BookExpo America announces flurry of e-books and self-publishing
At the 111th BookExpo America this past week in New York City, the general attitude was positive among the 30,000 attendees -- publishers and booksellers -- especially compared to the downbeat last two years.
Part of the excitement in 2012 is credited to the boom in digital books, according to Bowker, a firm that provides information services to the publishing industry, such as the reference volume Books in Print. It calls this the "golden age of self-publishing."
Self-published books topped 211,269 in 2011, up from 133,036 in 2010. E-books accounted for 41 percent of self-published units. Amazon, the largest player in self-publishing, published 57,602 titles last year. Bowker announced plans to develop a self-publishing bestsellers list.
Even the New York Review of Books announced the launch of an e-book series, NYRB Lit, featuring contemporary works, particularly in translation. Releases include Beirut, I Love You: A Memoir by Zena el Khalil and Yoram Kaniuk's 1948, The Water Theatre by Lindsay Clarke, Markus Werner's On the Edge and Kiran Nagarkar's Ravan and Eddie. Ten books will be released annually.
Generally, big name authors drew crowds, including Barbara Kingsolver and musician Neil Young promoting his upcoming memoir.
Other news included the upcoming first-ever adult novel from Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling. The Casual Vacancy, releasing September 27, will receive a first printing of a hefty 2 million copies.
Despite the upsurge in e-books, bestselling novelist Richard Russo (Empire Falls) spoke at a luncheon for the American Booksellers Association on the merits of physical books, saying, "I don't want independent bookstores to survive. I want them to thrive," Publisher's Weekly reported.
The New York Daily Post headline about the Expo read: "Book industry's death is greatly exaggerated."
Though Nielsen Bookscan states sales in retail outlets were down about 8.9 percent in 2011 compared to 2010, and print adult fiction dropped 17 percent last year, there were 160 million books sold -- and e-books are making up the difference.
http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/
