On-demand book publishing booms in 2008
May 28, 2009 – 7:56 amFrom CBC.ca:
The U.S. publishing industry passed a key marker last year, with the publication of more “on-demand” or short-run titles than traditional books, a U.S. company that keeps publishing statistics says.
While the swing may be temporary, caused as major publishers retrenched, it could be “a watershed year in the book publishing industry, fuelled by the changing dynamics of the marketplace and the proliferation of sophisticated publishing technologies,” said Kelly Gallagher, vice-president of publisher services for Bowker, which provides bibliographic data and services.
Based on preliminary figures, Bowker recently said the number of traditional titles published in the U.S. fell 3.2 per cent or by about 9,100 in 2008.
In contrast, it estimated that about 285,400 on-demand books were produced last year, “a staggering 132 per cent increase” over the 2007 total of nearly 123,300. Bowker is based in New Providence, N.J.
On-demand books are publications only printed when a buyer wants a copy, as opposed to the traditional model, which prints first and then hopes to sell the copies.
