Karen Mc Dermott from Forbes has some insights into the changing trends in the Publishing industry.
Publishing is an ever-evolving landscape, one that can be quite unpredictable to gauge.
Five years ago, it was thought that it was only a matter of time before print books were largely replaced by e-books. When you think about it in eco-friendly terms, fewer trees would be cut down, books wouldn’t have to be printed and shipped across the world and resources would be minimized because delivering a book electronically to a device is the way of the future. And, of course, those advancements and innovations are always welcome.
But to my delight, it seems that readers and consumers have other ideas. They love physical books. This is much to my relief because both as an author and a publisher, I adore printed books. The smell, feel and experience of sitting down — with no electronic devices to be seen — and enjoying being educated or reading to my children is an experience, a memory and something to be treasured, not dismissed.
Over the past few years, we have seen print overtake digital delivery, with some readers, in fact, investing in both versions of the books they love. The easy access to electronic platforms services the demand for instant content, but print is holding up, likely because of the experience that accompanies reading a physical book. They also make great gifts.
So, what do I predict are the main things that will be changing in 2021?
1. Smaller publishers will focus on honing their niche.
2. Marketing will entail more valued content to the current audience and not so much in mainstream media.
3. Audio will be king as more and more people turn to audiobook platforms, especially in the self-help industry.
4. Marketing budgets will be used to refine websites and SEOs to engage more site traffic.
5. Partnerships will take precedence over competition.
6. Podcasting will be a new norm for publishers.
7. Digital subscribers will grow because of the instant access to content.
8. Print will be strong into the second half of this decade.
