Fact of the Day 1

Share this post

January 27: The Resurgence of Old Books

www.factoftheday1.com

January 27: The Resurgence of Old Books

The COVID-19 pandemic left consumers with more alone time than ever – and many turned to old books.

Danny Sheridan
Jan 27, 2021
7
Share this post

January 27: The Resurgence of Old Books

www.factoftheday1.com

Source: The Economist
Published: November 2020

The Resurgence of Old Books

The COVID-19 pandemic left consumers with more alone time than ever. Many turned to books. 

Two trends emerged:

  1. Book sales rose sharply: print sales rose 7% while e-book and audiobook sales grew by more than 10%.

  2. Readers often chose older books. Sales attributable to the backlist (books published more than twelve months ago) rose from 64% to 68% of the market.

Year: 2005
US Books Sales, % Backlist: 51%
US Books Sales, % Frontlist: 49%

Year: 2010
US Books Sales, % Backlist: 54%
US Books Sales, % Frontlist: 46%

Year: 2015
US Books Sales, % Backlist: 58%
US Books Sales, % Frontlist: 42%

Year: 2020
US Books Sales, % Backlist: 68%
US Books Sales, % Frontlist: 32%

------------

Did you appreciate the fact today?

Yes |  No

Share this post

January 27: The Resurgence of Old Books

www.factoftheday1.com
Comments
TopNewCommunity

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Fact of the Day 1
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing