Traditional Print Book Production Dipped Slightly in 2013, Says Bowker

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J., Aug. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Production of print books by traditional publishers slowed in the United States in 2013, declining from 309,957 titles in 2012 to a projected 304,912 titles in 2013, according to Bowker®, the global leader in bibliographic information. The two percent decrease reverses the sector's growth in 2012 over 2011, but points to a relatively stable market for print works despite competition from ebooks. The figures were revealed today in Bowker's annual report on U.S. print book publishing, compiled from its Books In Print® database.

The non-traditional publishing sector had a far more significant decline over 2012. Its print output for 2013 was projected at 1,108,183 titles, a decrease of 46 percent from its production of 2,042,840 titles in 2012 and a dramatic reverse from its 55 percent growth in 2012 over 2011. The non-traditional sector is comprised primarily of reprint houses specializing in public domain works and by presses catering to self-publishers and "micro-niche" publications. Their titles are marketed almost exclusively on the web and printed on-demand.

"Traditional print production is holding up relatively well, supporting industry reports that ebook sales growth has been slowing," said Han Huang, director of product management for Data Licensing at Bowker, a ProQuest affiliate. "Though the non-traditional sector dropped significantly, we feel it's simply a market correction. The huge production that took place from 2010 through 2012 was an unusual period for non-traditional publishing, reflecting higher levels of investment and innovation."

In traditional publishing, Fiction and Juvenile genres continue to dominate the market, accounting for over 27 percent of new titles and editions in 2013, up slightly over 2012 and driven by growth in Fiction. Sociology/Economics, Science and Religion are the third, fourth and fifth most active genres.

Among the fastest growing genres is Music, which had the largest increase over prior year -- up 24 percent over 2012, with a five-year growth rate of 28 percent. Science titles have experienced the most dramatic five-year growth rate – up 33 percent over 2008. The Technology area was third, with a five-year growth rate of 27 percent. 

Top five book production categories:

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Methodology

Numbers are gathered as a result of Bowker's maintenance of the industry's bibliographic database Books In Print. Books In Print is widely regarded throughout the publishing industry as the most authoritative and comprehensive source of bibliographic data available worldwide, and has been a trusted source of information in North America for more than 50 years. Audiobooks and e-books are excluded. If changes in industry estimates occur, they will be reflected in a later published report.

About Bowker

Bowker is the world's leading provider of bibliographic information and management solutions designed to help publishers, booksellers, and libraries better serve their customers. Creators of products and services that make books easier for people to discover, evaluate, order, and experience, Bowker is the official ISBN Agency for the United States and its territories. A ProQuest affiliate, Bowker is headquartered in New Providence, New Jersey with additional operations in England and Australia.

About ProQuest (www.proquest.com)

ProQuest connects people with vetted, reliable information. Key to serious research, the company's products are a gateway to the world's knowledge including dissertations, governmental and cultural archives, news, historical collections and ebooks. ProQuest technologies serve users across the critical points in research, helping them discover, access, share, create and manage information.

The company's cloud-based technologies offer flexible solutions for librarians, students and researchers through the ProQuest^®, Bowker^®, Dialog^®, ebrary^® and EBL^® businesses – and notable research tools such as the Summon^® discovery service, the ProQuest Flow™ collaboration platform, the Pivot™ research development tool and the Intota™ library services platform. The company is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with offices around the world.

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SOURCE Bowker