willing to part with free books if it helps get them reviews, create word-of-mouth, and grow their brand, but overall, big-picture for the book economy, this flood of freebies is really starting to impact the industry’s ability to sell books.

Some of what the Author’s Guild survey shows may also be a reflection of the new economic realities that Americans are confronting. Inflation is up. Everyone has to make consumer choices or budget cuts that reflect their needs and concerns. Book purchases, at least for the moment, are being tempered.

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,650,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2026, 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum