A Few Good Statistics

They’re everywhere. They could be your best friend, your mom, your neighbor, even your neighbor’s kids. Pretty soon, you’re seeing them at the grocery store, the gym, work, and your child’s soccer game. But how do you know for sure? Should you just ask directly? Or try and start a conversation and hope it comes up? What to do?

Who am I talking about? Readers, of course. Writers, authors, and members of the publishing industry are constantly trying to locate these readers and get them to, well, read. These readers, they are elusive, their tastes are varied, and one success with them is not necessarily a predictor of another.

Statistics aren’t really the publishing industry’s strong point, but fortunately we have Bowker PubTrack to provide us with some guidance. R.R. Bowker is the world’s leading source for bibliographic information, and PubTrack is the publishing industry’s premier resource for understanding consumer book buying behavior. We recently received a 2008 report on the U.S. book-buying consumer, so I thought I’d share a few interesting tidbits with you.

• 45% of Americans ages 13+ read books

That’s less than half of the adolescent and adult population. Kind of sad, really.

• Average age of a reader is 44

• 58% of READERS are female, and 57% of book BUYERS are female
  
  
• Top 5 fiction genres: mystery/detective, juvenile, romance, sci-fi, espionage/thriller
  
  
• 62% of books purchased are paperback

• 23% of books purchased are through internet retailers; 22% through large chains; 5% through independent bookstores

This means that half of all books purchased are bought through other outlets, such as book clubs, warehouse retailers, supermarkets, and other specialty stores. In other words, if you put all your eggs (er, books) in one basket, you’re missing out on sales opportunities. Also: buy local/independent when possible!

• 31% of books purchased are impulse buys

A good chunk of people buy books because of the author’s name, or because they saw a book in a special display in a store (I know I’m guilty of that). But you must realize that publishers pay hefty fees for the privilege of being in those store displays!

Statistics like these can be useful, but I think the most important thing you can do as a writer or author is to really think about who your readers might be and find ways to connect with them. There are no secret formulas or magic numbers for publishing success, and your book will probably require a strategy that’s different from someone else’s. So take some time to consider your goals, keep your expectations in check, and be on the lookout for those sneaky readers…