Content types have exploded in the last decade. We now have social media channels, specialized cable networks for almost any interest, satellite radio, podcasts, and mobile apps of every kind. An aspiring author may rightly wonder if anyone is even reading books anymore and whether they should spend the time and money to publish.
The good news is that people are still reading books. According to NPD Group, a global information company, reading is here to stay! Their research shows that three out of four U.S. consumers reported reading a book or listening to an audiobook in the second half of 2019. Over half of the respondents reported reading a physical book and one-quarter of them read an eBook. That’s why it’s important to publish your book in both formats. Of course, other forms of content consumption are increasing with respondents indicating they read less in 2019 than in the previous year.
On The Top Ten List, Sales of Nonfiction Adult Titles are Outselling Fiction Titles
NPD Bookscan which compiles point of sale data for books compared the top ten adult books for each year in the last decade. The stats show that nonfiction book sales are increasing, going from just 20% of top-selling titles in 2010 to 68% in 2019.
Self-help books are a high growth category, especially those that focus on creativity, motivation, mindfulness, inspiration, and minimalism. Other popular subcategories are journaling, healthy living, and self-improvement. These types of books have increased by 300% over the last six years. This means there’s a lot of interest as well as a lot of competition. It makes it more important than ever to hone in on your specific target market and build an author platform to attract and engage them.
Consumers Want Books With Lower Page Counts
Due in part to the use of smartphones and tablets as well as increasingly short attention spans, consumers prefer books with lower page counts The BookScan data shows that the average page count of the top-selling books is going down, with most having under 250 pages.
What Authors Need to Do Now
- Start building a brand and author platform using your website, email lists, and social media platforms
- When determining the topic of your book, keep in mind readers’ preference for a lower page count. Don’t try to put everything you know about your topic into the book. Rather, think of the biggest problem you can solve for your reader or the most important lessons you want to share. Save everything else for your next book.
